Interior ministers in Berlin and Paris have jointly submitted a 15-page ‘non-paper’ to the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council proposing the first major overhaul of the Schengen Visa Code in a decade. The document, leaked to industry outlet Global Mobility News on 15 November, argues that overstayer rates could spike once the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) begins screening visa-exempt travellers in late 2026 unless parallel restrictions are imposed on visa-required nationals.
Key proposals include shortening the validity of multi-entry C-visas for applicants from countries with high illegal-stay statistics, introducing mandatory in-person biometrics every 24 months until the new Entry/Exit System is fully stable, and adding a €15 ‘security surcharge’ to fund EU border-management technology. If endorsed by other member states on 25 November, the European Commission would be asked to draft legal amendments for adoption in early 2026.
![France and Germany unveil plan to tighten Schengen visa rules as ETIAS rollout looms]()
For German multinationals, the most immediate impact would be longer lead times and higher costs when inviting clients, trainees or suppliers who need Schengen visas. Consular sections—already stretched by staffing shortages—warn that doubling the frequency of biometrics could halve appointment capacity. Mobility advisers are urging companies to map visitor profiles early and explore remote-meeting alternatives where feasible.
The Franco-German move also signals a tougher political climate in both countries ahead of the EU’s digital-borders switch-on. German officials stress the changes are ‘risk-based’ rather than protectionist, but NGOs fear the measures could entrench a two-tier mobility regime. Airlines and travel-tech vendors, meanwhile, worry about synchronising airline departure-control systems with the evolving visa database while still adapting to ETIAS.
Corporate travel managers should follow the Council debate closely. If the roadmap survives intact, new visa-code rules could take effect by mid-2026—just months before ETIAS becomes compulsory—creating a double compliance crunch for globally mobile workforces.
Key proposals include shortening the validity of multi-entry C-visas for applicants from countries with high illegal-stay statistics, introducing mandatory in-person biometrics every 24 months until the new Entry/Exit System is fully stable, and adding a €15 ‘security surcharge’ to fund EU border-management technology. If endorsed by other member states on 25 November, the European Commission would be asked to draft legal amendments for adoption in early 2026.
For German multinationals, the most immediate impact would be longer lead times and higher costs when inviting clients, trainees or suppliers who need Schengen visas. Consular sections—already stretched by staffing shortages—warn that doubling the frequency of biometrics could halve appointment capacity. Mobility advisers are urging companies to map visitor profiles early and explore remote-meeting alternatives where feasible.
The Franco-German move also signals a tougher political climate in both countries ahead of the EU’s digital-borders switch-on. German officials stress the changes are ‘risk-based’ rather than protectionist, but NGOs fear the measures could entrench a two-tier mobility regime. Airlines and travel-tech vendors, meanwhile, worry about synchronising airline departure-control systems with the evolving visa database while still adapting to ETIAS.
Corporate travel managers should follow the Council debate closely. If the roadmap survives intact, new visa-code rules could take effect by mid-2026—just months before ETIAS becomes compulsory—creating a double compliance crunch for globally mobile workforces.
