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(a) the rights of free movement enjoyed by third-country nationals who are family members of citizens of the Union; (b) the equivalent rights enjoyed by third-country nationals and their family members, who, under agreements between the Community and its Member States, on the one hand, and these third countries, on the other, enjoy rights of free movement equivalent to those of Union citizens and members of their families.
Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code)
Modified by
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 977/2011of 3 October 2011amending Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code), 32011R0977, October 4, 2011
- Regulation (EU) No 154/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 15 February 2012amending Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code), 32012R0154, February 29, 2012
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1. "third-country national" means any person who is not a citizen of the Union within the meaning of Article 17(1) of the Treaty; 2. "visa" means an authorisation issued by a Member State with a view to: -
(a) transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the Member States of a duration of no more than three months in any six-month period from the date of first entry in the territory of the Member States; (b) transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Member States;
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3. "uniform visa" means a visa valid for the entire territory of the Member States; 4. "visa with limited territorial validity" means a visa valid for the territory of one or more Member States but not all Member States; 5. "airport transit visa" means a visa valid for transit through the international transit areas of one or more airports of the Member States; 6. "visa sticker" means the uniform format for visas as defined by Council Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 of 29 May 1995 laying down a uniform format for visasOJ L 164, 14.7.1995, p. 1 .7. "recognised travel document" means a travel document recognised by one or more Member States for the purpose of affixing visas; 8. "separate sheet for affixing a visa" means the uniform format for forms for affixing the visa issued by Member States to persons holding travel documents not recognised by the Member State drawing up the form as defined by Council Regulation (EC) No 333/2002 of 18 February 2002 on a uniform format for forms for affixing the visa issued by Member States to persons holding travel documents not recognised by the Member State drawing up the formOJ L 53, 23.2.2002, p. 4 .9. "consulate" means a Member State’s diplomatic mission or a Member State’s consular post authorised to issue visas and headed by a career consular officer as defined by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 24 April 1963 ;10. "application" means an application for a visa; 11. "commercial intermediary" means a private administrative agency, transport company or travel agency (tour operator or retailer).
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(a) holders of a valid uniform visa, national long-stay visa or residence permit issued by a Member State; (b) third-country nationals holding a valid residence permit issued by a Member State which does not take part in the adoption of this Regulation or by a Member State which does not yet apply the provisions of the Schengen acquis in full, or third-country nationals holding one of the valid residence permits listed in Annex V issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States of America guaranteeing the holder’s unconditional readmission;(c) third-country nationals holding a valid visa for a Member State which does not take part in the adoption of this Regulation, for a Member State which does not yet apply the provisions of the Schengen acquis in full, or for Canada, Japan or the United States of America, when travelling to the issuing country or to any other third country, or when, having used the visa, returning from the issuing country;(d) family members of citizens of the Union as referred to in Article 1(2)(a); (e) holders of diplomatic passports; (f) flight crew members who are nationals of a contracting Party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
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(a) the Member State whose territory constitutes the sole destination of the visit(s); (b) if the visit includes more than one destination, the Member State whose territory constitutes the main destination of the visit(s) in terms of the length or purpose of stay; or (c) if no main destination can be determined, the Member State whose external border the applicant intends to cross in order to enter the territory of the Member States.
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(a) in the case of transit through only one Member State, the Member State concerned; or (b) in the case of transit through several Member States, the Member State whose external border the applicant intends to cross to start the transit.
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(a) in the case of a single airport transit, the Member State on whose territory the transit airport is situated; or (b) in the case of double or multiple airport transit, the Member State on whose territory the first transit airport is situated.
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(a) it shall specify the duration of such representation, if only temporary, and procedures for its termination; (b) it may, in particular when the represented Member State has a consulate in the third country concerned, provide for the provision of premises, staff and payments by the represented Member State; (c) it may stipulate that applications from certain categories of third-country nationals are to be transmitted by the representing Member State to the central authorities of the represented Member State for prior consultation as provided for in Article 22; (d) by way of derogation from paragraph 2, it may authorise the consulate of the representing Member State to refuse to issue a visa after examination of the application.
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(a) present an application form in accordance with Article 11; (b) present a travel document in accordance with Article 12; (c) present a photograph in accordance with the standards set out in Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 or, where the VIS is operational pursuant to Article 48 of the VIS Regulation, in accordance with the standards set out in Article 13 of this Regulation; (d) allow the collection of his fingerprints in accordance with Article 13, where applicable; (e) pay the visa fee in accordance with Article 16; (f) provide supporting documents in accordance with Article 14 and Annex II; (g) where applicable, produce proof of possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance in accordance with Article 15.
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(a) the official language(s) of the Member State for which a visa is requested; (b) the official language(s) of the host country; (c) the official language(s) of the host country and the official language(s) of the Member State for which a visa is requested; or (d) in case of representation, the official language(s) of the representing Member State.
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(a) its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States or, in the case of several visits, after the last intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States. However, in a justified case of emergency, this obligation may be waived; (b) it shall contain at least two blank pages; (c) it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years.
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a photograph, scanned or taken at the time of application, and his 10 fingerprints taken flat and collected digitally.
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(a) children under the age of 12; (b) persons for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible. If the fingerprinting of fewer than 10 fingers is possible, the maximum number of fingerprints shall be taken. However, should the impossibility be temporary, the applicant shall be required to give the fingerprints at the following application. The authorities competent in accordance with Article 4(1), (2) and (3) shall be entitled to ask for further clarification of the grounds for the temporary impossibility. Member States shall ensure that appropriate procedures guaranteeing the dignity of the applicant are in place in the event of there being difficulties in enrolling; (c) heads of State or government and members of a national government with accompanying spouses, and the members of their official delegation when they are invited by Member States’ governments or by international organisations for an official purpose; (d) sovereigns and other senior members of a royal family, when they are invited by Member States’ governments or by international organisations for an official purpose.
