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On 29 January 2026, the European Commission adopted its first-ever EU Visa Strategy, alongside a Recommendation on attracting talent for innovation, marking an important step towards a more strategic and coordinated approach to mobility at EU level. Together, the two initiatives aim to strengthen the EU’s global competitiveness while making Europe more attractive to students, researchers, and highly skilled professionals.
The EU Visa Strategy sets out a comprehensive framework for a more strategic visa policy that supports the Union’s long-term interests, responding to increasing global mobility, regional instability and geopolitical competition. It is framed more explicitly as a policy instrument linked to security considerations, return cooperation, and the EU’s broader geopolitical interests, while continuing to facilitate access for legitimate travellers, including students, researchers and highly skilled professionals who contribute to Europe’s economic, social and knowledge ecosystems.
The EU Visa Strategy is structured around three interlinked pillars.
Within this framework, visa-free travel is no longer treated as automatic, with reinforced monitoring and suspension mechanisms where cooperation with partner countries falls short. The Strategy also underlines the importance of making the EU a destination of choice for bona fide travellers, students, researchers, and skilled workers professionals, through the modernisation of visa procedures and improved efficiency. A strong emphasis is placed on the progressive digitalisation of visa and border management, with tools such as ETIAS and the interoperability of EU databases becoming central elements of future implementation. By 2028, EU IT systems are expected to be fully interoperable, enabling authorities to consult multiple databases through a single search interface.
Alongside the EU Visa Strategy, the Commission adopted a Recommendation on attracting talent for innovation, which complements the Strategy by setting out concrete actions for Member States to strengthen the EU’s attractiveness to students, researchers, highly skilled workers, startup founders and innovative entrepreneurs, particularly in sectors critical to the EU’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
The Recommendation encourages Member States to introduce simpler and faster procedures for long-stay visas and residence permits, notably through more digitised processes, reduced documentation requirements and shorter processing times. A particular focus is placed on facilitating smoother transitions from study or research into employment or entrepreneurship, supporting the retention of talent trained within European higher education and research systems.
Further measures promoted in the Recommendation include improved intra-EU mobility for highly skilled third-country nationals, better access to clear and reliable information for applicants, and stronger coordination between national authorities, universities and research organisations.
Together, the Visa Strategy and the Recommendation on attracting talent for innovation underline the EU’s commitment to remaining an open and competitive destination for global talent, while reinforcing the role of education, research and innovation as key pillars of Europe’s long-term prosperity.