Federal Council approves reinforcement of mechanism for temporarily reintroducing visa requirements for third countries
Bern, 05.12.2025 — As part of the Schengen Association Agreement, Switzerland has decided to adopt an amendment to a European Union (EU) regulation aimed at reintroducing the visa requirement for third countries in certain circumstances. These circumstances may include exceeding migration thresholds, threats to public order and security, or human rights violations.
On 17 November, the EU approved an amendment to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 on the mechanism for temporarily suspending visa-free travel for short stays in the Schengen area. The EU notified Switzerland of this amendment as a further development of the Schengen acquis. The amendment adjusts the thresholds for triggering the mechanism and introduces new grounds for reintroducing the visa requirement for crossing the external borders of the Schengen States.
The thresholds for activating the mechanism for migration-related reasons have been adjusted. The visa exemption granted to a third country may be suspended as soon as an increase of 30% (compared to 50% previously) in the number of its citizens who are residing illegally in the Schengen area or who have been refused entry to the territory of a Member State has been observed. The suspension mechanism may also be activated against a third country in the event of a substantial increase in the number of asylum applications from that country for which the recognition rate is less than 20% (compared to 3% previously).
In addition, new grounds for activating the suspension mechanism may be invoked. These include threats to public order and security in EU member states arising from the instrumentalisation of migrants by foreign governments, the ending of the conditions that led to the visa exemption, and the deterioration of the EU's relations with a third country due to human rights violations.
In urgent cases, the European Commission will also be able to reintroduce the visa requirement for certain third countries for a period of 12 months, using a simplified procedure. This measure would then apply to the entire Schengen area.
On 5 December, the Federal Council approved this transposition of European law, which requires an amendment to the Ordinance on Entry and the Granting of Visas (EGVO). This amendment will come into force on 17 December 2025.