SchengenVisaInfo, the European Union will take a big step towards “digitizing Schengen visa application procedures”. Indeed, the Council of the EU approved last Monday, November 14, 2023 two new regulations including “the digitization of Schengen visa application procedures, also abandoning consulate appointments and visa stickers”.
‘Between 22 and 25 million visa applications worldwide will be processed via this platform when it launches. Candidates and Member States will benefit from this platform as it will save them time and money,’ informed SchengenVisaInfo.
In 2026, the European visa application platform and the digital visa would coexist. After the end of the transition period (end of 2028), all visa applications would be filed online via the EU visa application platform (except for some exceptional cases where a paper procedure would remain possible).
This platform will be a real ‘Revolution in the European visa application sector, which will completely reshape the experience of travelers when obtaining a Schengen visa, making it not only cheaper, but also less time and energy consuming, and therefore less stressful. The platform will also eliminate the possibility of refusal for a request addressed to the wrong embassy”.
