Schengen Visa Reform 2027: WTTC Report & Visa Code Revision

A paper visa sticker beside a green digital card on a cream field

The sticker is still the document. The next file is digital. Illustration: SimpleVisa

The €90 Schengen visa fee, the paper visa sticker, and the current EES and ETIAS status all stay as they are. Three things landed in the past fortnight that will shape how OTAs, airlines, and travel-tech platforms sell Europe in 2027–2030.

9 Oct 2026. WTTC's Europe report, released at its 26th Global Summit in Valletta, puts faster digital visas at the top of its asks.

8 Sep – 6 Oct 2026. The European Commission's call for evidence on revising the Schengen Visa Code closed. A legislative proposal is expected in Q1 2027.

1 Oct 2026. ACI EUROPE, Amadeus, IATA, IDEMIA Public Security, and SITA launched a Responsible Biometrics Travel Industry Coalition around the EU Digital Omnibus.

This note is for OTAs, airlines, and travel-tech teams selling Europe. It is not legal advice. EU and national authorities decide the rules.

What WTTC actually said

From WTTC's press release "Travel & Tourism in Europe: A Deep Dive Into Growth, Outlook and Policy" (9 Oct 2026):

Metric Figure (WTTC)

Schengen multiple-entry visas issued in 2025 5.3 million, 40% fewer than in 2019

Multiple-entry share of all Schengen visas 59% (2019) → 51.7% (2025)

International arrivals to Europe, 2025 757.3 million (49.1% of the world total)

Share of those arrivals from within Europe 74.3%

China arrivals vs 2019 −43.2%

Forecast international arrivals, 2036 1.14 billion

WTTC's "secure and seamless travel" priority recommends accelerating the digital Schengen visa, restoring multiple-entry visas, an EU-wide trusted traveler scheme with reciprocal recognition of programmes such as US Global Entry, and a workable framework for biometrics at EU airports.

These are industry recommendations. EU law is unchanged by the report.

What the Commission is preparing

The Commission's call for evidence on revising short-stay visa rules (feedback period closed 6 October 2026) lists, among the options under study:

Facilitation for reliable applicants and trusted business travelers, possibly via common lists of verified companies per third country (fast-track processing, priority appointments, fewer supporting documents).

EU-level restrictive visa measures for third countries that do not cooperate on returns, or in case of a serious deterioration in the political or security situation.

A "harmonised additional charge levied at EU level on top of the Schengen visa fee". No amount and no date have been set.

Clarifications for digital procedures, in line with the already-legislated EU visa application platform and digital visa. The Commission's reference timeline is around 2030.

The proposal is expected in Q1 2027 (initiative 19222 lists a planned adoption window of 1 January to 31 March 2027). It then goes through Parliament and Council. Nothing here affects bookings before 2028.

ETIAS and EES status

EES has been fully operational at Schengen external borders since 10 April 2026. Carrier stamp checks ended on 7 October 2026. See the carrier checklist for the end of stamp checks.

ETIAS is still not in operation. The official site says the EU will announce the start date several months in advance. WTTC's report refers to an expected launch in "early 2027". That is not an official EU date. Do not sell, pre-sell, or market ETIAS. See the ETIAS carrier and OTA playbook.

Why it matters for OTAs and airlines

Cost stacking is on the industry's agenda. WTTC flags cumulative traveler costs: passenger taxes, tourist levies, ETAs such as the UK's £20 ETA, and the future ETIAS. A possible EU-level surcharge on Schengen visas would add another line. If checkout shows "government fee" as a single number, plan for a multi-component display (government fee, EU surcharge, service fee).

A digital Schengen visa changes the data model. When the EU visa platform and digital visa arrive, the sticker in the passport stops being the proof of entitlement. Airlines will need a digital status check, as they already do through the EES and ETIAS Carrier Interface, and OTAs will need to store application references.

Multiple-entry visas are a retention signal. WTTC's numbers show the multiple-entry share fell from 59% to 51.7%. For repeat corporate or VFR travel, the visa a traveler holds (single or multiple entry, and the validity window) is worth capturing at checkout.

Trusted business-traveler lists are a B2B question. If the Commission creates common lists of verified companies, TMCs and corporate booking tools will need to know which employer is listed and route applications accordingly.

Biometrics are an industry policy fight. Amadeus, SITA, IATA, and ACI EUROPE are pushing the Digital Omnibus to allow voluntary biometrics with a non-biometric alternative. Selfie and liveness steps will multiply across pre-travel flows. The capture screen needs a fallback path. See selfie and liveness failures.

What to do this quarter

Keep marketing copy factual. No ETIAS dates, and no "digital Schengen visa" claims, until an official text says so.

Audit fee display. Can checkout show more than one government component?

Capture visa type (single or multiple entry) and validity where you already collect visa data.

Map which corporate clients would benefit from a trusted-business-traveler track.

Add a non-biometric fallback in any selfie or liveness flow you control.

Subscribe to the official sources below rather than secondary trackers.

How SimpleVisa helps

SimpleVisa tracks official government changes and pushes them into the eVisa and ETA flows OTA, airline, and travel-tech partners embed, with coverage alerts when a rule actually changes. Talk to sales · Coverage alerts for the destinations you sell.

Watch the Schengen area

Coverage alerts send one email per rule change for the destinations you pick, from the partner console. Systems can take the same events as webhooks; the shape is in the developer docs. The live requirement for any passport is always in the requirements checker.

Information current at publication (12 Oct 2026), based on the sources below. Not legal advice. Visa rules and proposals can change. Confirm against the official EU and national sources before changing products or advising travelers.

Sources

Loris Mazloum

Founder, SimpleVisa

Loris Mazloum founded SimpleVisa and writes the coverage notes on this blog for airlines, OTAs, and other travel companies. Each note is checked against the government source named at the bottom before it publishes. SimpleVisa keeps requirement data for 190+ destinations and files applications where a government channel exists.