European Commission Adopts First-Ever EU Visa Strategy

The strategy sets out how the European Commission intends to modernise the common visa policy and align it more closely with the EU's wider migration, security and foreign-policy goals. A central strand is the continued digitalisation of Schengen visas, including a shared online application platform and a digital visa that reduces reliance on physical stickers. The Commission also signals more coordinated use of visa policy as diplomatic leverage, alongside measures to speed up legitimate travel while tightening safeguards against irregular migration. Detailed rules and timelines will follow through subsequent legislative steps.