EU / Schengen Area Visa and Travel News
The European Commission is preparing an overhaul of the rules governing short-stay Schengen visas. Options under consideration include additional harmonized fees, streamlined procedures for certain business travelers, and new mechanisms allowing the European Union to restrict visa issuance in specific circumstances. A legislative proposal is expected in the first quarter of 2027.
According to the government of Antigua and Barbuda, the European Commission has asked five Caribbean nations to phase out their citizenship-by-investment programs by June 1, 2028. Failure to do so could result in the suspension of visa-free access for their citizens.
The launch of ETIAS, the electronic travel authorization expected for visa-exempt travelers heading to the Schengen Area, could ultimately be pushed back to 2027.
In its Annual Risk Analysis 2026/2027, Frontex is not looking only at the number of arrivals at the European Union’s external borders. The EU agency is focusing on a shift in the nature of the pressure, driven by the rollout of the EES, the upcoming launch of ETIAS, fake documents, misuse of airport transit, secondary movements and criminal networks that are adapting more quickly.
An analysis commissioned by the WTTC estimates that regular waits of three hours or more at Schengen borders could deter some travelers from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. Up to 41 million arrivals and $45.4 billion in tourism spending could be at risk if such delays became persistent.
The European Commission has issued opinions on internal border controls reintroduced by nine Schengen countries, including France, Germany and Italy. Brussels acknowledges security and migration concerns, but recommends gradually lifting these measures in favor of alternative tools.
Short-stay Schengen visa applications rose slightly in 2025. Consulates across the Schengen area received nearly 12 million applications, a figure that remains well below pre-pandemic levels.
The European Entry/Exit System, known as EES, is now fully in use at the external borders of the Schengen Area, but its operation still varies widely from one border crossing to another. Despite these difficult early stages, the European travel authorization ETIAS remains expected in the final quarter of 2026.
The 2026 State of Schengen report confirms the growing role of new digital tools at Europe’s borders. Following the full rollout of EES in April, the European Union is now preparing for the launch of ETIAS, expected in the final quarter of 2026.
The European Commission outlines the key differences between EES and ETIAS, two systems that are often mentioned together but do not apply to exactly the same travelers or the same stage of the journey.
Europe’s new Entry/Exit System, or EES, is now fully operational. For millions of non-European travelers, passport stamps are becoming a thing of the past, replaced by digital border records and biometric data collection.
The modernization of the European Union’s external borders is now underway. Since the fall of 2025, the Entry/Exit System (EES) has been gradually rolled out, while ETIAS, expected by the end of 2026, will complete this new digital landscape. Two acronyms that are often confused, yet two clearly distinct systems, both reshaping travel formalities for journeys to Europe. Here’s a closer look.
The European Commission has simultaneously presented the first European strategy on asylum and migration management and the European Union’s very first visa strategy. Designed as two complementary pillars, these initiatives set out a shared direction for the next five years, aimed at strengthening border controls, reducing irregular migration, attracting talent, and modernizing mobility management in a changing geopolitical and security environment.
Since October 12, 2025, non-EU travelers entering or leaving the Schengen Area have been subject to a new digital system called the Entry/Exit System (EES). This automated system replaces the traditional passport stamp and is designed to better monitor the length of stays while enhancing border security.
Starting on October 12, 2025, the new Entry/Exit System (EES) for travelers will begin to be rolled out at the external borders of European countries. Designed to modernize controls, this system will be fully operational by April 2026. The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a European program aimed at automating the
