Schengen border control

Purpose

In the Schengen area, the Visa Information System (VIS), which connects the consular authorities of the Schengen member states and the border crossing points at the external borders with a central database, helps to the implement the common visa policy and information exchange.

In Estonia, the Police and Border Guard Board is responsible for the Visa Register through which the VIS is consulted by the competent authorities.

Data

The VIS shall record the data on the visa application and its processing. If you have a visa issued at the border (type C), this data is stored in the Visa Register or the VIS. If you have applied for a long-stay (type D) visa, the data is in the Visa Register.

Access

The Police and Border Guard Board and other authorities have access to the data for the purpose and to the extent set out in the Regulation of the Minister of the Interior.

Data retention period

The data shall be stored in the Visa Register for a maximum of 55 years (terms for storage periods after 5 years are provided for in the Regulation of the Minister of the Interior and in the VIS for five years in accordance with the time limits laid down in the Regulation (EC) 767/2008.

Legal basis

• Regulation (EC) 767/2008
• Decision 2008/633/JHA
• Regulation (EU) 2021/1134
• Aliens Act
• Regulation of the Minister of the Interior No 71 „Statute of Visa Register“ of 10 December 2015 (in Estonian).