The European Commission has adopted its first-ever comprehensive EU Visa Strategy, aiming to make travel into the European Union smoother and at the same time boost border security and economic growth across the region. The strategy was officially adopted on January 29, 2026, and sets out a wide set of reforms to improve how visas are issued, how borders are managed, and how the EU attracts skilled professionals, students, researchers, and entrepreneurs from outside the bloc.

According to the Commission, the new strategy is designed to respond to changing global conditions, including increasing global mobility, regional instability, and growing competition for talent worldwide. The overarching goal is to better align the EU’s visa policies with its long-term interests, while ensuring that the Schengen area — the EU’s border-free zone — remains secure.

The strategy is built around three main pillars: strengthening security and border control, making travel easier for tourists and business visitors, and improving conditions for attracting non-EU talent. These pillars, taken together with an accompanying recommendation issued by the Commission, aim to make the EU more welcoming to global talent without reducing safety at its external borders.

The first key component of the new Visa Strategy focuses on enhancing security across the Schengen area. To achieve this, the Commission plans to modernise how visa-free status is granted to travellers. This includes introducing a more advanced system for deciding which non-EU countries qualify for visa-free travel and closely monitoring existing visa-free arrangements.

In addition to these changes, the strategy calls for a stronger use of visa leverage — the ability to link visa privileges with cooperation on border management and other issues — and possible targeted restrictive measures when needed. The Commission also wants to improve the security of travel documents themselves, making them harder to forge or misuse. All these efforts are aimed at reducing security risks while maintaining effective oversight of who enters the Schengen zone.

The second major pillar centres on making travel to the EU more predictable and seamless for tourists and business travellers. The strategy proposes the introduction of new digital procedures for both visa-free and visa-required travellers. Part of this will involve the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a digital pre-departure screening process expected to automate some checks for visa-free visitors when it starts operating from the fourth quarter of 2026.

Another important change under this pillar is the plan to promote multiple-entry visas with longer validity for “trusted travellers.” This means that frequent travellers who have a strong record of compliance could receive visas that allow them to enter the EU multiple times over an extended period, making travel easier and more predictable for regular visitors.

The third pillar of the strategy focuses on improving conditions for non-EU nationals who want to work, study, research, or start businesses in the EU. To help achieve this, the Commission intends to provide extra support to both non-EU nationals and employers through new European Legal Gateway Offices. These offices are expected to address challenges related to visa applications for highly skilled workers.

In addition, the EU plans to allocate extra funding to support more efficient visa processing for skilled professionals. The strategy is supported by a formal recommendation urging member states to simplify and accelerate procedures for long-stay visas and residence permits. This includes digitising processes, reducing the number of required documents, and shortening processing times.

The recommendation also suggests creating easier pathways for people to transition from study or research in the EU to work or entrepreneurship, as well as improving mobility within the EU for those who hold long-term visas or permits. Strengthening coordination between national authorities, universities, and research organisations is another key point of the recommendation.

Overall, the Commission says the Visa Strategy and its recommendations aim to strike a balance between opening the doors to global talent and maintaining secure, well-managed borders. By modernising visa processes, introducing digital tools, and making it easier for skilled individuals to live and work in the EU, the bloc hopes to enhance its competitive edge while safeguarding security across the Schengen area.

The EU’s first Visa Strategy thus represents a major shift in how the union approaches visas, travel, and migration in a world where talent flows and security concerns are increasingly interconnected.