Delegates from the 27 member states gathered on 14 September for the latest session of the Council’s Visa Working Party, where France tabled an ambitious proposal to accelerate the switch to a 100 % digital Schengen visa by 2028—two years earlier than the current roadmap. Paris argues that a smartphone-based visa will mesh better with the Entry/Exit System and cut consular workloads by 40 %. French representatives presented early results from a pilot with applicants in Côte d’Ivoire and Canada who submitted biometric and financial documents entirely via the France-Visas platform before travelling. According to the Interior Ministry, processing times fell from 15 to seven calendar days and error rates dropped by half. While Germany and Spain welcomed the initiative, smaller states voiced budgetary concerns and asked for EU funding to upgrade legacy IT. The meeting mandated the Commission to deliver a cost-sharing proposal by December. Industry observers say the French push could significantly benefit corporate mobility, enabling companies to obtain multi-entry visas for staff without couriering passports across continents. If adopted, the plan may also pave the way for ‘visa wallets’ that integrate with airline apps and corporate travel platforms, offering real-time compliance checks before boarding. Mobility teams should start mapping their policy and data-privacy implications now, experts advise.
