1. The Commission shall adopt an implementing act suspending for a period of 12 months the exemption from the visa requirement for the nationals of a third country where:

it has decided, on the basis of its examination pursuant to Article 8b(5) or of its analysis as referred to in Article 8c(2), that such action is necessary; or

a simple majority of Member States has notified the Commission of the existence of the circumstances amounting to the grounds for suspension set out in Article 8a(1), point (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) or (i).

2. In coming to a decision as referred to in point (a) of paragraph 1, the Commission shall:

work together in close cooperation with the third country concerned to find alternative long-term solutions in respect of the relevant circumstance or circumstances amounting to the grounds for suspension set out in Article 8a(1);

take into account the political context, the economic matters at stake and the consequences of a suspension of the exemption from the visa requirement for the overall external relations of the Union and the Member States with the third country concerned; and

take into account the consequences of a suspension of the exemption from the visa requirement on civil society in the third country concerned, in particular where the human rights situation in that third country has deteriorated.

3. The suspension provided for in an implementing act adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article shall apply to certain categories of nationals of the third country concerned by reference to the relevant types of travel documents and, where appropriate, to additional criteria. When deciding to which categories the suspension is to apply, the Commission shall, based on the information available, include categories that are broad enough in order to efficiently contribute to remedying the circumstances that led to the suspension, while respecting the principle of proportionality and non-discrimination in line with Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Implementing acts adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article shall fix the date on which the suspension of the exemption from the visa requirement is to take effect.

4. The Commission shall submit a draft of an implementing act as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article to the committee referred to in Article 11(1):

within one month of:

receiving a notification by a Member State pursuant to Article 8b(1);

informing the European Parliament and the Council of its analysis as referred to in Article 8c(2); or

receiving a notification from a simple majority of Member States of the existence of the circumstances amounting to the grounds set out in Article 8a(1), point (a), (b), (c), (d),(e), (f) or (i);

within two months of receiving a notification by a Member State pursuant to Article 8b(2).

Implementing acts as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 11(2).

5. By way of derogation from paragraphs 1 to 4 of this Article, Article 8b and Article 8c(2), where justified by the urgency of the matter, the Commission shall, where it has concrete and reliable information on the existence of any of the circumstances amounting to the grounds for suspension set out in Article 8a(1) and decides that swift action is needed, adopt an implementing act temporarily suspending the exemption from the visa requirement for all or certain categories of nationals of the third country concerned for a period of 12 months. Such implementing acts shall fix the date on which the suspension of the exemption from the visa requirement is to take effect.

Implementing acts as referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 11(2). The chair of the committee provided for in Article 11(1) shall consider shortening the time to convene a meeting of the committee as referred to in Article 3(3), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 and making use of the written procedure referred to in Article 3(5) of that Regulation.

6. Without prejudice to Article 6, during the period of suspension, the categories of nationals of the third country covered by an implementing act adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 or 5 of this Article shall be required to be in possession of a visa when crossing the external borders of the Member States.

7. Where the Commission has adopted an implementing act under paragraph 1 or 5 of this Article on the ground for suspension set out in Article 8a(1), point (g), as regards non-compliance with specific requirements on external relations or fundamental rights, or on the ground set out in Article 8a(1), point (h), temporarily suspending the exemption from the visa requirement for nationals of a third country who hold diplomatic passports, service/official passports or special passports, the Member States shall not provide for new exceptions from the visa requirement pursuant to Article 6(1), point (a). Member States that have bilateral agreements with the third country concerned shall take the necessary steps not to apply exceptions adopted pursuant to Article 6(1), point (a).

8. Without prejudice to paragraph 7 of this Article, a Member State which, pursuant to Article 6, takes measures providing for new exceptions from the visa requirement for a category of nationals of the third country covered by an implementing act adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 or 5 of this Article shall communicate those measures in accordance with Article 12.

9. During the period of suspension, the Commission shall establish an enhanced dialogue with the third country concerned with a view to remedying the circumstances in question. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council of the progress and outcome of the dialogue and of the effectiveness of the suspension.

10. Where the circumstances that led to the temporary suspension of the exemption from the visa requirement are remedied before the end of the period of application of the implementing act adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 or 5 of this Article, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act to lift the temporary suspension in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 11(2).

REGULATION (EU) 2025/2441 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 26 November 2025 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 as regards the revision of the suspension mechanism