The European Commission has set out the most comprehensive overhaul of Schengen visa rules since the zone was created, adopting its first “EU Visa Strategy” on 7 February 2026. While the document applies to all 29 Schengen members, Paris played an active role in the negotiations and French businesses stand to benefit immediately.
Under the strategy, consulates will be required to move 100 % of short-stay visa applications to a single EU-wide digital portal by 2028. France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs says it will pilot the portal from June, allowing travellers to upload supporting documents, pay fees online and receive e-visas containing cryptographically-signed QR codes instead of passport stickers. For French companies that issue hundreds of invitation letters every year, the switch means less paperwork and faster turnaround times—especially for frequent-flyer executives from India, China and the Gulf.
A second pillar focuses on competitiveness. Member-states—including France—are encouraged to issue multi-entry visas valid up to five years for “trusted travellers” who have obtained at least two Schengen visas in the previous three years. Business chambers such as MEDEF have lobbied for this change, arguing that repeated single-entry visas deter investors who fly in and out of Paris, Lyon and Toulouse multiple times per quarter. The Commission estimates that longer-validity visas could save EU firms €4 billion in administrative costs by 2030.
![EU Launches First-Ever Visa Strategy, Promising Faster Procedures and Talent Boost for France]()
For business travellers and HR departments looking to outsource the administrative load, VisaHQ offers a streamlined service that pre-screens documents, schedules appointments and tracks application status for France and the wider Schengen area. Its dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) will be updated continuously as the EU’s new digital system rolls out, helping companies and individuals stay compliant while saving valuable time.
Crucially for talent acquisition, Brussels also adopted a non-binding recommendation calling on governments to slash processing times for long-stay permits such as France’s Passeport Talent. French prefectures currently take an average of ten weeks to issue these cards; the target is eight weeks by mid-2027. Start-ups in “La French Tech” accuse the existing delays of pushing candidates towards the Netherlands and Germany.
Security safeguards remain. The Visa Strategy lets the EU suspend visa-free regimes more quickly if third countries fail to readmit overstayers. France pushed hard for this clause after bilateral tensions with Algeria over deportations. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said the compromise “preserves our ability to protect national security while making France the premier gateway for global talent.”
Under the strategy, consulates will be required to move 100 % of short-stay visa applications to a single EU-wide digital portal by 2028. France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs says it will pilot the portal from June, allowing travellers to upload supporting documents, pay fees online and receive e-visas containing cryptographically-signed QR codes instead of passport stickers. For French companies that issue hundreds of invitation letters every year, the switch means less paperwork and faster turnaround times—especially for frequent-flyer executives from India, China and the Gulf.
A second pillar focuses on competitiveness. Member-states—including France—are encouraged to issue multi-entry visas valid up to five years for “trusted travellers” who have obtained at least two Schengen visas in the previous three years. Business chambers such as MEDEF have lobbied for this change, arguing that repeated single-entry visas deter investors who fly in and out of Paris, Lyon and Toulouse multiple times per quarter. The Commission estimates that longer-validity visas could save EU firms €4 billion in administrative costs by 2030.
For business travellers and HR departments looking to outsource the administrative load, VisaHQ offers a streamlined service that pre-screens documents, schedules appointments and tracks application status for France and the wider Schengen area. Its dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) will be updated continuously as the EU’s new digital system rolls out, helping companies and individuals stay compliant while saving valuable time.
Crucially for talent acquisition, Brussels also adopted a non-binding recommendation calling on governments to slash processing times for long-stay permits such as France’s Passeport Talent. French prefectures currently take an average of ten weeks to issue these cards; the target is eight weeks by mid-2027. Start-ups in “La French Tech” accuse the existing delays of pushing candidates towards the Netherlands and Germany.
Security safeguards remain. The Visa Strategy lets the EU suspend visa-free regimes more quickly if third countries fail to readmit overstayers. France pushed hard for this clause after bilateral tensions with Algeria over deportations. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said the compromise “preserves our ability to protect national security while making France the premier gateway for global talent.”
