The new Visa Strategy aims to ensure that Europe is:

• Safer, through stronger security screening and risk management;
• More prosperous and competitive, by facilitating access for talent, tourists, and business travellers;
• More influential globally, by advancing the EU’s strategic interests and values; and
• More efficient, through a modern, digital, and coherent visa system.

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Key Pillars of the EU Visa Strategy

1. Strengthening EU Security

The Strategy introduces measures to reinforce the EU’s security framework while maintaining openness to legitimate travel. These include:

• A modernised system for granting visa-free status to partner countries, supported by a new assessment framework to be introduced in 2026.
• Enhanced monitoring of existing visa-free regimes under the reformed Visa Suspension Mechanism, aimed at preventing abuse.
• Stronger use of visa policy as a leverage tool, including upgrades to mechanisms allowing targeted visa measures in cases of insufficient cooperation on return and readmission.
• The possibility of restrictive visa measures in response to hostile actions by third countries that threaten EU security.
• New EU-level measures to combat document fraud, including harmonised definitions and sanctions.

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2. Boosting Prosperity and Competitiveness

Recognising that travel and mobility are key drivers of economic growth, the Strategy seeks to make legitimate travel faster, more predictable, and more accessible, while strengthening the EU’s ability to attract global talent.

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Key initiatives include:

• Digitalisation of visa processes, including:
  
  • The launch of ETIAS for visa-free travellers (expected Q4 2026); and
  • Fully digital visa applications for visa-required nationals.
• Longer-validity multiple-entry visas for trusted travellers and simplified processes for business visitors supported by verified companies.
• Improved pathways for students, researchers, highly skilled workers, and innovative entrepreneurs, including potential amendments to existing EU migration frameworks.
• Additional EU funding and operational support to improve visa processing for highly qualified non-EU nationals.

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3. Modern Visa and Border Management Tools

To manage growing traveller volumes efficiently, the EU will continue deploying advanced digital systems for visa and border management. By 2028, EU IT systems are expected to be fully interoperable, allowing authorities to query multiple databases simultaneously, improving security, data-sharing, and fraud prevention while facilitating legitimate travel.

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Recommendation on Attracting Talent for Innovation

Alongside the Visa Strategy, the Commission adopted a Recommendation on attracting talent for innovation, encouraging Member States to:

• Simplify and accelerate long-stay visa and residence permit procedures;
• Expand digital processes and reduce documentation requirements;
• Facilitate transitions from study or research to employment or entrepreneurship;
• Improve intra-EU mobility for skilled professionals; and
• Strengthen coordination between public authorities, universities, and research institutions.

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This Recommendation supports broader EU initiatives aimed at strengthening competitiveness and innovation, including the Choose Europe initiative, the Union of Skills, and the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy.

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What This Means Going Forward

The EU Visa Strategy marks a significant shift toward a more strategic, digital, and talent-focused approach to mobility.

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For employers, investors, students, and skilled professionals, the Strategy signals increased opportunities, alongside heightened security and compliance standards, within an evolving European immigration landscape.

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Contact and Disclaimer

Should you have any questions regarding the above information, or require assistance with your immigration or global mobility matters, please don’t hesitate to contact our legal team at Hudson McKenzie. You can reach us by email at londoninfo@hudsonmckenzie.com or by telephone at +44 (0) 20 3318 5794.

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For office locations, please visit our Our Offices page.

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The information provided in this blog is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.