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(a) documents indicating the purpose of the journey; (b) documents in relation to accommodation, or proof of sufficient means to cover his accommodation; (c) documents indicating that the applicant possesses sufficient means of subsistence both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to his country of origin or residence, or for the transit to a third country into which he is certain to be admitted, or that he is in a position to acquire such means lawfully, in accordance with Article 5(1)(c) and (3) of the Schengen Borders Code; (d) information enabling an assessment of the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa applied for.
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(a) documents in relation to the onward journey to the final destination after the intended airport transit; (b) information enabling an assessment of the applicant’s intention not to enter the territory of the Member States.
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(a) whether its purpose is proof of sponsorship and/or of accommodation; (b) whether the host is an individual, a company or an organisation; (c) the host’s identity and contact details; (d) the invited applicant(s); (e) the address of the accommodation; (f) the length and purpose of the stay; (g) possible family ties with the host.
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(a) children under six years; (b) school pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake stays for the purpose of study or educational training; (c) researchers from third countries travelling for the purpose of carrying out scientific research as defined in Recommendation No 2005/761/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 September 2005 to facilitate the issue by the Member States of uniform short-stay visas for researchers from third countries travelling within the Community for the purpose of carrying out scientific researchOJ L 289, 3.11.2005, p. 23 .(d) representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations.
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(a) children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years; (b) holders of diplomatic and service passports; (c) participants aged 25 years or less in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events, organised by non-profit organisations.
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the application has been lodged within the period referred to in Article 9(1), the application contains the items referred to in Article 10(3)(a) to (c), the biometric data of the applicant have been collected, and the visa fee has been collected.
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follow the procedures described in Article 8 of the VIS Regulation, and further examine the application.
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return the application form and any documents submitted by the applicant, destroy the collected biometric data, reimburse the visa fee, and not examine the application.
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(a) that the travel document presented is not false, counterfeit or forged; (b) the applicant’s justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay, and that he has sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to his country of origin or residence, or for the transit to a third country into which he is certain to be admitted, or is in a position to acquire such means lawfully; (c) whether the applicant is a person for whom an alert has been issued in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry; (d) that the applicant is not considered to be a threat to public policy, internal security or public health as defined in Article 2(19) of the Schengen Borders Code or to the international relations of any of the Member States, in particular where no alert has been issued in Member States’ national databases for the purpose of refusing entry on the same grounds; (e) that the applicant is in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable.
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(a) that the travel document presented is not false, counterfeit or forged; (b) the points of departure and destination of the third-country national concerned and the coherence of the intended itinerary and airport transit; (c) proof of the onward journey to the final destination.
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(a) issue a uniform visa in accordance with Article 24; (b) issue a visa with limited territorial validity in accordance with Article 25; (c) refuse a visa in accordance with Article 32; or (d) discontinue the examination of the application and transfer it to the relevant authorities of the represented Member State in accordance with Article 8(2).
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(a) the applicant proves the need or justifies the intention to travel frequently and/or regularly, in particular due to his occupational or family status, such as business persons, civil servants engaged in regular official contacts with Member States and EU institutions, representatives of civil society organisations travelling for the purpose of educational training, seminars and conferences, family members of citizens of the Union, family members of third-country nationals legally residing in Member States and seafarers; and (b) the applicant proves his integrity and reliability, in particular the lawful use of previous uniform visas or visas with limited territorial validity, his economic situation in the country of origin and his genuine intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa applied for.
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(a) when the Member State concerned considers it necessary on humanitarian grounds, for reasons of national interest or because of international obligations, -
(i) to derogate from the principle that the entry conditions laid down in Article 5(1)(a), (c), (d) and (e) of the Schengen Borders Code must be fulfilled; (ii) to issue a visa despite an objection by the Member State consulted in accordance with Article 22 to the issuing of a uniform visa; or (iii) to issue a visa for reasons of urgency, although the prior consultation in accordance with Article 22 has not been carried out;
or -
(b) when for reasons deemed justified by the consulate, a new visa is issued for a stay during the same six-month period to an applicant who, over this six-month period, has already used a uniform visa or a visa with limited territorial validity allowing for a stay of three months.
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(a) the applicant’s need to transit frequently and/or regularly; and (b) the integrity and reliability of the applicant, in particular the lawful use of previous uniform visas, visas with limited territorial validity or airport transit visas, his economic situation in his country of origin and his genuine intention to pursue his onward journey.
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(a) if the applicant: -
(i) presents a travel document which is false, counterfeit or forged; (ii) does not provide justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay; (iii) does not provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to his country of origin or residence, or for the transit to a third country into which he is certain to be admitted, or is not in a position to acquire such means lawfully; (iv) has already stayed for three months during the current six-month period on the territory of the Member States on the basis of a uniform visa or a visa with limited territorial validity; (v) is a person for whom an alert has been issued in the SIS for the purpose of refusing entry; (vi) is considered to be a threat to public policy, internal security or public health as defined in Article 2(19) of the Schengen Borders Code or to the international relations of any of the Member States, in particular where an alert has been issued in Member States’ national databases for the purpose of refusing entry on the same grounds; or (vii) does not provide proof of holding adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable;
or -
(b) if there are reasonable doubts as to the authenticity of the supporting documents submitted by the applicant or the veracity of their contents, the reliability of the statements made by the applicant or his intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa applied for.
