The Commission is preparing to present, likely in the 4th quarter of 2025, a new EU strategy on visa policy in order to define how visa policy can contribute to ensuring border security, managing migration, and promoting better cooperation with third countries.
The EU’s common visa policy is considered a cornerstone of the Schengen area, facilitating travel while at the same time ensuring the security and integrity of the EU’s external borders.

This policy is governed, among others, by the Visa Code and establishes common rules relating to short-stay visas that Member States apply through their consulates, allowing third-country nationals to stay in the EU for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

These rules set out i) standardized visa requirements, ii) improved screening of applicants, and iii) the sharing of information among Member States, thereby reducing the risk of admitting people who pose a migration or security risk.

They also facilitate travel by simplifying visa procedures and providing clear and transparent information about requirements and procedures in this regard.
To attract skills and talent from abroad, the strategy should include measures to facilitate legal pathways into the EU, especially for international students, researchers, and highly qualified workers.

In addition, in order to attract third-country nationals who actively contribute to boosting innovation and economic growth in the EU, the strategy should also include measures to facilitate legal entry pathways for startup founders and innovative entrepreneurs.

The strategy should also take into account recent developments aimed at modernizing visa policy, namely: i) the effective implementation of a new interoperable IT architecture and ii) the digitalization of border management and visa procedures.

With regard to long-stay visas and residence permits, Member States continue to face challenges in attracting top talent from abroad, which is needed to address skills and labor shortages in the EU, as well as to foster research and innovation.

Overly lengthy or complex procedures for long-stay visas and legal migration are often cited by employers and migrants as an obstacle to legal migration, particularly with respect to the mobility of researchers for scientific work purposes.

The strategy will aim to remove some of these obstacles and facilitate international mobility, especially with regard to specific categories such as highly qualified workers, students, and researchers.

More effective processing of long-stay visas and residence permits would help to: i) attract talent from third countries and ii) effectively implement the main EU directives on legal migration.

In conclusion, this EU strategy on visa policy may establish a strategic framework that will serve as guidance for the development and implementation of the EU’s visa policy in the coming years, with regard to both short- and long-term stays.

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