The European Union is preparing a major review of its Schengen visa rules, which could impact Ghanaians planning to travel to Europe. The proposed overhaul aims to make visa rules more secure and efficient while facilitating legitimate travel. A formal legislative proposal is expected in the first quarter of 2027. The review is still at a preparatory stage, and the final content of any legislation could change.
One of the proposals involves introducing an additional charge on top of the existing Schengen visa fee. The European Commission will explore the feasibility of introducing this extra charge to support the further development of the common visa policy. However, no amount has been decided for the proposed additional charge. The existing standard Schengen visa fees remain in place, with adults paying €90 and children aged six to 11 paying €45.
Ghanaian passport holders require a visa to cross the external borders of the EU for short stays. The proposed reforms aim to make legitimate travel more predictable while strengthening the EU's ability to respond to security and migration-related challenges. Ghanaians planning short trips to countries in the Schengen area would be among the travellers affected by changes to the Visa Code.
The European Commission is considering measures to make visa applications easier for employees of trusted companies. Under the proposal, the EU could establish common lists of verified companies in different countries or territories. Employees of accredited organisations could benefit from faster visa application processing, priority access to consular appointments, and reduced requirements for supporting documents.
The proposed reform could give the EU greater flexibility to respond to serious political and security developments. The Commission is considering a mechanism to suspend, restrict, or reject certain categories of visa applications in response to hybrid threats, information manipulation, and other security concerns. Any such measures would need to be targeted, proportionate, and reversible.
The review will also take into account the EU's move towards digital visa procedures. The long-term system will allow visa-required travellers to complete the application process through a European online platform, with biometric information still provided when required. A digital visa is expected to eventually replace the traditional visa sticker.
In 2025, EU and Schengen-associated country consulates received over 12 million short-stay visa applications and issued almost 10.3 million visas. The largest numbers of applications came from China, Türkiye, India, Russia, and Morocco. The European Commission will continue consultations with stakeholders before presenting its formal legislative proposal.
Key points
- The European Union is preparing a major review of its Schengen visa rules.
- The proposed overhaul could introduce an additional charge on top of the existing Schengen visa fee.
- The review aims to make visa rules more secure and efficient while facilitating legitimate travel.
