Do you dislike filling out paper visa applications? The recommendation to digitize the procedure made by this EU member state may be quite helpful to you.
People must apply for visas for each country they intend to visit, however in Europe, a Schengen visa is all that is needed to travel to any of the member states. However, the application process is time-consuming because it necessitates multiple trips to the consulate for the verification of paperwork and other requirements. The mandate from the council to digitize the process has now been taken into consideration by the EU member states.
The proposal, as stated in the press release released by the Council of the European Union, calls for the digital replacement of the current visa stickers. They emphasize that the mandate’s major motivation was to improve the effectiveness of the entire process. The Swedish Minister for Migration, Maria Malmer Stenegard, in her statement explained, “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.”
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
1. Online Application Process
The approach is the same as with any online application. The council wants to develop a single website and platform for Schengen visa applications that will link to the authorized national system. The travelers can pay the fees and electronically upload all the necessary paperwork, at which point they will also receive a digital notification of the decision.
2. MANUAL ROUTE FOR WHOM?
According to the rules, candidates who are applying for the first time or whose biometric information has expired from the system must attend in person. Additionally, visitors to the consulate will be required to bring new documents for submission.
3. AUTOMATIC SYSTEM
The website will automatically select which nation is in charge of reviewing the process for users who want to go to numerous nations. The length of the stay is the main variable that will influence the choice. However, applicants will have the choice of processing their applications in one member state over another.
4. 2D BARCODE
The possibility of stolen visa stickers will be reduced because the digital visas will be provided with a 2D barcode and a cryptographic signature.
Currently, there are 27 Schengen countries – Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.