The prolonged Schengen visa course of is about to go utterly on-line within the subsequent few years.
The brand new digital system - proposed by the European Fee final week - will substitute the arduous paper software course of endured by hundreds of thousands of would-be guests to Europe.
Travellers can anticipate a “smoother and safer” system, the European Fee has promised.
“With some member states already switching to digital, it's vital the Schengen space now strikes ahead as one,’ declared Fee Vice-President for Selling our European Method of Life, Margaritis Schinas.
So how will the brand new system work - and when do you have to begin planning a Euro getaway?
Who wants a Schengen visa?
The Schengen visa permits travellers to remain for tourism or enterprise in 26 European international locations for as much as 90 days in a 180 day interval.
The journey space covers most EU international locations, plus Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. EU international locations Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Eire and Romania are excluded.
Most international nationals should receive the visa to go to the journey space, together with guests from India, China, and South Africa.
The complete checklist of nations who want a Schengen visa is accessible right here. Individuals, Brits, and Australians are amongst these exempt from the visa guidelines.
In 2019, over 15 million individuals used Schengen visas to journey round Europe.
How do you apply for a Schengen visa?
In the meanwhile, could be guests should submit their software on the consulate of the nation they intend to spend probably the most time in throughout their journey.
They have to then return, in particular person, to select up their passports when the bodily visa sticker has been added.
Based on the Fee, this course of “proved problematic in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
The visa processing time ranges from two weeks to 60 days.
The tedious bureaucratic course of should evolve, declared European Commissioner for House Affairs Ylva Johansson.
“Half of these coming to the EU with a Schengen visa take into account the visa software burdensome, one third should journey lengthy distances to ask for a visa,” she mentioned.
“It's excessive time that the EU offers a fast, protected and web-based EU visa software platform for the residents of the 102 third international locations that require quick time period visa to journey to the EU.”
How will the digital Schengen system work?
In The New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the European Fee outlined a objective to “absolutely digitise” visa procedures by 2025.
Visa candidates will have the ability to apply - and pay - for a visa by a single on-line EU platform.
The platform will robotically decide which Schengen nation is answerable for analyzing an software. In the meanwhile, the paper process might be complicated for candidates who intend to go to a number of European international locations.
First time candidates will nonetheless have to go to a consulate for the gathering of biometric identifiers.
The proposal must be accredited by the European Parliament and Council, however will seemingly sail by. Will probably be tabled in parliament in some unspecified time in the future within the subsequent few months.
With hassle-free journey on the horizon, it may very well be time to begin planning your dreamEuropean vacation.
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