The Commission published a call for evidence on a full new version of the code. Comments are accepted until 6 October 2026.
What the Commission wants to change
- A charge on top of the visa fee. A single EU-level charge added to the €90 fee. The amount is not named.
- A fast track for vetted companies. Shared lists of trusted companies, approved by consulates in each country: their staff would get faster processing, priority appointments or fewer supporting documents.
- Power to restrict visas for whole categories of travellers. A mechanism to suspend, reject or restrict applications from specific categories of travellers in response to hostile acts by their state. Exceptions are promised for human rights defenders, dissidents, independent journalists and humanitarian cases. No country is named.
- Quicker penalties for countries that do not take back their citizens. What such a penalty looks like today: since July 2026 citizens of Guinea get no multiple-entry visas, and the standard processing time for them is 45 days instead of 15.
What stays in force
The current code: a fee of €90, or €45 for children aged 6 to 11; an application no earlier than six months and, as a rule, no later than 15 days before the trip; a decision within 15 days, 45 at most.
What happens next
The Commission plans to present the draft regulation in the first quarter of 2027. After that it goes to the European Parliament and the Council, and only then do new rules apply. Until the new code is adopted, a visa application is prepared exactly as before.