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in-person applications at consulates are still required for first-time applicants, people whose biometric data are no longer valid and people with new travel documents.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

Financial Turmoil Grips Bangladesh

The crisis emerged with the political transition after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following a violent uprising last year….reports Asian Lite News Bangladesh is grappling with an economic crisis

Hamas Meets Turkish FM Over Gaza Crisis

The delegation briefed Hakan on the latest developments regarding the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the delegation’s recent visit to Cairo….reports Asian Lite News A Hamas delegation met with Turkish Foreign

India, France Set to Seal Rafale Deal

Estimated cost of this deal is valued at around Rs 63,000 crore…reports Asian Lite News India and France will on Monday sign the deal for 26 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian
Go toTop

Don't Miss

EU to combat harmful content online

The agreement was reached after negotiators from the council and

EU Nears Migration Policy Overhaul

The new regulations aim to increase the effectiveness of the