Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Commission in Brussels welcomed the political agreement between European Parliament negotiators and the Council that allows for the digitization of Schengen visa procedures. This is the main delivery under the Schengen Strategy, presented by the Commission in June 2021.
The agreed rules will modernize, simplify and harmonize visa procedures for non-EU nationals applying for a visa and for member states that need to grant such visas through digitization.
According to a statement issued by the Brussels Commission today, visa procedures for the Schengen Area still rely heavily on paperwork, adding costs for both travelers and member states. The procedures for applying for a Schengen visa differ from one member country to another, and only a few have partial digital procedures. Physical visa stickers are also more susceptible to counterfeiting, fraud and theft, something digital visas will greatly improve.
The regulation will modernize two major aspects of visa procedures: the digitization of the visa sticker and the digitization of the visa application, by creating the EU's online visa application platform.

In particular, the new regulation will provide for the following:

One platform for online EU visa application, where applicants will be able to obtain a Schengen visa online, including paying the same visa fee, regardless of which Schengen country they wish to visit.
In particular, the online visa application platform will:
Provide applicants with a secure account through which they can apply online and receive a decision on their application.
Provide applicants with up-to-date information on short-stay Schengen visas, as well as all necessary information regarding requirements and procedures (such as supporting documents, visa fees, or the need to schedule an appointment to collect biometric identifiers).
Automatically determine the Schengen country responsible for examining the application when the intended visit includes several member states.
Include a chatbot functionality that allows applicants to get their questions answered in a user-friendly way.
Replacing the Schengen visa sticker with a digital Schengen visa (encoded 2D bar code) which will also be applied to long-stay visas. It will also be issued by EU countries that have not fully implemented the Schengen rules (Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus).
A transitional period of 7 years for Member States to join the platform.
As for the next step, the Commission said the regulation must now be formally approved by the European Parliament and the European Council.
Proposed by UNHCR in September 2020, the new Pact on Migration and Asylum includes the ambition to fully digitize visa procedures, including the digital visa and online filing of visa applications. Moreover, the Schengen Strategy presented in June 2021 announced the digitization of visa procedures and travel documents as a key proposal to ensure effective management of the EU's external borders. In this context, the Commission presented on April 27, 2022 a legislative proposal aimed at digitizing visa procedures.