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Date Published: 17/11/2023

EU plans to make Schengen visa applications paperless

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Consulate appointments and passport stickers will also be scrapped for travel to Spain

EU plans to make Schengen visa applications paperless

In another step towards a paperless society, the Council of the EU has signed off this week on a number of changes to the Schengen visa application process. The Schengen visa is a short-term permit that allows people to travel to any of the member states, for business or pleasure, and stay up to 90 days.

Citizens from several countries, including China, Egypt and Tunisia, will have to secure this visa before visiting the EU but at the moment, UK passport holders can enter Europe's Schengen Zone without a visa or any prior authorisation. Starting from 2025, however, all UK citizens travelling to any of the EU/Schengen member countries will have to register with ETIAS before entering.

For those nations who still need a Schengen visa, the process is about to become a lot simpler, cheaper and less time consuming.

“Visa applications would be processed on a single online platform that would also tell applicants which country will receive their application (in the case of multi-country trips). The new system is also designed to work harmoniously with the EU’s ecosystem of border management systems and databases,” a spokesperson explained.

So, what will change?

1. Once the new platform is launched, travellers will be able to complete all the necessary procedures on one website, even if their trip involves several different countries.

2. At the moment, applicants have to print out reams of forms and present themselves and their documentation for an appointment at the Consulate before their visa is granted. Going forward, rather than printing and photocopying tonnes of paperwork, travellers will be able to scan and upload their passport, biometric photos etc.

Visitors from non-EU countries are also expected to be able to provide proof of funds to support themselves during their stay, evidence of where they are staying and when they will return home, so it’s quite likely these details will need to be uploaded too once the platform is up and running.

3. Applicants will be allowed to pay their visa fees online and even though the EU is investing millions in the website, the price of the permit won’t change.

4. With the new platform, visa stickers are to become a relic of the past as they’re to be replaced with digital barcodes. Since the current stamps are easy to forge, this should vastly improve border security.

Exceptions

While the majority of people will be able to avail themselves of the new service, there are some exceptions who will still need to go to the Consulate in order to secure the visa. Even then, given that most will be applying online, the queues will be nothing like they used to be. The exceptions include:

Those applying for a Schengen Visa for the very first time
Those whose biometric data are not valid anymore
Those who have a new travel document.

In other news: Dozens of Brits refused entry into Spain from Gibraltar

Image: Freepik

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