Short News December 14, 2023
Switzerland-EU: Digitalization of Schengen visas -
Federal Council opens consultation procedure
The Federal Council is opening the consultation on the
digitalization of Schengen visas, as Schengen applications are to
be submitted in digital form on a uniform European platform in the
future. However, this platform has yet to be developed.
The consultation ends on March 22, 2024. The European visa
application platform is scheduled to go live in January 2026;
however, Switzerland is not planning to connect to it before
2028.
At the same time, on December 8, 2023, the Federal Council also
decided to amend the Ordinance on Entry and Visa Issuance to enable
digital visas in the form of a barcode in addition to conventional
paper visa stamps. This amendment will enter into force on February
1, 2024 -for both national and Schengen visas.