European Union: Digital Schengen Visa Application Process Approved for Development; eu-LISA to Start Creating System

As an update to the long-awaited digitization of the Schengen Area visa application process, the Council of the European Union has now approved the related rules for development of the system (the European Parliament had approved the rules in October 2023). Under the approved rules, the current in-person visa application processes for all Schengen countries will largely be replaced, and applications will instead be processed digitally via a single visa application platform. Applicants will digitally submit information and documents (including designating the intended country of entry, and the countries in which they will primarily stay) and pay government fees on this platform. The platform will also notify applicants about their application status and the country responsible for processing their application. Despite these changes, in-person appointments will still be necessary for initial applicants, individuals with a new travel document, and individuals whose biometric data has expired. Separately, visa stickers will be replaced with a cryptographically signed barcode (which can be printed or kept on a digital device). These changes are expected to streamline the Schengen country visa application process and to provide improved security features. At this stage, it does not appear that government fees, time frames or document requirements will change. The implementation date has not yet been confirmed, since eu-LISA – a body which manages large-scale information technology systems in the European Union – must now develop the application platform. Note that these changes, which affect only visa-required nationals, have no relationship with the forthcoming European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) application process, which applies only to visa-exempt nationals.