The 2D barcode will soon replace the Schengen visa passport sticker as the EU has decided to digitalize visa applications.
The reform intends to eliminate the security concerns associated with counterfeit or stolen visa stickers while making the procedure simpler for passengers and national authorities.
Applicants will present their data and submit supporting papers, with in-person consulate visits only necessary for first-time passengers.
The EU member states ambassadors on Wednesday endorsed the Council’s negotiating mandate for a plan to digitalize the visa system. As per the idea, you would be able to apply for your visa online and replace the present visa sticker with a digital one. It aims at making the visa application process more efficient and strengthening the Schengen region’s security.
Under the proposed new guidelines, visas will be issued in digital format, as a 2D barcode, cryptographically signed. This has been done to mitigate the security threats associated with counterfeit and stolen visa stickers.
Maria Malmer Stenergard, Swedish Minister for Migration, said, “A digital Schengen visa will make it easier for legitimate travelers to apply and will at the same time help make the Schengen area safer. Online applications will reduce the number of trips to the consulate for travelers and make the process smoother for national administrations. At the same time, the digital visa will put an end to the risk of falsification and theft of the visa sticker.”
She stated that the proposed new guidelines would establish a visa application platform. All applications for Schengen visas will be made via this platform, a single website, which will route them to the applicable national visa systems.
Using this website, visa applicants will be able to introduce all required data, submit electronic copies of their travel- and supporting papers, and pay their visa costs. They will also be advised of the decisions about their visas.
In-person presentation at the consulate will only be mandatory for first-time applicants, those whose biometric data are no longer valid, and those with a new travel document.
When a person wishes to visit numerous Schengen countries, the platform will automatically decide which one of them is responsible for assessing the application depending on the period of stay. But, the applicant will also have the ability to declare whether the application needs to be handled by a certain member state according to the purpose of travel.