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(a) the applicant fulfils the conditions laid down in Article 5(1)(a), (c), (d) and (e) of the Schengen Borders Code; (b) the applicant has not been in a position to apply for a visa in advance and submits, if required, supporting documents substantiating unforeseeable and imperative reasons for entry; and (c) the applicant’s return to his country of origin or residence or transit through States other than Member States fully implementing the Schengen acquis is assessed as certain.
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(a) he fulfils the conditions set out in Article 35(1); and (b) he is crossing the border in question in order to embark on, re-embark on or disembark from a ship on which he will work or has worked as a seafarer.
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(a) equip their consulates and authorities responsible for issuing visas at the borders with the required material for the collection of biometric identifiers, as well as the offices of their honorary consuls, whenever they make use of them, to collect biometric identifiers in accordance with Article 42; and/or (b) cooperate with one or more other Member States, within the framework of local Schengen cooperation or by other appropriate contacts, in the form of limited representation, co-location, or a Common Application Centre in accordance with Article 41.
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(a) the high number of applicants does not allow the collection of applications and of data to be organised in a timely manner and in decent conditions; or (b) it is not possible to ensure a good territorial coverage of the third country concerned in any other way;
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(a) providing general information on visa requirements and application forms; (b) informing the applicant of the required supporting documents, on the basis of a checklist; (c) collecting data and applications (including collection of biometric identifiers) and transmitting the application to the consulate; (d) collecting the visa fee; (e) managing the appointments for appearance in person at the consulate or at the external service provider; (f) collecting the travel documents, including a refusal notification if applicable, from the consulate and returning them to the applicant.
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(a) the general information on visa requirements and application forms provided by the external service provider to applicants; (b) all the technical and organisational security measures required to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction or accidental loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access, in particular where the cooperation involves the transmission of files and data to the consulate of the Member State(s) concerned, and all other unlawful forms of processing personal data; (c) the collection and transmission of biometric identifiers; (d) the measures taken to ensure compliance with data protection provisions.
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(a) the current status of the commercial intermediary: current licence, the commercial register, contracts with banks; (b) existing contracts with commercial partners based in the Member States offering accommodation and other package tour services; (c) contracts with transport companies, which must include an outward journey, as well as a guaranteed and fixed return journey.
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(a) the criteria, conditions and procedures for applying for a visa; (b) the means of obtaining an appointment, if applicable; (c) where the application may be submitted (competent consulate, Common Application Centre or external service provider); (d) accredited commercial intermediaries; (e) the fact that the stamp as provided for in Article 20 has no legal implications; (f) the time limits for examining applications provided for in Article 23(1), (2) and (3); (g) the third countries whose nationals or specific categories of whose nationals are subject to prior consultation or information; (h) that negative decisions on applications must be notified to the applicant, that such decisions must state the reasons on which they are based and that applicants whose applications are refused have a right to appeal, with information regarding the procedure to be followed in the event of an appeal, including the competent authority, as well as the time limit for lodging an appeal; (i) that mere possession of a visa does not confer an automatic right of entry and that the holders of visa are requested to present proof that they fulfil the entry conditions at the external border, as provided for in Article 5 of the Schengen Borders Code.
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(a) a harmonised list of supporting documents to be submitted by applicants, taking into account Article 14 and Annex II; (b) common criteria for examining applications in relation to exemptions from paying the visa fee in accordance with Article 16(5) and matters relating to the translation of the application form in accordance with Article 11(5); (c) an exhaustive list of travel documents issued by the host country, which shall be updated regularly.
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(a) monthly statistics on uniform visas, visas with limited territorial validity, and airport transit visas issued, as well as the number of visas refused; (b) with regard to the assessment of migratory and/or security risks, information on: -
(i) the socioeconomic structure of the host country; (ii) sources of information at local level, including social security, health insurance, fiscal registers and entry-exit registrations; (iii) the use of false, counterfeit or forged documents; (iv) illegal immigration routes; (v) refusals;
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(c) information on cooperation with transport companies; (d) information on insurance companies providing adequate travel medical insurance, including verification of the type of coverage and possible excess amount.
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(a) representation arrangements referred to in Article 8; (b) third countries whose nationals are required by individual Member States to hold an airport transit visa when passing through the international transit areas of airports situated on their territory, as referred to in Article 3; (c) the national form for proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation referred to in Article 14(4), if applicable; (d) the list of third countries for which prior consultation referred to in Article 22(1) is required; (e) the list of third countries for which information referred to in Article 31(1) is required; (f) the additional national entries in the "comments" section of the visa sticker, as referred to in Article 27(2); (g) authorities competent for extending visas, as referred to in Article 33(5); (h) the forms of cooperation chosen as referred to in Article 40; (i) statistics compiled in accordance with Article 46 and Annex XII.
