Schengen visa process to be digitised: What would change? | World News

The European Union member states’ ambassadors agreed to the Council’s negotiating mandate over a proposal to digitalise the Schengen visa process. The brand new modifications will enable the candidates to hunt the visa on-line, changing the present visa sticker with a digital visa.

With this, visa utility process will turn into extra environment friendly within the Schengen space. Swedish minister for migration Maria Malmer Stenergarz mentioned, “A digital Schengen visa will make it simpler for respectable travellers to use and can on the identical time assist make the Schengen space safer. On-line functions will scale back the variety of journeys to the consulate for vacationers and make the method smoother for nationwide administrations.”
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“On the identical time, the digital visa will put an finish to the chance of falsification and theft of the visa sticker,” the Swedish minister mentioned.
Below the proposed guidelines, a brand new visa utility platform can be made and all functions for the Schengen visas can be made by way of the identical platform, the minister knowledgeable.
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Visa candidates will be capable of add all related information and add digital copies of their journey in addition to supporting paperwork by way of the platform. Following this, they’ll be capable of pay their visa charges and can be later notified of the selections with respect to their visas.
In-person look on the consulate will solely be wanted for first-time candidates or for candidates whose biometric information is invalid.
The visas will even be issued in digital format- a 2D barcode which is cryptographically signed.
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