So what should travelers be prepared for?
The European Commission has made a number of amendments, and now there are several changes to the visa rules at once. All these adjustments should prepare tourists for the digitalization of the Schengen. Thanks to this, the upcoming procedure should be less painless. The new online platform, through which papers are submitted and digital visas are obtained, will be called EU VAP. The domain ends in Europe - eu, this is typical for all EU websites.
When will digital Schengen visas be launched?
From the launch of the platform, the EU member states have seven years to connect to the issuance of digital documents. This is the timeframe the European Commission has set for the transition to the new format. However, countries can also refuse to do so, leaving for themselves a more familiar scheme.
It is known that each digital visa will have a photo of the owner, and if necessary, the document can be printed. Also, to protect against forgery, the document will have a 2D barcode with a cryptographic signature of the authorized body of the country that issued the document.
Payment for the document is made through EU VAP payment services. However, if the tourist cannot pay for the service in this way, the fee is paid either at the consulate or at the visa center.
The platform is able to determine by itself from which country the tourist applying for a visa is applying. But there may be cases when tourists still have to go to the embassy. For example, when a visa is issued for the first time, or when a citizen gets a new passport. As for all others, the digital format will do.
