November 14, 2023
1 min read

EU Council Approves Online Visa Platform for Travellers to Schengen Area

The new regulations will enter into force 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal of the EU, according to the Council…reports Asian Lite News

 Travellers from third countries who wish to visit the European Union’s (EU) border-free Schengen area will soon be able to apply for their visa online, as two new regulations have been adopted by the EU Council.

“The possibility of applying for a Schengen visa online will be a great improvement for citizens and for the processing of the applications,” Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gomez, Spain’s acting minister of interior, said.

“It will simplify the application process for travellers and at the same time will ease the burden on national administrations, which will be able to respond more quickly and effectively,” he added.

The two new regulations will create an EU visa application platform, where all relevant documents can be uploaded and visa fees be paid, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, in-person applications at consulates are still required for first-time applicants, people whose biometric data are no longer valid and people with new travel documents.

On the new platform, the current visa sticker will be replaced by a cryptographically signed barcode. This should reduce the security risks linked to counterfeit and stolen visa stickers.

In the context of the recent migration and security challenges, and the Covid-19 pandemic that considerably slowed down visa processing and created the need for more digital procedures, the European Commission submitted a legislative proposal in April 2022 aiming at digitalizing visa procedures.

The new regulations will enter into force 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal of the EU, according to the Council.

Once the technical work on the visa platform and the digital visa has been concluded, the date of application of the new rules will be decided, it added.

ALSO READ-Ukraine gets signal of EU membership talks next month

Previous Story

Four Lebanese Killed in Confrontations Between Hezbollah

Next Story

Festival Feast without Guilt

Latest from -Top News

India Tightens Checks on Chinese Imports

India has ramped up monitoring of Chinese imports amid growing concerns of cheap goods being redirected into the Indian market following the United States’ steep tariff hike on Chinese exports. Commerce Secretary

Economists Warn of Impending US Recession

Leading global brokerages and economists are sounding alarm bells over the likelihood of a US recession, following the Donald Trump administration’s announcement of sweeping reciprocal tariffs on foreign imports. JPMorgan Chase &

Trump tariffs send world markets into panic

US benchmark crude oil shed $2.70 to $64.25 a barrel after major oil producers announced they plan to increase production. Brent crude, the international standard, was down $2.63 at $67.51 a barrel
Go toTop

Don't Miss

EU unveils plans to reform Schengen area

The Schengen area is home to more than 420 million

Trade deficit widens while exports to EU hit record high

The widening was caused by the surging value of imports,