Federal Council approves reinforcement of mechanism for temporarily reintroducing visa requirements for third countries
Update Explained
Switzerland has decided to adapt its law to align with a recent change in European Union (EU) regulations concerning visa requirements. The EU has amended its rules to allow for temporarily reintroducing visa requirements for third countries under certain conditions, which can now include a 30% increase in illegal stays or entry refusals, up from the previous 50%, and a 20% recognition rate threshold for asylum applications, down from 3%. Additional grounds for reintroducing visas include threats to public order by foreign governments using migrants, changes to the conditions under which a visa exemption was provided, and worsening relations with a country due to human rights issues. In urgent cases, the European Commission is allowed to reintroduce visa requirements for up to 12 months using a simplified process. The Swiss Federal Council has approved integrating this EU policy change into Swiss law, which will be effective starting December 17, 2025.
What changed
The thresholds for reintroducing visa requirements have been lowered and new grounds, such as threats to public order and human rights violations, have been introduced.
Why it matters
Switzerland, following the EU, can temporarily reintroduce visa requirements for third countries more easily and under a broader set of circumstances, impacting citizens of those countries traveling to the Schengen area.
Who is affected
- Citizens of third countries traveling to the Schengen area
- Government of Switzerland
Key dates
EU Approval
Nov 17, 2023
Swiss Federal Council Approval
Dec 5, 2023
Effective Date
Dec 17, 2025
Key details
- The threshold for illegal stays or entry refusals triggering visa reintroduction has been reduced from 50% to 30%.
- The recognition rate for asylum applications triggering visa reintroduction has been raised to less than 20% from 3%.
- New grounds include threats to public order, changes to visa exemption conditions, and deterioration in EU relations due to human rights violations.