Schengen visas: Brussels is preparing new rules that could change the situation for Moroccans

Brussels launched a call for contributions on September 8 regarding the revision of the common rules applicable to short-stay visas. The consultation will remain open until October 6, before a proposal for a regulation is presented in the first quarter of 2027, according to the European Commission.

No new rules have therefore been adopted yet. However, the document makes it possible to identify the changes Brussels wishes to examine.

The first could directly affect travelers’ wallets. The Commission wants to examine the creation of a “harmonized additional contribution at Union level,” which would be added to Schengen visa fees. No amount or implementation timetable has been set. The basic fee is currently €90 for an adult.

The issue is particularly sensitive in Morocco. Around 620,000 Schengen visa applications were submitted there in 2025, placing the kingdom among the world’s five largest markets. Moroccan applicants continue to face delays, difficulties obtaining an appointment and visa refusals.

On Bladi.net : Schengen Visas Morocco: 437,000 Approved in 2024

However, the reform is not limited to new financial constraints. Brussels is also considering facilitating procedures for certain categories of travelers considered reliable.

Priority appointments and streamlined applications

The Commission notably wishes to create a European scheme for business travelers. Common lists of verified companies could be established in each country by the consulates of the Schengen Area states.

Employees of these companies could benefit from expedited processing, priority appointments and a reduced number of supporting documents. The scheme would aim to replace current practices, which can vary considerably from one consulate to another.

Brussels also wants to harmonize the conditions for granting multiple-entry visas. Moroccan travelers regularly traveling to Europe for professional or family reasons could benefit from them if they meet the criteria that will be established in the future regulation.

The reform also includes a more restrictive component. The Visa Code already allows the European Union to reduce certain facilities granted to nationals of a country that cooperates insufficiently in readmitting its citizens in an irregular situation. The Commission wants to strengthen and broaden this instrument to cover security, border control, irregular immigration and the fight against smuggling networks.

Brussels is also considering targeted measures in cases of hostile acts or the instrumentalization of migration. Visas would thus become a lever more directly integrated into the Union’s foreign policy, as was recently mentioned in relations between Brussels and Rabat.

On Bladi.net : After Ceuta, Brussels puts Moroccan visas on the line

No restrictive measure targeting Morocco has nevertheless been announced as part of this revision. Any decisions concerning a third country would have to be examined separately and comply with the principle of proportionality.

The draft nevertheless outlines a significant development: the Schengen visa could become easier to obtain for certain travelers identified as reliable, more expensive for all applicants and more readily used as a means of pressure on foreign governments. The final arrangements will not be known until the European proposal is presented in 2027 and subsequently examined by Parliament and the Council.