responsibility, which penalises airlines if they carry passengers who do not have the correct documentation. Visas with limited territorial validity In exceptional cases, Schengen states may issue visas with limited territorial validity (LTV), either specifically naming the state(s) for which it is valid or, inversely, the state(s) for which it is not valid. Holders of LTV visas are only permitted to travel to Schengen states for which it is valid, as well as to Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania. According to the Schengen Visa Code, member states may issue LTV visas when a consulate deems it justifiable to overcome the three-month limitation in six months, when a member state considers it necessary due to pressing circumstances to derogate from entry conditions as set by Schengen Borders Code, to overcome objections of other member states, or in cases of urgency. Unrecognised travel documents Schengen visas are only issued on travel documents of UN member states, Kosovo, Palestine, Taiwan, Vatican City, the Order of Malta, and certain international organisations (Council of Europe, EU, NATO, Red Cross, UN). Belgium and France also accept the passport of Somaliland. Passports of Abkhazia, Artsakh, Northern Cyprus, South Ossetia, Transnistria and Western Sahara are not accepted. Statistics Most Schengen visas were issued to applicants located in the countries listed below (listed if more than 100,000 visas issued in most recent year). Applicants were not necessarily nationals of these countries. Future changes Visa exemptions – In 2022, the EU Council proposed a visa exemption for nationals of all countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council that were not yet exempt. – In 2022, the EU Parliament proposed a visa exemption for nationals of Ecuador. – In 2022, the EU Council proposed implementing the visa liberalisation for nationals of Kosovo on 1 January 2024 at the latest, or at the same time as ETIAS if earlier. – A visa waiver agreement between the EU and Vanuatu was suspended on 4 May 2022 and set to resume on 4 August 2024. Entry/Exit System In 2017, the EU adopted a regulation to establish an Entry/Exit System (EES) to record electronically the entry and exit of third-country nationals to and from the Schengen Area in a central database, replacing the manual stamping of passports. The goals are to increase automation of border control and to identify overstayers. As of February 2023, EES is expected to enter into operation in 2023. The EU also plans