ISLAMABAD: Travelling to Europe may soon feel very different — not just in experience, but in how visas are processed. The European Union (EU) has announced that the Schengen visa system will become fully digital by 2028, marking the end of passport stickers and in-person documentation for most travellers, including those from Pakistan.
Under this new system, travellers will no longer receive a visa sticker in their passport. Instead, they will be issued a digitally signed visa featuring a secure 2D barcode, accessible via email or mobile apps.
The move is part of a larger EU effort to modernise travel infrastructure, reduce paperwork, enhance security, and provide a smoother application process for millions of visitors.
Digital visa system: What will change?
The digitisation of the Schengen visa process aims to eliminate traditional hurdles such as long queues at embassies, manual paperwork, and physical passport stamping. A central online platform is being developed to allow applicants to:
Upload required documents
Pay visa fees
Track the status of their application
Receive their visa electronically
While first-time applicants and those without recent biometric data may still be required to visit a visa centre, subsequent renewals will be far more convenient.
France has already tested this system by issuing 70,000 digital visas to visitors of the 2024 Paris Olympics — a soft launch that offered a preview of what to expect in the coming years.
Other Upcoming Systems: EES and ETIAS
Alongside the digital visa shift, the EU is also rolling out two major digital border control systems:
Entry/Exit System (EES): Launching in October 2025, this will replace manual passport stamping with biometric checks — including fingerprint and facial recognition — at border crossings.
European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS): Expected by end-2026, ETIAS will require visa-exempt travellers (such as those holding Pakistani diplomatic or special passports) to obtain online travel authorisation, similar to the U.S. ESTA.
Though these new systems won’t drastically change visa rules for most Pakistani passport holders, they will affect the way people enter and exit Schengen countries — with biometric data and digital authorisation becoming standard.
Flexible Pan-European visa?
In addition to digital upgrades, some EU countries — notably Italy, Greece, and France — are also lobbying for a more ambitious travel solution: a flexible European tourist visa.
While still in discussion and not officially proposed, this concept could one day allow easier travel across both Schengen and non-Schengen countries, cutting red tape for travellers planning multi-country trips.
Italy’s upcoming “Jubilee visa” for 2025 and Greece’s support for a unified system show the idea is gaining political traction — although any EU-wide adoption would require lengthy legal and policy alignment.
Why it matters for Pakistani travellers
For Pakistani citizens, especially those travelling frequently to Europe for tourism, education, or family visits, the digitisation of the Schengen visa process brings notable benefits:
Faster processing times
Elimination of physical stickers
More transparent application tracking
Biometric e-gates for smoother border control
In a post-COVID world increasingly reliant on contactless technology, these updates promise a more secure and efficient travel experience.
Timeline snapshot
By 2026: Digital visa pilot rollouts expand across member states.
October 2025: EES biometric entry-exit system launches.
End of 2026: ETIAS becomes mandatory for visa-exempt travellers.
By 2028: Full digitalisation of the Schengen visa system across all EU countries.
Bottom line
For Pakistani travellers, the era of visa stickers and embassy queues is drawing to a close. By 2028, your Schengen visa may no longer live in your passport — but on your smartphone. And if proposed flexible visa frameworks gain ground, future trips to Europe could become even simpler, potentially eliminating the distinction between Schengen and non-Schengen borders.
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