EU strengthens rules to suspend visa-free travel, expanding grounds amid migration and security concerns

Last updated on 39 minutes ago

The European Union took a significant step Monday to tighten control over its borders, adopting revised rules that make it easier and faster to suspend visa-free access to the Schengen area for citizens of more than 60 third countries.

The Council of the European Union, representing the bloc’s 27 member states, gave final approval to the updated visa suspension mechanism — a safeguard tool in place since 2013 that has been triggered only rarely. The changes, which address evolving threats including irregular migration, security risks and human rights issues, allow Brussels to respond “more quickly and decisively” when visa-free privileges are abused or pose risks to the EU.

Under the new regulation, the EU can now temporarily halt visa exemptions on broader grounds, such as:

• Countries operating “golden passport” investor citizenship schemes that lack genuine links to applicants and raise security concerns.
• Hybrid threats, including the state-sponsored instrumentalization of migrants as a pressure tactic.
• A third country’s visa policy significantly diverging from the EU’s, leading to increased irregular arrivals.
• Serious human rights violations, breaches of international law, or a sharp deterioration in relations with the bloc.

The reforms also lower the statistical thresholds needed to activate suspensions for migration-related issues — for instance, reducing the required increase in irregular stays or unfounded asylum claims from 50% to as low as 30% in some cases — and streamline the decision-making process.

Suspensions can now last longer: an initial period of up to 12 months (up from 9), extendable twice for 12 months each, for a potential total of 36 months. If problems persist beyond that, the EU could move to permanently reimpose visa requirements.

In a nod to proportionality, the rules introduce the option for targeted measures. Rather than blanket suspensions affecting all citizens, restrictions could apply only to specific groups — such as government officials, diplomats, or holders of service passports — particularly in cases tied to human rights abuses or foreign policy disputes.

“This revision equips the EU with stronger tools to protect the Schengen area while preserving visa-free travel as a key element of our partnerships,” the Council said in a statement.

The mechanism applies to nationals of countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and visa-liberalization beneficiaries in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership like Albania, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

To date, the suspension tool has been used sparingly — most notably against Vanuatu in 2022 over its investor citizenship program, which was later partially lifted after reforms.

EU officials emphasized that the changes are not aimed at any specific country but reflect lessons from recent challenges, including surges in irregular migration and geopolitical tensions.

Travelers from visa-exempt nations are unlikely to see immediate changes, as suspensions remain an exceptional measure of last resort. However, the updated framework gives the European Commission greater flexibility to monitor and act if red flags emerge.

The regulation will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the EU’s Official Journal, expected in the coming weeks.

For the latest developments, travelers should consult official EU sources or their national authorities.