On Tuesday, legislators and EU member states reached an agreement on how to reform the Schengen visa system so that it is mostly digital and does not require a passport sticker. Most people who require a visa for travel to the European Union would be able to apply online instead of showing up at a consulate or visa service office under the new law, which would go into effect once it is officially enacted.

Applicants would find the process "easier, cheaper and faster", the lead MEP on the issue, Matjaz Nemec, said.

The modification "increases the security of the Schengen area by, for example, reducing the risk of falsification and theft of the visa sticker," according to Sweden's Minister of Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard, whose nation is currently holding the rotating EU chair. Except for Cyprus, Ireland, Bulgaria, and Romania, practically all 27 EU members are included in the Schengen area. The latter two are planned to eventually join it. More than 60 nations outside of the European Union grant its nationals visa-free entry. Right now, travelers who do require visas must purchase a Schengen sticker for their passport. However, the visa system has advanced progressively toward digitization with the creation of EU databases to aid in monitoring arrivals and departures, overstays, and security checks at the bloc's external borders. Similar methods exist in some nations, such as Australia, where a traveler's online visa is linked to their passport without the requirement for a sticker. These technologies allow applicants to upload necessary files and pay processing costs. Under the EU's incoming system, first-time applicants for a Schengen visa, or those with a new passport or changed biometric data may still need to attend an in-person appointment at a consulate or visa office.