EU shifts to digital visas for Schengen area

BRUSSELS: People applying for visas to visit Europe´s Schengen area will soon do so via an online platform, under a change adopted by EU foreign ministers on Monday.

The shift towards digitalisation of the visa process will also do away with the need for applicants to get a sticker in their passport, meaning no more appointments at consulates or service providers´ offices.

The change, unveiled after a long legislative process, will take effect after technical work on the visa platform, expected to take months, then publication in the EU´s administrative gazette. The Schengen area comprises 23 of the 27 EU member countries plus associated neighbours Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The online visa system “will simplify the application process for travellers,” said Spain´s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, whose country currently holds the EU presidency.

Once it is in place, people applying for short stays in the Schengen area will upload documents, data and electronic copies of their travel documents with biometric information, and pay fees, all through an online platform. If approved after database cross-checks, they will receive a cryptographically signed barcode to print off or store in a device. But some first-time applicants or those with a new passport or changed biometric data may still need to attend an in-person appointment.