This agreement, which will still need to be formally ratified before it enters into force, will allow the majority of applicants for a Schengen visa (stay of less than three months) to carry out their procedures online, on a single website, and not only at a consulate.
The current label will be replaced by a digital visa, in the form of a barcode.
“Increase Security”
Swedish Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, whose country holds the six-year presidency of the EU Council, added that the change would “increase the security of the Schengen area by, for example, reducing the risk of forgery and theft of the sticker.” .
Applicants will only need to appear in person at the consulate if they are applying for a visa for the first time, if their biometrics are no longer valid, or if they have a new passport.
When a person intends to travel to several Schengen countries, the platform will automatically determine which one is responsible for examining the application based on the length of stay.
Aujourd’hui, 27 European countries délivrent des visas Schengen (as members of cet espace où les contrôles aux frontières nationales ont été abolis): 23 des 27 États membres de l’UE, l’Islande, le Liechtenstein, la Norvège et Swiss.
Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania, where internal border controls have not yet been lifted, and Ireland (which is not part of the Schengen area) do not issue Schengen visas, only national visas. The EU allows visa-free access to citizens of some 60 countries around the world.
Source: BFM TV
