EuroWire, BRUSSELS: The European Commission has adopted a new EU visa policy strategy that opens the door to issuing multiple-entry Schengen visas with validity periods that could extend beyond the current five-year maximum, as part of a broader push to modernize procedures and improve consistency across member states.
In the strategy document adopted on Jan. 29, the European Commission says it will work with Schengen countries to examine options for longer-validity multiple-entry visas for bona fide travelers, including tourists and business visitors who have a strong record of lawful visa use and pose a low risk under standard checks. The Commission describes approaches such as renewing or extending existing long-validity visas after a fresh assessment, or creating a new category that exceeds five years.
The proposal sits alongside current Schengen short-stay rules, which generally allow stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area. Multiple-entry visas allow repeated visits within a visa’s validity, but they do not change the length of permitted stays per trip. The Commission’s strategy frames longer-validity visas as a facilitation measure for frequent, compliant travelers, while keeping screening requirements and entry conditions in place.
Any move beyond the five-year cap would require changes to EU law. Under the EU Visa Code, the validity of a uniform Schengen visa cannot exceed five years, and member states apply a step-by-step approach for frequent travelers based on prior lawful use. The Commission’s strategy states that a revision of the Visa Code is planned as part of its 2026 work, which would be the legislative route for altering the existing legal ceiling.
Five-year cap remains current law
The strategy also highlights uneven practices among member states in issuing long-validity visas and assessing frequent travelers, a gap the Commission says it wants to narrow through clearer rules and common approaches. It points to the growth of cross-border business activity and tourism flows and says more predictable visa outcomes can support economic ties while maintaining security and migration safeguards built into the Schengen framework.
A central pillar of the strategy is the shift toward a more digital visa procedure. EU plans already adopted for visa digitalization include replacing the traditional visa sticker with a digital visa that can be verified electronically, and building an EU-level online application platform intended to streamline submissions and reduce paperwork. The Commission has linked this transformation to a broader timetable for upgraded border and security systems, with the online platform expected to become operational later in the decade.
The Commission’s visa strategy is also aligned with major changes at Europe’s external borders, including the ongoing rollout of the Entry/Exit System, which records entries and exits of non-EU travelers crossing the Schengen external border. The EU’s ETIAS travel authorization system for visa-exempt visitors is also scheduled to start operations in late 2026, adding another layer of pre-travel information for certain categories of travelers.
Digital procedure and border systems
Beyond facilitation measures, the strategy reiterates that visa policy remains connected to broader EU migration management tools. It references provisions that allow the EU to adjust visa processing conditions in response to cooperation by third countries on the readmission of people who do not have legal permission to stay in the EU. The Commission has used this mechanism in recent years to calibrate visa requirements, including processing times and the issuing of multiple-entry visas, within the limits of EU law.
For now, the five-year limit remains in force and Schengen applicants will continue to be assessed under the existing Visa Code and national consular practices. The Commission’s strategy sets out the direction for future legislation and implementation, but it does not itself change eligibility, documentation requirements, or decision-making at consulates. Any extension of multiple-entry visa validity beyond five years would depend on a formal legal proposal, negotiations, and adoption by EU lawmakers.