Source Documents/Visa Policy
The Treaty of Amsterdam represents a leap forward in integrating European Union (EU) visa policy, bringing all aspects of EU visa policy into the legal and institutional framework of the Union. EU institutions have also set out a number of measures to ensure uniform standards for producing EU visas and residence permits across the Union, regardless of the Member State in which they are produced.
Click here to download the legal official document with the list of countries whose nationals do (not) need a visa to cross the external borders of the EU.
The Amsterdam Treaty, which came into force on 1 May 1999, marked a great step forward in integrating EU visa policy into the legal framework of the Union. The Treaty brought all aspects of EU visa policy into the Union's legal framework, integrating them into the new Title IV of the EU Treaty (visas, asylum, immigration and other policies related to free movement of persons).
However, the United Kingdom and Ireland - on the basis of a protocol annexed to the Treaty of Amsterdam - maintain autonomous visa, immigration and asylum policies; this means that they do not, in principle, participate to the measures adopted in these fields, unless they explicitly declare their willingness to do so.
At the same time, another protocol annexed to the Treaty of Amsterdam integrated the Schengen acquis (the Schengen agreements and the implementing decisions) into the European Union treaties. On the basis of this protocol the harmonisation measures introduced by the original Schengen signatory Member States in the field of visas are now part of the EU legislative framework (i.e. the EU acquis).
In particular, the EU Member States applying the Schengen acquis, as well as Norway and Iceland, issue 'uniform short-stay visas' valid for travelling in the whole Schengen area. The harmonised conditions and criteria to issue uniform visas are laid down in Articles 9-17 of the Schengen Convention and specified in detail in the 'Common consular instructions' (OJ C 313, 16.12.2002, p.1).
Is there a uniform format for EU visas?
All visas for travel and transit within the EU are required to have a uniform format according to the specifications laid down by the Council Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 on 29 May 1995.
The uniform format for visas must conform to the technical specifications set out in the annex to Regulation (EC) No 1683/95, and also to the supplementary secret technical specifications intended to prevent visa counterfeiting and falsification.
On 18 February 2002, the Council adopted Regulation (EC) n° 334/2002 which further improves security standards of the uniform format for visas, namely by introducing the possibility of integrating a photograph in the visa sticker.
The residence permit as an alternative to the visa?
On the basis of the Schengen acquis, now integrated into the EU framework, a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen State together with a valid travel document can substitute for a visa. Thus, a third-country national presenting his/her passport and residence permit issued by a Schengen State can be allowed to enter another Schengen State for a short stay without needing a visa. This equivalence does not apply to residence permits issued by the United Kingdom and Ireland, since they do not apply the Schengen acquis (although they requested to apply some of the provisions on police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters).
Source: European Commission.