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1. Article 4(1) shall be amended as follows: -
(a) point (a) shall be replaced by the following: "(a) "uniform visa" as defined in Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community code on Visas (Visa Code)OJ L 243, 15.9.2009, p. 1 .";
----------------------OJ L 243, 15.9.2009, p. 1 ."; (b) point (b) shall be deleted; (c) point (c) shall be replaced by the following: "(c) "airport transit visa" as defined in Article 2(5) of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009;";
(d) point (d) shall be replaced by the following: "(d) "visa with limited territorial validity" as defined in Article 2(4) of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009;";
(e) point (e) shall be deleted;
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2. in Article 8(1), the words "On receipt of an application", shall be replaced by the following: "When the application is admissible according to Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009"; 3. Article 9 shall be amended as follows: -
(a) the heading shall be replaced by the following: "Data to be entered on application"; (b) paragraph 4 shall be amended as follows: -
(i) point (a) shall be replaced by the following: "(a) surname (family name), surname at birth (former family name(s)), first name(s) (given name(s)); date of birth, place of birth, country of birth, sex;";
(ii) point (e) shall be deleted; (iii) point (g) shall be replaced by the following: "(g) Member State(s) of destination and duration of the intended stay or transit;";
(iv) point (h) shall be replaced by the following: "(h) main purpose(s) of the journey;";
(v) point (i) shall be replaced by the following: "(i) intended date of arrival in the Schengen area and intended date of departure from the Schengen area;";
(vi) point (j) shall be replaced by the following: "(j) Member State of first entry;";
(vii) point (k) shall be replaced by the following: "(k) the applicant’s home address;";
(viii) in point (l), the word "school" shall be replaced by: "educational establishment"; (ix) in point (m), the words "father and mother" shall be replaced by "parental authority or legal guardian";
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4. the following point shall be added to Article 10(1): "(k) if applicable, the information indicating that the visa sticker has been filled in manually.";
5. in Article 11, the introductory paragraph shall be replaced by the following: "Where the visa authority representing another Member State discontinues the examination of the application, it shall add the following data to the application file:"; 6. Article 12 shall be amended as follows: -
(a) in paragraph 1, point (a) shall be replaced by the following: "(a) status information indicating that the visa has been refused and whether that authority refused it on behalf of another Member State;";
(b) paragraph 2 shall be replaced by the following: "2. The application file shall also indicate the ground(s) for refusal of the visa, which shall be one or more of the following: -
(a) the applicant: -
(i) presents a travel document which is false, counterfeit or forged; (ii) does not provide justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay; (iii) does not provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to his country of origin or residence, or for the transit to a third country into which he is certain to be admitted, or is not in a position to acquire such means lawfully; (iv) has already stayed for three months during the current six-month period on the territory of the Member States on a basis of a uniform visa or a visa with limited territorial validity; (v) is a person for whom an alert has been issued in the SIS for the purpose of refusing entry; (vi) is considered to be a threat to public policy, internal security or public health as defined in Article 2(19) of the Schengen Borders Code or to the international relations of any of the Member States, in particular where an alert has been issued in Member States’ national databases for the purpose of refusing entry on the same grounds; (vii) does not provide proof of holding adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable;
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(b) the information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not reliable; (c) the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa could not be ascertained; (d) sufficient proof that the applicant has not been in a position to apply for a visa in advance justifying application for a visa at the border was not provided.";
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7. Article 13 shall be replaced by the following: "Article 13 Data to be added for a visa annulled or revoked 1. Where a decision has been taken to annul or to revoke a visa, the visa authority that has taken the decision shall add the following data to the application file: -
(a) status information indicating that the visa has been annulled or revoked; (b) authority that annulled or revoked the visa, including its location; (c) place and date of the decision.
2. The application file shall also indicate the ground(s) for annulment or revocation, which shall be: -
(a) one or more of the ground(s) listed in Article 12(2); (b) the request of the visa holder to revoke the visa.";
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8. Article 14 shall be amended as follows: -
(a) paragraph 1 shall be amended as follows: -
(i) the introductory paragraph shall be replaced by the following: "1. Where a decision has been taken to extend the period of validity and/or the duration of stay of an issued visa, the visa authority which extended the visa shall add the following data to the application file:"; (ii) point (d) shall be replaced by the following: "(d) the number of the visa sticker of the extended visa;";
(iii) point (g) shall be replaced by the following: "(g) the territory in which the visa holder is entitled to travel, if the territorial validity of the extended visa differs from that of the original visa;";
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(b) in paragraph 2, point (c) shall be deleted;
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9. in Article 15(1), the words "extend or shorten the validity of the visa" shall be replaced by "or extend the visa"; 10. Article 17 shall be amended as follows: -
(a) point 4 shall be replaced by the following: "4. Member State of first entry;";
(b) point 6 shall be replaced by the following: "6. the type of visa issued;";
(c) point 11 shall be replaced by the following: "11. main purpose(s) of the journey;";
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11. in Article 18(4)(c), Article 19(2)(c), Article 20(2)(d), Article 22(2)(d), the words "or shortened" shall be deleted; 12. in Article 23(1)(d), the word "shortened" shall be deleted.
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(a) point 1(c), shall be replaced by the following: "(c) annul or revoke the visas, as appropriate, in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article 34 of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community code on visas (Visa Code)OJ L 243, 15.9.2009, p. 1 .";
----------------------OJ L 243, 15.9.2009, p. 1 ."; (b) point 2 shall be deleted.
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(a) Decision of the Schengen Executive Committee of 28 April 1999 on the definitive versions of the Common Manual and the Common Consular Instructions (SCH/Com-ex (99) 13 (the Common Consular Instructions, including the Annexes); (b) Decisions of the Schengen Executive Committee of 14 December 1993 extending the uniform visa (SCH/Com-ex (93) 21) and on the common principles for cancelling, rescinding or shortening the length of validity of the uniform visa (SCH/Com-ex (93) 24), Decision of the Schengen Executive Committee of22 December 1994 on the exchange of statistical information on the issuing of uniform visas (SCH/Com-ex (94) 25), Decision of the Schengen Executive Committee of21 April 1998 on the exchange of statistics on issued visas (SCH/Com-ex (98) 12) and Decision of the Schengen Executive Committee of16 December 1998 on the introduction of a harmonised form providing proof of invitation, sponsorship and accommodation (SCH/Com-ex (98) 57);(c) Joint Action 96/197/JHA of 4 March 1996 on airport transit arrangementsOJ L 63, 13.3.1996, p. 8 .(d) Council Regulation (EC) No 789/2001 of 24 April 2001 reserving to the Council implementing powers with regard to certain detailed provisions and practical procedures for examining visa applicationsOJ L 116, 26.4.2001, p. 2 .(e) Council Regulation (EC) No 1091/2001 of 28 May 2001 on freedom of movement with a long-stay visaOJ L 150, 6.6.2001, p. 4 .(f) Council Regulation (EC) No 415/2003 of 27 February 2003 on the issue of visas at the border, including the issue of such visas to seamen in transitOJ L 64, 7.3.2003, p. 1 .(g) Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 390/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 amending the Common Consular Instructions on visas for diplomatic and consular posts in relation to the introduction of biometrics including provisions on the organisation of the reception and processing of visa applicationsOJ L 131, 28.5.2009, p. 1 .
