Schengen visa gets a digital makeover: Easier access for Indian travellers? Here's what you should know

Schengen visa to go digital (Image: AFP)

If you're planning a trip to Europe, you'll need a Schengen Visa, which allows entry to over two dozen countries in the region. There's good news for you, the Schengen visa process is set to go digital, making it more streamlined and accessible.

As part of the European Union's move to modernize visa procedures, around 70,000 digital Schengen visas were issued recently by France, primarily in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This was part of a pilot project under the EU’s broader plan to fully digitize the visa process.

The EU aims to roll out a centralized online application system by 2026, streamlining the entire Schengen Visa process for applicants across the globe.

Let’s take a closer look at what a Schengen Visa is and the move toward its digital transformation.

All about Schengen Visa

Once you have a Schengen Visa, you can travel freely within the Schengen Area, which extends across over two dozen European countries, including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. This region covers more than four million square kilometers and is home to around 450 million people.

The Schengen Zone facilitates movement for EU citizens by allowing travel between member countries with minimal border checks. Each day, an estimated 3.5 million people travel within this area.

The Schengen Visa is available to non-EU citizens for tourism, business, or work purposes and typically allows stays ranging from three to six months.

Despite the benefits, many applicants express concerns over the visa application process, describing it as complex and time-consuming. It's common for applicants to submit several applications before receiving approval, with notable delays reported for countries such as Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Croatia, and Finland.

Besides extended processing times, data from the previous year shows that European countries generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually from visa fees, while many applications mainly those from African and Asian countries are rejected.

This phenomenon has been called ‘reverse remittances’ and has faced criticism, as many applicants invest substantial amounts with no guarantee of obtaining a visa. Adding to these challenges, the European Commission raised visa fees significantly last year, increasing the financial burden on applicants.

Full digital rollout by 2026

The visa digitization process in Europe began in 2023 with a pilot program in France for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where about 70,000 digital visas replaced traditional passport stickers with secure digital barcodes.

By 2026, the European Union aims to fully digitalize the visa application system through a centralized online platform. This new system will allow Indian travelers and others to submit required documents, pay application fees, track their visa status, and receive digitally signed barcodes as visas instead of physical stickers.

However, for security and verification, first-time applicants are still required to visit consulates or visa centers in person for biometric data collection (like fingerprints and photos), with a renewal process for biometrics every five years. The main goals of this initiative are to make the visa process simpler, enhance security, and reduce fraud or theft associated with physical passport stickers.