The world continues to digitize and the EU is following suit. Big changes are coming for Schengen visa applicants, making the application process more efficient, streamlined, and accessible worldwide.
By 2030, the Schengen visa application process will be online through an official, centralized platform.
The European Union has announced the name of this new digital visa application platform: EU VAP (EU Schengen Visa Application Platform).
What is EU VAP?
EU VAP is the European Union’s new platform designed to facilitate the Schengen visa application process entirely online. More than 10 million travellers apply for Schengen visas each year – and that number is growing.
The EU VAP is an innovative system that will allow millions of travellers globally to apply online, simplifying procedures, improving processing times, and enhancing security.
What is the Schengen visa application process today?
Today, Schengen visa applicants must apply for a visa “manually” through a partnering visa application centre or consulate/embassy. While the process often begins online, Schengen visa applications must be submitted physically, in person at a visa application centre or consulate/embassy depending on the applicant’s location.
Anyone applying for a Schengen visa must provide sensitive personal material including passport information, financials, and more on paper, then submit these physical documents in person.
Manual processes come with risks like lost or delayed mail, fraud, and more.
What changes with EU VAP?
The manual nature of applying for a Schengen visa will be transformed into a digital experience. Instead of printing out documents and submitting originals that pass through the hands of multiple people, applicants will be able to upload all of their documents onto a secure, official EU website, and send them digitally.
With EU VAP, the days of thumbing through paperclipped papers and file folders will be thoughts of the past.
Once the system has been launched worldwide, the format of the visa itself will be digitized too. Instead of having a physical visa pasted into your passport, the visa will be digital, thus digitally linked to your passport.
Will applicants still need to go to a visa application centre?
There is one part of the process that will remain – and that is a trip to the visa application centre (or consulate, depending). This in-person appointment won’t be for submitting your visa application, however. It will be to submit your biometrics (fingerprints).
Are Schengen visa requirements changing?
No, Schengen visa requirements will not be affected by the launch of EU VAP. While the process itself is undergoing significant changes, requirements are not.
With that in mind, always check with the visa application centre or consulate/embassy for the most up-to-date requirements.
When is EU VAP launching?
While a specific launch date hasn’t been confirmed, the new platform will be fully operational by 2030. Countries in the Schengen Area (there are currently 29) have a multi-year transition period to implement the new technology and systems. According to the EU, the platform itself will start operating in 2028 with time for tests and continued development.