Meeting in Brussels on 20 November, the EU Council adopted amendments that make it **easier and faster to suspend visa-free travel** for third-country nationals when irregular migration spikes or security threats emerge. The overhaul lowers the statistical threshold for triggering suspension from a 50 % to a 30 % surge in illegal stays, asylum claims or serious crime, and for the first time targets countries that run ‘golden-passport’ schemes or diverge from EU visa policy.
Although the mechanism applies Schengen-wide, Belgium—home to both NATO and EU headquarters—faces particular operational fallout. Should visa-free privileges be lifted for feeder markets such as Albania or Georgia, Brussels Airport and the capital’s rail terminals would need to reinstate full short-stay visa checks overnight. The federal Immigration Office told The Brussels Times it is drawing up contingency staffing plans with the Federal Police to avoid queues like those seen when Vanuatu’s waiver was suspended in 2024.
![EU tightens rules to suspend visa-free travel, adding pressure on Belgium’s external border]()
Business-immigration lawyers warn that corporate travellers from affected countries could be “caught in limbo”. “A project manager flying in for a two-day workshop could suddenly require a C-type Schengen visa, adding weeks of lead-time,” explains Sven De Gendt of Fragomen Brussels. Companies are advised to map workforce nationality profiles and prepare sponsor letters to support urgent visa filings.
The new regulation also lengthens an initial suspension to 12 months (from nine) and allows a total freeze of up to 36 months. Crucially, it introduces targeted measures so that ordinary citizens are not automatically punished for their governments’ actions—a clause welcomed by Belgian multinational Solvay, which relies on frequent visits from its Georgian R&D team. However, diplomats fear administrative complexity: separating ‘government officials’ from ‘ordinary travellers’ at border control may require new data-sharing protocols.
The law will enter into force four weeks after signature and publication in the EU Official Journal—likely before year-end. Mobility teams should watch for the European Commission’s December monitoring report, which may already flag high-risk countries. Belgian employers hosting short-term assignees from the Western Balkans and Eastern Caribbean states should pre-screen travel in Q1 2026 and budget for emergency visa costs.
Although the mechanism applies Schengen-wide, Belgium—home to both NATO and EU headquarters—faces particular operational fallout. Should visa-free privileges be lifted for feeder markets such as Albania or Georgia, Brussels Airport and the capital’s rail terminals would need to reinstate full short-stay visa checks overnight. The federal Immigration Office told The Brussels Times it is drawing up contingency staffing plans with the Federal Police to avoid queues like those seen when Vanuatu’s waiver was suspended in 2024.
Business-immigration lawyers warn that corporate travellers from affected countries could be “caught in limbo”. “A project manager flying in for a two-day workshop could suddenly require a C-type Schengen visa, adding weeks of lead-time,” explains Sven De Gendt of Fragomen Brussels. Companies are advised to map workforce nationality profiles and prepare sponsor letters to support urgent visa filings.
The new regulation also lengthens an initial suspension to 12 months (from nine) and allows a total freeze of up to 36 months. Crucially, it introduces targeted measures so that ordinary citizens are not automatically punished for their governments’ actions—a clause welcomed by Belgian multinational Solvay, which relies on frequent visits from its Georgian R&D team. However, diplomats fear administrative complexity: separating ‘government officials’ from ‘ordinary travellers’ at border control may require new data-sharing protocols.
The law will enter into force four weeks after signature and publication in the EU Official Journal—likely before year-end. Mobility teams should watch for the European Commission’s December monitoring report, which may already flag high-risk countries. Belgian employers hosting short-term assignees from the Western Balkans and Eastern Caribbean states should pre-screen travel in Q1 2026 and budget for emergency visa costs.
