EU visa policy

Why EU common visa rules?

More than 400 million EU citizens enjoy freedom of movement in the Schengen area. They can travel, work and live anywhere in the EU. Non-EU nationals living in the EU or visiting the EU as tourists, exchange students or for business purposes can also move freely.

The Schengen provisions:

• abolish checks at the EU’s internal borders, with some limited exceptions
• provide a single set of rules for controls at the EU’s external borders

An EU common visa policy is necessary for the effective functioning of the border-free Schengen area as it facilitates the entry of visitors into the EU, while strengthening internal security.

The EU has established a visa policy for:

• intended short stays in or transit through the territory of a Schengen state
• transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Schengen states

Short stays are stays of no more than 90 days within any 180-day period.

Today, 29 European countries issue Schengen visas (as members of the Schengen area): 25 of the 27 EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Cyprus, where controls at the internal borders have not yet been lifted, and Ireland (not part of the Schengen area) do not issue Schengen visas, but only national visas.

• The Schengen area (European Commission)
• The Schengen area explained (background information)

Countries issuing Schengen visas

Visa-free regime with non-EU countries

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.

There are 61 non-EU countries with a visa free-regime.

In March 2023, the Council agreed on a visa-free regime for Kosovo*. 

From the 1 January 2024, Kosovo passport holders are allowed to travel to the EU without a visa, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This, in turn, also enables EU citizens to travel to Kosovo without needing a visa.

• Third countries whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (EU official journal)
• Visa waiver agreements (EU official journal)
• Kosovo*: Council gives green light to visa free travel (press release, 9 March 2023)

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

European travel information and authorisation system (ETIAS)

In 2018, the Council adopted a regulation establishing the European travel information and authorisation system (ETIAS). The system will be used to carry out advanced checks on visa-exempt travellers and deny them travel authorisation if necessary.

It will be similar to existing systems in place in the US, Canada and Australia, among other countries.

ETIAS is being developed by eu-LISA. This is the EU agency that manages the large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice. ETIAS will start operations in the last quarter of 2026.

• IT systems to fight crime and secure EU borders (background information)
• EU-wide IT systems for security and migration (infographic)

Visa facilitation agreements with non-EU countries

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 short stays.

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

• Visa facilitation agreements (European Commission)

Visa agreements with non-EU countries

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 suspended:

• Russia (full suspension of facilitation agreement)
• Belarus (partial suspension of facilitation agreement)
• Vanuatu (full suspension of waiver agreement)

• Council greenlights new EU rules for the suspension of visa-free travel for third countries (press release, 17 November)
• Vanuatu: Council fully suspends visa free travel agreement (press release, 8 November 2022)
• Council adopts full suspension of visa facilitation with Russia (press release, 9 September 2022)
• Belarus: Council suspends visa facilitation provisions for officials of the Belarus regime (press release, 9 November 2021)

New EU rules on suspending visa-free travel for third countries

The EU is currently updating the mechanism to suspend visa-free travel. Under the new mechanism, the EU will be given the following new grounds to suspend the visa-free regime:

• lack of alignment of a visa-free third country with the EU’s visa policy, in cases where this may lead to increased arrivals to the EU e.g. because of this country’s geographical proximity to the EU
• the operation of an investor citizenship scheme, whereby citizenship is granted without any genuine link to the third country concerned, in exchange for pre-determined payments or investments
• hybrid threats and deficiencies in document security legislation or procedures

On 13 March 2024, EU member states' ambassadors have agreed their position on the draft regulation.

• Council takes first step towards new EU rules on suspending visa-free travel for third countries (13 March 2024)

General EU visa rules

For travellers from non-EU countries with no waiver or facilitation agreement, the visa code applies. The code sets out the procedures and conditions for issuing visas for the purpose of short stays and airport transit through the Schengen area.

It also lists the non-EU countries whose nationals are required to hold an airport transit visa when passing through the international transit areas of EU airports and establishes the procedures and conditions for issuing such visas.

The visa code also contributes to improving cooperation with third countries on readmission of irregular immigrants through the visa leverage mechanism.

Under this mechanism, when a third country is not cooperating on readmission, specific restrictive measures related to visa processing and the visa fee can be taken. So far, restrictive measures have been adopted against The Gambia and Ethiopia.

On the other hand, if a country is found to be cooperating on readmission, the EU might provide a reduction in the visa fee, a reduction in the time to decide on visa applications, or an increase in the period of validity of multiple entry visas.

• Visa code (EU official journal)
• Visa policy: EU updates rules to facilitate legitimate travel and fight illegal migration (press release, 6 June 2019)

Digitalisation of Schengen visa

Currently, applying for a Schengen visa is a lengthy and heavily paper-based process. Applicants have to travel to submit their application and collect their visa afterwards. This is burdensome both for both travellers and for consulates.

In April 2022, the European Commission presented a proposal on the digitalisation of the Schengen visa process.  The new rules aim to:

• replace the visa sticker
• introduce the ability to submit visa applications online through an online visa platform
• improve the visa application process
• reduce the costs and burden on EU countries and on the applicants

On 13 November 2023, the Council adopted the new EU rules to digitalise the visa procedure.

• Visa digitalisation: visa travel to the EU becomes easier (press release, European Commission)
• Schengen visa: Council agrees negotiating mandate on the digitalisation of the visa procedure (press release, 29 March 2023)
• Council and European Parliament agree on rules to digitalise the visa procedure (press release, 13 June 2023)
• Council gives green light to the digitalisation of the visa procedure (press release, 13 November 2023)