All applications for Schengen visas will soon be made through a new digital visa application platform. Earlier this year, the members of the European Union Parliament (MEPs) adopted a proposal seeking to modernize the visa application procedures in the Schengen area by replacing the physical applications and visa stickers with a digital system.
The ambassadors of EU member states agreed to the council’s negotiating mandate for a proposal to digitalize the visa procedure, the European Council said in a recent statement.
Online applications will reduce the onsite visits to the consulate for travelers to mitigate any risk of visa scams or the theft of the visa sticker.
“The proposed new rules will introduce a visa application platform,” said Swedish Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard.
“On this platform, visa applicants will be able to introduce all relevant data, upload electronic copies of their travel and supporting documents, and pay their visa fees. They will also be notified of the decisions concerning their visa,” she said.
The in-person appearance at the consulate will be a must for first-time applicants, persons whose biometric data are no longer valid, and those with a new travel document.
Under the proposed new rules, visas will be issued in digital format, as a 2D barcode, cryptographically signed, thus reducing security risks related to counterfeit and stolen visa stickers.
In February, the Members of the European Parliament approved a proposal to digitalize visa procedures in the Schengen area to speed up the processing of travel entry permits and promote security.
A total of 34 MEPs voted in favor of the proposal, while five members opposed it, and 20 others abstained. The proposal seeks to lower the costs and “efforts” required to make a visa application for traveling to 27 Schengen countries.
