Germany and France have jointly submitted a detailed implementation roadmap to the Council of the EU that would toughen Schengen short-stay visa rules in parallel with the phased launch of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). According to documents seen by industry publication Travel and Tour World, interior ministers from both countries agreed late on 14 November to push for:
• shorter validity for multi-entry C-visas issued to applicants from countries with high overstayer rates;
• mandatory in-person biometrics every 24 months until the Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully stabilised; and
• a €15 security surcharge to help finance the new EU Border Management Fund.
Context & background – The EU’s digital border package was delayed several times after member states struggled to install biometric kiosks and update airline systems. The EES pilot went live at Düsseldorf Airport on 12 October, with full German roll-out due by 10 April 2026. ETIAS, once operational in the last quarter of 2026, will require more than 60 visa-exempt nationalities to obtain online clearance before boarding. Berlin and Paris argue that without tighter rules on visa-required travellers, overstays could spike when ETIAS screens only the visa-free cohort.
![France & Germany spearhead new Schengen visa overhaul as ETIAS countdown begins]()
Business implications – German corporates that routinely invite clients or trainees on short-term Schengen visas may need to budget for higher fees and longer lead-times as early as mid-2026. Immigration advisers warn that the two-year biometrics cycle will strain appointment capacity at consulates already coping with staff shortages. Companies should consider shifting some visits to remote or intra-EU meeting formats once the rules bite.
What happens next – The Franco-German paper will be discussed by the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels on 25 November. If endorsed, the Commission would draft the necessary amendments to the Visa Code in early 2026, leaving little time for travel-sector IT vendors to adapt before ETIAS becomes compulsory in April 2027. Corporations should begin mapping traveller populations that could be caught by the new validity limits and update internal mobility guidelines accordingly.
• shorter validity for multi-entry C-visas issued to applicants from countries with high overstayer rates;
• mandatory in-person biometrics every 24 months until the Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully stabilised; and
• a €15 security surcharge to help finance the new EU Border Management Fund.
Context & background – The EU’s digital border package was delayed several times after member states struggled to install biometric kiosks and update airline systems. The EES pilot went live at Düsseldorf Airport on 12 October, with full German roll-out due by 10 April 2026. ETIAS, once operational in the last quarter of 2026, will require more than 60 visa-exempt nationalities to obtain online clearance before boarding. Berlin and Paris argue that without tighter rules on visa-required travellers, overstays could spike when ETIAS screens only the visa-free cohort.
Business implications – German corporates that routinely invite clients or trainees on short-term Schengen visas may need to budget for higher fees and longer lead-times as early as mid-2026. Immigration advisers warn that the two-year biometrics cycle will strain appointment capacity at consulates already coping with staff shortages. Companies should consider shifting some visits to remote or intra-EU meeting formats once the rules bite.
What happens next – The Franco-German paper will be discussed by the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels on 25 November. If endorsed, the Commission would draft the necessary amendments to the Visa Code in early 2026, leaving little time for travel-sector IT vendors to adapt before ETIAS becomes compulsory in April 2027. Corporations should begin mapping traveller populations that could be caught by the new validity limits and update internal mobility guidelines accordingly.