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A. DOCUMENTATION RELATING TO THE PURPOSE OF THE JOURNEY -
1. for business trips: -
(a) an invitation from a firm or an authority to attend meetings, conferences or events connected with trade, industry or work; (b) other documents which show the existence of trade relations or relations for work purposes; (c) entry tickets for fairs and congresses, if appropriate; (d) documents proving the business activities of the company; (e) documents proving the applicant’s employment status in the company;
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2. for journeys undertaken for the purposes of study or other types of training: -
(a) a certificate of enrolment at an educational establishment for the purposes of attending vocational or theoretical courses within the framework of basic and further training; (b) student cards or certificates of the courses to be attended;
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3. for journeys undertaken for the purposes of tourism or for private reasons: -
(a) documents relating to accommodation: -
an invitation from the host if staying with one, a document from the establishment providing accommodation or any other appropriate document indicating the accommodation envisaged;
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(b) documents relating to the itinerary: -
confirmation of the booking of an organised trip or any other appropriate document indicating the envisaged travel plans, in the case of transit: visa or other entry permit for the third country of destination; tickets for onward journey;
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4. for journeys undertaken for political, scientific, cultural, sports or religious events or other reasons: -
invitation, entry tickets, enrolments or programmes stating (wherever possible) the name of the host organisation and the length of stay or any other appropriate document indicating the purpose of the journey;
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5. for journeys of members of official delegations who, following an official invitation addressed to the government of the third country concerned, participate in meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of a Member State by intergovernmental organisations: -
a letter issued by an authority of the third country concerned confirming that the applicant is a member of the official delegation travelling to a Member State to participate in the abovementioned events, accompanied by a copy of the official invitation;
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6. for journeys undertaken for medical reasons: -
an official document of the medical institution confirming necessity for medical care in that institution and proof of sufficient financial means to pay for the medical treatment.
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B. DOCUMENTATION ALLOWING FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICANT’S INTENTION TO LEAVE THE TERRITORY OF THE MEMBER STATES -
1. reservation of or return or round ticket; 2. proof of financial means in the country of residence; 3. proof of employment: bank statements; 4. proof of real estate property; 5. proof of integration into the country of residence: family ties; professional status.
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C. DOCUMENTATION IN RELATION TO THE APPLICANT’S FAMILY SITUATION -
1. consent of parental authority or legal guardian (when a minor does not travel with them); 2. proof of family ties with the host/inviting person.
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| … visa … |
|
| xx/xx/xxxx |
… |
| Example: | |
| C visa FR | |
| Consulat de France | |
| Djibouti |
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AFGHANISTAN BANGLADESH DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO ERITREA ETHIOPIA GHANA IRAN IRAQ NIGERIA PAKISTAN SOMALIA SRI LANKA
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ANDORRA: -
Tarjeta provisional de estancia y de trabajo (provisional residence and work permit) (white). These are issued to seasonal workers; the period of validity depends on the duration of employment, but never exceeds six months. This permit is not renewable, Tarjeta de estancia y de trabajo (residence and work permit) (white). This permit is issued for six months and may be renewed for another year, Tarjeta de estancia (residence permit) (white). This permit is issued for six months and may be renewed for another year, Tarjeta temporal de residencia (temporary residence permit) (pink). This permit is issued for one year and may be renewed twice, each time for another year, Tarjeta ordinaria de residencia (ordinary residence permit) (yellow). This permit is issued for three years and may be renewed for another three years, Tarjeta privilegiada de residencia (special residence permit) (green). This permit is issued for five years and is renewable, each time for another five years, Autorización de residencia (residence authorisation) (green). This permit is issued for one year and is renewable, each time for another three years, Autorización temporal de residencia y de trabajo (temporary residence and work authorisation) (pink). This permit is issued for two years and may be renewed for another two years, Autorización ordinaria de residencia y de trabajo (ordinary residence and work authorisation) (yellow). This permit is issued for five years, Autorización privilegiada de residencia y de trabajo (special residence and work authorisation) (green). This permit is issued for 10 years and is renewable, each time for another 10 years.
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CANADA: -
Permanent resident card (plastic card).
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JAPAN: -
Re-entry permit to Japan.
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SAN MARINO: -
Permesso di soggiorno ordinario (validità illimitata) (ordinary residence permit (no expiry date)), Permesso di soggiorno continuativo speciale (validità illimitata) (special permanent residence permit (no expiry date)), Carta d’identità de San Marino (validità illimitata) (San Marino identity card (no expiry date)).
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -
Form I-551 permanent resident card (valid for 2 to 10 years), Form I-551 Alien registration receipt card (valid for 2 to 10 years), Form I-551 Alien registration receipt card (no expiry date), Form I-327 Re-entry document (valid for two years — issued to holders of a I-551), Resident alien card (valid for 2 or 10 years or no expiry date. This document guarantees the holder’s return only if his stay outside the USA has not exceeded one year), Permit to re-enter (valid for two years. This document guarantees the holder’s return only if his stay outside the USA has not exceeded two years), Valid temporary residence stamp in a valid passport (valid for one year from the date of issue).
