EU states and European Parliament still have to formally confirm agreement.
The EU linked the granting of visas to travelers from third countries to the future cooperation of the country with the return of rejected asylum seekers. This was agreed by negotiators from the EU member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission in Brussels on Tuesday. People from non-cooperative states will soon have to wait longer for their visa or pay more for it.
As the Parliament said, the visa of those affected could soon be shorter. The heads of state and government had called on the EU Commission in 2017 to make better use of the leverage effect of the common visa policy in the deportation of illegal migrants. According to Parliament, travelers from 104 non-EU and non-EU territories currently need a visa to stay in the EU. In 2016, more than 15 million visas were issued.
The cooperation of third countries in the withdrawal of migrants and rejected asylum seekers will be assessed by the Commission each year. The new rules also apply to those migrants whose visas have expired or those who have reached the EU illegally.
In principle, according to Parliament, EU visas will become simpler and faster in the future, but more expensive. Legal travelers should therefore be able to submit their applications six months before departure. The fee for a visa should be increased from 60 to 80 Euros. Children under the age of six, students and researchers remain exempt from the fee.
The EU member states and the European Parliament must formally confirm the agreement on Tuesday. About half a year later, the rules should come into force.