Today, the Commission adopted its eighth report under the Visa Suspension Mechanism, monitoring the EU's visa-free regimes. While most partner countries have taken steps to address the recommendations issued under previous Visa Suspension Mechanism reports, significant challenges persist.
Visa liberalisation is an important part of the EU's toolbox for cooperation on migration, security, and justice with third countries. Visa-free travel eases mobility and people-to-people contacts, boosts the travel and tourism sectors and promotes cultural and academic exchanges. It can also foster diplomatic relations and international cooperation. Nevertheless, when misused, it can also pose significant migration and security challenges, which need to be addressed.
The report covers developments related to visa policy alignment, migration (including border management and readmission), security and citizenship in Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership partners, the Eastern Caribbean countries operating investor citizenship schemes, and Latin American countries). It includes specific recommendations for each country.
Key findings
- Visa policy alignment: The full alignment of Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries with EU visa policy remains essential, given their close proximity to the Schengen area and the risks posed by divergent visa lists and procedures. While several Western Balkan partners have taken steps towards aligning their visa regimes, some have stalled or reversed progress. No meaningful advances were observed among Eastern Partnership countries. Georgia's visa policy in particular diverges significantly from the EU's, and Georgia has further backtracked in 2024-2025, despite repeated recommendations.
- Migration, border management and readmission: Illegal migration along the Western Balkans route has decreased significantly since 2023. However, increasing use of violence by smuggling networks, and continued pressure at the Bosnia and Herzegovina–Croatia border raise concern. Overall, partners have stepped up cooperation with Frontex and the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA), but further progress in readmission is required. The report urges all partner countries to address outstanding issues without delay.
- Unfounded asylum applications from visa-exempt nationals remain a source of concern, representing around 18% of all claims since 2015. Applications from Kosovo and Ukraine rose in 2024, and applications for Albania, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia and Serbia, although lower than in 2023, remain significant. A high number of applications from visa-free Latin American countries also pose significant challenges to the EU Member States' asylum systems. Visa-free partners should continue taking targeted measures to prevent misuse of the regime, including with information campaigns, exit checks and Frontex support.
- Public order and security: Cooperation with Europol and Eurojust remains strong across all reviewed partners, with Western Balkan partners delivering concrete operational results against organised crime, cyber-attacks, and migrant smuggling, and Ukraine maintaining intensive cooperation despite the ongoing war of aggression. Emerging risks include new firearms-trafficking routes through Moldova and security concerns in Georgia linked to Russian influence. While most partners meet anti-corruption commitments, Georgia has reversed earlier reforms. Several countries still face vulnerabilities in document security, including forged or fraudulently obtained passports and identity changes used to evade EU security checks. These issues must be addressed to safeguard the integrity of visa-free travel.
- Citizenship by investment: Investor citizenship schemes operated by visa-free countries pose security risks, as they may allow third-country nationals who would normally require a visa to bypass standard checks and obtain Schengen access through purchased citizenship. Schemes in five Eastern Caribbean states continue to raise concerns due to high volumes, short processing times and low rejection rates, despite some steps taken to strengthen due diligence and information-sharing.
- Lack of compliance on other key benchmarks by Georgia: The Commission has raised concerns about serious breaches of fundamental rights and freedoms in Georgia, including violations of non-discrimination principles, and has repeatedly called on the Georgian authorities to take immediate action to address these issues and implement the Commission's recommendations. Despite this, Georgia has violated numerous commitments undertaken during the visa liberalisation dialogue and failed to implement the recommendations of the Seventh Visa Suspension Mechanism report.
Given the systemic and deliberate nature of this backsliding, the Commission will consider appropriate measures under the revised Visa Suspension Mechanism, which will enter into force on 30 December 2025. According to the new rules, in the first phase, the visa suspension could target holders of diplomatic, service and official passports issued by the Georgian authorities, who are primarily responsible for not taking action to address the Commission's recommendations. Differently from the currently applicable rules, the new ones ensure a uniform application of the suspension in all Member States, as bilateral visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic, service and official passports will no longer be possible, once the visa requirement is reimposed for these groups at EU level. In the second stage, the suspension could be extended to the entire population if issues are not addressed by the Georgian authorities. Ultimately, Georgia could lose its visa free status entirely and be transferred to the EU list of visa-required third countries.
Next steps
The Commission will continue monitoring the fulfilment of the visa liberalisation requirements and recommendations by partner countries and will continue to report to the European Parliament and the Council once a year.
Background
The EU currently has a visa-free regime with 64 non-EU countries and territories. Under this visa-free regime, non-EU citizens can enter the Schengen area for 90 days, within 180 days, without a visa. In June 2025, the Council and the Parliament agreed on a stronger and more flexible visa suspension mechanism, following a proposal from the Commission. This will allow the EU to better address challenges linked to visa-free schemes, with new grounds to suspend visa-free regimes, lower thresholds to trigger the suspension mechanism, as well as a swifter and more flexible procedure. The revised suspension mechanism will enter into force on 30 December 2025.
Since 2017, the Commission has been issuing annual reports under the Visa Suspension Mechanism, monitoring the fulfilment of visa liberalisation requirements by visa-free partners in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership. With the proposal for a revised visa suspension mechanism, the Commission also introduced stronger monitoring and reporting obligations. Since 2023, the Commission has reported on a broader range of countries, covering any visa-free countries where challenges are identified. This year's report covers the year 2024 and major developments in 2025.