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(a) Schengen States; (b) Schengen State or Schengen States to whose territory the validity of the visa is limited (in this case the following abbreviations are used): BE BELGIUM CZ CZECH REPUBLIC DK DENMARK DE GERMANY EE ESTONIA GR GREECE ES SPAIN FR FRANCE IT ITALY LV LATVIA LT LITHUANIA LU LUXEMBOURG HU HUNGARY MT MALTA NL NETHERLANDS AT AUSTRIA PL POLAND PT PORTUGAL SI SLOVENIA SK SLOVAKIA FI FINLAND SE SWEDEN IS ICELAND NO NORWAY CH SWITZERLAND
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(a) entry of the codes for the Member States concerned; (b) entry of the words "Schengen States", followed in brackets by the minus sign and the codes of the Member States for whose territory the visa is not valid; (c) in case the "valid for" field is not sufficient for entering all codes for the Member States (not) recognising the travel document concerned the font size of the letters used is reduced.
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the day is written using two digits, the first of which is a zero if the day in question is a single digit, horizontal dash, the month is written using two digits, the first of which is a zero if the month in question is a single digit, horizontal dash, the year is written using two digits, which correspond with the last two digits of the year.
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in the case of a visa issued on behalf of another Member State pursuant to Article 8, the following mention is added: "R/[Code of represented Member State]", in the case of a visa issued for the purpose of transit, the following mention is added: "TRANSIT", where all data referred to in Article 5(1) of the VIS Regulation is registered in the Visa Information System, the following mention is added: "VIS", where only the data referred to in points (a) and (b) of Article 5(1) of the VIS Regulation is registered in the Visa Information System but the data referred to in point (c) of that paragraph was not collected because the collection of fingerprints was not mandatory in the region concerned, the following mention is added: "VIS 0";
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300 pixels per inch (ppi), uncompressed, for scanning, 720 dots per inch (dpi) for colour printing of photos.
| Positions | Number of characters | Heading contents | Specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Type of document | ||
| 3-5 | Issuing State | ICAO alphabetic code 3-character: BEL, CHE, CZE, DNK, D<<, EST, GRC, ESP, FRA, ITA, LVA, LTU, LUX, HUN, MLT, NLD, AUT, POL, PRT, SVN, SVK, FIN, SWE, ISL, NOR | |
| 6-36 | Surname and first name | The surname should be separated from the first names by 2 symbols (<<); individual components of the name should be separated by one symbol (<); spaces which are not needed should be filled in with one symbol (<) |
| Positions | Number of characters | Heading contents | Specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visa number | This is the number printed in the top right-hand corner of the sticker | |
| 10 | Control character | This character is the result of a complex calculation, based on the previous area according to an algorithm defined by the ICAO | |
| 11 | Applicant’s nationality | Alphabetic coding according to ICAO 3-character codes | |
| 14 | Date of birth | ||
| 20 | Control character | This character is the result of a complex calculation, based on the previous area according to an algorithm defined by the ICAO | |
| 21 | Sex | ||
| 22 | Date on which the visa’s validity ends | The order followed is YYMMDD without a filler | |
| 28 | Control character | This character is the result of a complex calculation, based on the previous area according to an algorithm defined by the ICAO | |
| 29 | Territorial validity | ||
| 30 | Number of entries | 1, 2, or M | |
| 31 | Duration of stay | ||
| 33 | Start of validity | The structure is MMDD without any filler. |
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"Member State port": means a port constituting an external border of a Member State; "Member State airport": means an airport constituting an external border of a Member State.
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the shipping company or its agent shall inform the competent authorities at the Member State port where the ship is berthed or expected that seafarers subject to visa requirements are due to enter via a Member State airport, land or sea border. The shipping company or its agent shall sign a guarantee in respect of those seafarers that all expenses for the stay and, if necessary, for the repatriation of the seafarers will be covered by the shipping company, those competent authorities shall verify as soon as possible whether the information provided by the shipping company or its agent is correct and shall examine whether the other conditions for entry into the territory of the Member States have been satisfied. The travel route within the territory of the Member States shall also be verified e.g. by reference to the (airline) tickets, when seafarers are due to enter via a Member State airport, the competent authorities at the Member State port shall inform the competent authorities at the Member State airport of entry, by means of a duly completed form for seafarers in transit who are subject to visa requirements (as set out in Part 2), sent by fax, electronic mail or other means, of the results of the verification and shall indicate whether a visa may in principle be issued at the border. When seafarers are due to enter via a land or a sea border, the competent authorities at the border post via which the seafarer concerned enters the territory of the Member States shall be informed by the same procedure, where the verification of the available data is positive and the outcome is clearly consistent with the seafarer’s declaration or documents, the competent authorities at the Member State airport of entry or exit may issue a visa at the border the authorised stay of which shall correspond to what is necessary for the purpose of the transit. Furthermore, in such cases the seafarer’s travel document shall be stamped with a Member State entry or exit stamp and given to the seafarer concerned.
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the shipping company or its agent shall inform the competent authorities at that Member State port of entry of seafarers subject to visa requirements who are due to leave their service and exit from the Member States territory via a Member State airport, land or sea border. The shipping company or its agent shall sign a guarantee in respect of those seafarers that all expenses for the stay and, if necessary, for the repatriation costs of the seafarers will be covered by the shipping company, the competent authorities shall verify as soon as possible whether the information provided by the shipping company or its agent is correct and shall examine whether the other conditions for entry into the territory of the Member States have been satisfied. The travel route within the territory of the Member States shall also be verified e.g. by reference to the (airline) tickets, where the verification of the available data is positive, the competent authorities may issue a visa the authorised stay of which shall correspond to what is necessary for the purpose of the transit.
