EU visa agreements with non-EU countries

Visa-free regime

The EU currently has a visa-free regime in place with 61 non-EU countries, two special administrative regions of China (Hong Kong and Macao) and one territorial authority that is not recognised as a state by at least one EU member state (Taiwan).

Under this regime, non-EU citizens with a biometric passport can enter the Schengen area for short stays without needing a visa.

The principle of visa reciprocity applies. This means that the same visa-free regime applies to EU citizens travelling to those non-EU countries.

Simplified visa procedure

The EU has visa facilitation agreements in place with some non-EU countries. Under this simplified visa regime, non-EU citizens with a biometric passport enjoy facilitated procedures for entering the Schengen area for 90 days within any 180-day period.

Facilitated procedures for issuing visas include:

• a simplification of the supporting documents needed
• reduced or no fees for certain categories of applicants
• faster processing times for visa applications
• provisions on issuing multiple-entry visas with an extended validity

Suspension of visa agreements

The EU can suspend visa waiver or visa facilitation agreements when a non-EU country no longer satisfies the conditions of the agreement. The general rules of the EU visa code then apply.

Suspensions can be triggered by an EU member state or by the European Commission. Currently three agreements are partially or fully suspended:

• Russia
• Belarus
• Vanuatu

More information

• EU visa policy (background information)
• The Schengen area explained (background information)
• The Schengen visa (infographic)