European Union: Visa Suspension Mechanism Changes

Key Points  

• The EU introduced a proposal to strengthen its visa suspension mechanism and visa-free travel schemes  

Overview   

The government of the European Union (EU) introduced a proposal aimed at strengthening its visa suspension mechanism and monitoring visa-free travel countries. The proposed revision will:  

• Expand the grounds to suspend visa-free regimes, such as in case of insufficient alignment with the EU’s visa policy, hybrid threats and the operation of investor citizenship schemes;  
• Increase the duration of the current procedure to allow more time for remedial actions. A new urgency procedure is introduced to react faster in case of need, such as increased arrivals or security threats.  
• Strengthen the Commission’s monitoring and reporting obligations to any visa-free countries where challenges are identified.  

What are the Changes?  

The EU introduced a proposal that aims to strengthen its visa suspension system and will inspect various visa-free travel schemes across member states.  

Looking Ahead  

The Commission will continue implementing the new comprehensive monitoring approach announced in its Communication in May 2023, covering all visa-free third countries.  

Continue to check the government of the EU’s website and Envoy’s website for the latest updates and information.