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the shipping company or its agent shall inform the competent authorities at that Member State port of entry of seafarers subject to visa requirements who are due to leave their service and exit from the territory of the Member States via another Member State port. The shipping company or its agent shall sign a guarantee in respect of those seafarers that all expenses for the stay and, if necessary, for the repatriation of the seafarers will be covered by the shipping company, the competent authorities shall verify as soon as possible whether the information provided by the shipping company or its agent is correct and shall examine whether the other conditions for entry into the territory of the Member States have been satisfied. The competent authorities at the Member State port from which the seafarers will leave the territory of the Member States by ship shall be contacted for the examination. A check shall be carried out to establish whether the ship they are joining is berthed or expected there. The travel route within the territory of the Member States shall also be verified, where the verification of the available data is positive, the competent authorities may issue a visa the authorised stay of which shall correspond to what is necessary for the purpose of the transit.
| (1) | |
| (2) | |
| (3) | |
| (4) | |
| (5) | Name of shipping agent (the individual or corporation that represents the ship owner on the spot in all matters relating to the ship owner’s duties in fitting out the vessel) under 5A and telephone number (and other contact details as fax number, electronic mail address) under 5B |
| (6) | |
| (7) | |
| Letter "A" refers to the vessel’s date of arrival in the port where the seafarer is to sign on | |
| (8) | |
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(a) In the case of signing on, the final destination is the port at which the seafarer is to sign on. (b) In the case of transfer to another vessel within the territory of the Member States, it is also the port at which the seafarer is to sign on. Transfer to a vessel situated outside the territory of the Member States must be regarded as leaving service. (c) In the case of leaving service, this can occur for various reasons, such as end of contract, accident at work, urgent family reasons, etc.
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(a) car (or coach); (b) train; (c) aeroplane.
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(a) car, coach: registration number; (b) train: name, number, etc.; (c) flight data: date, time, number.
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A. In relation to the performance of its activities, the external service provider shall, with regard to data protection: -
(a) prevent at all times any unauthorised reading, copying, modification or deletion of data, in particular during their transmission to the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Member State(s) competent for processing an application; (b) in accordance with the instructions given by the Member State(s) concerned, transmit the data, -
electronically, in encrypted form, or physically, in a secured way;
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(c) transmit the data as soon as possible: -
in the case of physically transferred data, at least once a week, in the case of electronically transferred encrypted data, at the latest at the end of the day of their collection;
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(d) delete the data immediately after their transmission and ensure that the only data that might be retained shall be the name and contact details of the applicant for the purposes of the appointment arrangements, as well as the passport number, until the return of the passport to the applicant, where applicable; (e) ensure all the technical and organisational security measures required to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction or accidental loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access, in particular where the cooperation involves the transmission of files and data to the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Member State(s) concerned and all other unlawful forms of processing personal data; (f) process the data only for the purposes of processing the personal data of applicants on behalf of the Member State(s) concerned; (g) apply data protection standards at least equivalent to those set out in Directive 95/46/EC; (h) provide applicants with the information required pursuant to Article 37 of the VIS Regulation.
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B. In relation to the performance of its activities, the external service provider shall, with regard to the conduct of staff: -
(a) ensure that its staff are appropriately trained; (b) ensure that its staff in the performance of their duties: -
receive applicants courteously, respect the human dignity and integrity of applicants, do not discriminate against persons on grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, and respect the rules of confidentiality which shall also apply once members of staff have left their job or after suspension or termination of the legal instrument;
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(c) provide identification of the staff working for the external service provider at all times; (d) prove that its staff do not have criminal records and have the requisite expertise.
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C. In relation to the verification of the performance of its activities, the external service provider shall: -
(a) provide for access by staff entitled by the Member State(s) concerned to its premises at all times without prior notice, in particular for inspection purposes; (b) ensure the possibility of remote access to its appointment system for inspection purposes; (c) ensure the use of relevant monitoring methods (e.g. test applicants; webcam); (d) ensure access to proof of data protection compliance, including reporting obligations, external audits and regular spot checks; (e) report to the Member State(s) concerned without delay any security breaches or any complaints from applicants on data misuse or unauthorised access, and coordinate with the Member State(s) concerned in order to find a solution and give explanatory responses promptly to the complaining applicants.
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D. In relation to general requirements, the external service provider shall: -
(a) act under the instructions of the Member State(s) competent for processing the application; (b) adopt appropriate anti-corruption measures (e.g. provisions on staff remuneration; cooperation in the selection of staff members employed on the task; two-man-rule; rotation principle); (c) respect fully the provisions of the legal instrument, which shall contain a suspension or termination clause, in particular in the event of breach of the rules established, as well as a revision clause with a view to ensuring that the legal instrument reflects best practice.
