EU Approves Visa Mechanism to Reinstate Schengen Travel

The European Parliament has approved a new legislation empowering the European Commission to reinstate visa requirements for nationals of 61 countries currently enjoying Schengen visa-free travel. The move primarily targets countries whose citizens may pose security threats, violate human rights, or exploit investor citizenship programs, commonly known as “golden passports.”

Under the new framework, the European Commission can initiate the visa suspension process either independently or at the request of an EU member state. The process begins with a temporary halt to visa-free travel and can become permanent if concerns are not addressed. This measure ensures that visa privileges remain conditional on compliance with security, human rights, and international legal standards.

The legislation introduces new triggers for revoking visa privileges, including hybrid threats, violations of international law or UN mandates, and non-compliance with international court rulings. Existing criteria, such as security risks or lack of cooperation on migrant returns, remain in place. Thresholds have also been set, including a 30% rise in serious crimes or a significant increase in rejected asylum applications.

Previously, the only instance of revoked visa-free travel involved Vanuatu. The new rules aim to curb the commercialization of citizenship and address potential security risks associated with golden passports. The European Commission is expected to implement the framework in the coming months, affecting nationals of countries offering investor citizenship programs.