Background: These countries can travel to the EU without a visa
The European Union has currently concluded visa-free agreements with 61 third countries. There are also two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macao) and Taiwan.
Citizens of these countries can enter the Schengen area for up to 90 days within 180 days without a visa - for tourism, family or business purposes. Work or permanent residence are still not permitted.
Entry into the EU without a visa applies to nationals of the following countries:
Europe: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia, Ukraine, Vatican City, United Kingdom
Africa: Mauritius, Seychelles
America, Latin America and the Caribbean: USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
Asia and Middle East: Brunei, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Timor-Leste.
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
Why is the EU now tightening visa rules?
The EU can already suspend visa-free travel temporarily or permanently if certain conditions are met. This is possible, for example
- if there is a sudden increase in irregular migration from a visa-free country,
- if the number of rejected asylum applications increases sharply
- or if security risks are identified.
- A lack of cooperation in the return of persons obliged to leave the country can also be a reason.
With the reform that has now been agreed, the EU wants to expand this mechanism and speed up procedures. In future, political, human rights and security policy factors will also be taken into account - for example, if a country systematically violates international standards or uses migration as a means of exerting pressure on the EU.
When the EU imposes the visa requirement
In future, the EU can suspend visa-free travel if:
- a country deliberately uses migration as a means of exerting political pressure - i.e. creates so-called "hybrid threats", for example through state-controlled border openings or the deliberate smuggling of migrants (as observed in the past on the border between Belarus and Poland),
- a country offers investor programs ("golden passports" or "golden visas") that enable non-citizens to acquire citizenship and thus visa-free access to the EU in return for cash payments or investments,
- serious human rights violations or violations of international humanitarian law are proven, for example through war crimes or political repression,
- a state disregards judgments of international courts, such as the International Criminal Court or the International Court of Justice,
- or if the basic principles of the UN Charter are violated - for example through wars of aggression or annexations.
Another new feature is that the EU will no longer automatically exclude entire populations from visa-free travel: It can now specifically waive visa-free travel for individual groups of people - for example, government representatives or business people who are directly linked to the violations. This is intended to prevent civilian populations from being punished for political decisions made by their governments.
How the EU Parliament voted
The reform was voted on in the EU Parliament in Strasbourg on October 7, 2025. The result was clear: 518 votes in favor, 96 against and 24 abstentions.
Of the 96 German MEPs who voted, according to the platform abgeordnetenwatch.de 61 voted in favor, 25 against, one abstained and nine were absent.
Which countries could be affected?
Officially, the EU has not named any specific countries against which the new rules could be directed. Nevertheless, Brussels and the European media are already talking about possible initial cases of application.
The platform euronews already reported in June that Israel could be one of the first countries to be affected by the new regulation. The background to this are ongoing allegations of war crimes and human rights violations in the Gaza war, which have been raised by UN bodies and international human rights organizations.
According to EU observers, countries with so-called "golden passport" programs could also come under greater pressure. The EU Commission has already criticized Malta and Cyprus for such programmes in the past and initiated infringement proceedings.
There are also comparable models in Montenegro and Serbia, the risks of which Brussels has been monitoring for years. According to the European Western Balkans Platform, the abolition of such programs has been mentioned several times as a condition for EU accession talks.
What does this mean for travelers and migrants?
Initially, nothing will change for most people from visa-free countries. The new rules will only take effect if the EU Commission or a member state initiates a procedure to suspend visa-free travel and the EU Council agrees.
However, if the visa requirement is temporarily or permanently reintroduced, this would have tangible consequences for the nationals concerned:
- In future, they would have to apply for a Schengen visa before being allowed to enter the EU.
- This means additional costs (currently around 90 euros per application) and sometimes waiting times of several weeks for appointments at embassies
- In addition, applicants must provide numerous pieces of evidence - for example regarding accommodation, return flight, financial means or purpose of travel.
This could make traveling to the EU much more difficult for family visits, students or professionals - especially for people who regularly commute between their home country and Europe.
What happens next?
Before the new regulation can enter into force, it must still be formally adopted by the Council of the European Union. It will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
In a statement, the EU Commission emphasized that the aim was not to target a specific country, but to "protect the credibility and integrity of the Schengen system".
