More flexibility to respond to security threats, “golden passports,” and human rights violations
The European Parliament and the Council have reached an agreement on reforms to the EU's short-stay visa waiver suspension mechanism. The updated rules will give the EU greater ability to suspend visa-free access for citizens of non-EU countries when serious concerns arise, such as threats to security or violations of human rights.
New grounds for suspension
Under the revised mechanism, visa-free travel can be suspended if a country:
- Violates the UN Charter or international human rights/humanitarian law
- Fails to comply with international court rulings
- Uses migrants to destabilize the EU (a form of “hybrid threat”)
- Offers "golden passports" — investor citizenship programs that pose security risks
- Does not align with EU visa policy, possibly enabling irregular migration
- Existing reasons for suspension, such as poor cooperation on migrant returns, remain in place.
Targeting government officials
The EU will now be able to suspend visa-free travel specifically for third-country government officials, including those holding diplomatic or service passports, if they are linked to serious violations. This measure aims to hold governments accountable without broadly penalizing civilians.
Updated thresholds for action
Suspension can also be triggered by:
A 30% increase in unauthorized stays or asylum applications (from low-acceptance countries)
A 20% asylum recognition rate threshold
Flexibility for the Commission to act outside these thresholds in exceptional cases
Next steps
The provisional deal must still be formally approved by both the European Parliament and the Council before it becomes law.
Background
Currently, nationals of 61 countries can visit the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The European Commission can propose to suspend visa-free travel, either on its own initiative or following a request from a member state. So far, this has only occurred once — with Vanuatu. Photo by Kaihsu Tai, Wikimedia commons.