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1. "Responsible organisations" relate to measures envisaged to facilitate the procedures for applying for and issuing visas for members of the Olympic family taking part in the Olympic and/or Paralympic Games, and they mean the official organisations, in terms of the Olympic Charter, which are entitled to submit lists of members of the Olympic family to the Organising Committee of the Member State hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games with a view to the issue of accreditation cards for the Games; 2. "Member of the Olympic family" means any person who is a member of the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, International Federations, the National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games and the national associations, such as athletes, judges/referees, coaches and other sports technicians, medical personnel attached to teams or individual sportsmen/women and media-accredited journalists, senior executives, donors, sponsors or other official invitees, who agree to be guided by the Olympic Charter, act under the control and supreme authority of the International Olympic Committee, are included on the lists of the responsible organisations and are accredited by the Organising Committee of the Member State hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games as participants in the [year] Olympic and/or Paralympic Games; 3. "Olympic accreditation cards" which are issued by the Organising Committee of the Member State hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in accordance with its national legislation means one of two secure documents, one for the Olympic Games and one for the Paralympic Games, each bearing a photograph of its holder, establishing the identity of the member of the Olympic family and authorising access to the facilities at which competitions are held and to other events scheduled throughout the duration of the Games; 4. "Duration of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games" means the period during which the Olympic Games and the period during which the Paralympic Games take place; 5. "Organising Committee of the Member State hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games" means the Committee set up on by the hosting Member State in accordance with its national legislation to organise the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which decides on accreditation of members of the Olympic family taking part in those Games; 6. "Services responsible for issuing visas" means the services designated by the Member State hosting the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to examine applications and issue visas to members of the Olympic family.
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(a) has been designated by one of the responsible organisations and accredited by the Organising Committee of the Member State hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games as a participant in the Olympic and/or Paralympic Games; (b) holds a valid travel document authorising the crossing of the external borders, as referred to in Article 5 of the Schengen Borders Code; (c) is not a person for whom an alert has been issued for the purpose of refusing entry; (d) is not considered to be a threat to public policy, national security or the international relations of any of the Member States.
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(a) entry and exit stamps shall be affixed to the first free page of the travel document of those members of the Olympic family for whom it is necessary to affix such stamps in accordance with Article 10(1) of the Schengen Borders Code. On first entry, the visa number shall be indicated on that same page; (b) the conditions for entry provided for in Article 5(1)(c) of the Schengen Borders Code shall be presumed to be fulfilled once a member of the Olympic family has been duly accredited.
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total of A visas applied for (including multiple A visas), total of A visas issued (including multiple A visas), total of multiple A visas issued, total of A visas not issued (including multiple A visas), total of C visas applied for (including multiple-entry C visas), total of C visas issued (including multiple-entry C visas), total of multiple-entry C visas issued, total of C visas not issued (including multiple-entry C visas), total of LTV visas issued.
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the data for the complete previous year shall be compiled in one single file, the data shall be provided using the common template provided by the Commission, data shall be available for the individual locations where the Member State concerned issue visas and grouped by third country, "Not issued" covers data on refused visas and applications where the examination has been discontinued as provided for in Article 8(2).
| Provision of this Regulation | Provision of the Schengen Convention (CSA), Common Consular Instructions (CCI) or of the Schengen Executive Committee (SCH/Com-ex) replaced |
|---|---|
| CCI, Part I.1. Scope (CSA Articles 9 and 10) | |
| Joint Action 96/197/JHA, CCI, Part I. 2.1.1 | |
| CCI Part II. 4., CSA, Art. 12(1), Regulation (EC) No 415/2003 | |
| CCI, Part II 1.1(a) (b), CSA Article 12(2) | |
| CCI, Part II, 1.1 and 3 | |
| — | |
| CCI, Part II, 1.2 | |
| CCI, Annex 13, note (Article 10(1)) | |
| — | |
| CCI, Part III. 1.1. | |
| CCI, Part III. 2. (a), CSA, Article 13(1) and (2) | |
| CCI, Part III. 1.2 (a) and (b) | |
| CCI, Part III.2(b) and Part V.1.4, Com-ex (98) 57 | |
| CCI, Part V, 1.4 | |
| CCI Part VII. 4. and Annex 12 | |
| CCI, Part VII, 1.7 | |
| — | |
| — | |
| CCI, Part VIII, 2 | |
| CCI, Part III.4 and Part V.1. | |
| CCI, Part II, 2.3 and Part V, 2.3(a)-(d) | |
| CCI, Part V. 2.1 (second indent), 2.2, CCI | |
| CCI, Part V, 2.1 | |
| CCI, Part V, 3, Annex 14, CSA 11(2), 14(1) and 16 | |
| CCI, Part I, 2.1.1 — Joint Action 96/197/JHA | |
| CCI, Part VI.1-2-3-4 | |
| CCI, Part VI, 5.2 | |
| CCI, Part VI, 5.3 | |
| CCI, Part I, 2.1, last sentence | |
| — | |
| — | |
| Com-ex (93) 21 | |
| Com-ex (93) 24 and Annex 14 to the CCI | |
| Regulation (EC) No 415/2003 | |
| CCI, VII, 1-2-3 | |
| — | |
| CCI, Part VII, 1A | |
| CCI, Part III.5 | |
| CCI, Part VII, 1AA | |
| CCI, Part VII, AB | |
| CCI, Part VII, 1B | |
| CCI, Part II, 1.2, PART VII, 1.6, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth subparagraphs | |
| CCI, VIII, 5.2 | |
| SCH Com-ex (94) 25 and (98) 12 | |
| — | |
| CCI, VIII, 1-3-4 | |
| — | |
| — | |
| — | |
| — | |
| — | |
| — | |
| — | |
| — | |
| — | |
| — |
| CCI, Annex 16 | |
| Partially CCI, V, 1.4. | |
| CCI, VIII, 2 | |
| CCI, Annex 3, Part I | |
| CCI, Annex 3, Part III | |
| — | |
| CCI, Part VI, 1-4, Annex 10 | |
| CCI, Part VI, 5.3 | |
| Regulation (EC) No 415/2003, Annexes I and II | |
| CCI, Annex 19 | |
| — | |
| — |