COUNCILOF Brussels,30April2010 THEEUROPEANUNION 9042/10 VISA 117 COMIX 319 NOTE from: GeneralSecretariat to : VisaWorkingParty No.prev.doc.: 10660/09VISA195COMIX477 Subject: CommonConsular Instructionsonvisasforthediplomaticmissionsandconsular posts COMMONCONSULARINSTRUCTIONS ONVISASFORTHEDIPLOMATIC MISSIONS ANDCONSULAR POSTS TheCommonConsular Instructionsonvisasforthediplomaticmissionsandconsular postshave beenrepealed,andtheVisaCodeenteredinapplication,witheffectfrom5April2010,pursuantto Articles56and58ofthe VisaCode 1. The presentdocumentcontainsaconsolidatedversionoftheCommonConsular Instructionswith Annexes,apartfromAnnex5,astheystandatthe expirationof4April2010.ThetextofAnnex5 asitstandsatthesametimeissetoutin9043/10VISA118COMIX320(RESTREINTUE). 1 Regulation(EC) No810/2009oftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilof13July2009 establishingaCommunity CodeonVisas (VisaCode),OJ L243,15.9.2009,pages1to58. 9042/10 PR/lm 1 DG H 1A EN Contents I. General provisions ...................................................................................................................10 1. Scope..................................................................................................................................10 2. Definitionandtypesofvisa...............................................................................................11 2.1. Uniformvisas ........................................................................................................11 2.1.1. Airporttransitvisas..................................................................................11 2.1.2. Transitvisas .............................................................................................12 2.1.3. Short-stayortravelvisas multipleentryvisas ........................................12 2.1.4. Groupvisas ..............................................................................................13 2.2. Long-stay visas ......................................................................................................13 2.3. Visaswithlimitedterritorialvalidity ....................................................................14 2.4. Visasissuedatthe border......................................................................................14 2.5. Documentshavingthesamevalueasavisa,authorising thecrossing ofexternal borders:FTD/FRTD ........................................................14 II. Diplomaticmissionorconsular postresponsible ....................................................................15 1. DeterminingtheStateresponsible ....................................................................................15 1.1. Stateresponsiblefordecidingonanapplication ..................................................15 1.2. StaterepresentingtheStateresponsible ................................................................16 2. Visaapplicationsrequiringconsultationwiththe nationalcentral authority ortheauthorityofoneormoreotherContracting Partiesinaccordancewith Article17(2)oftheConvention.........................................................................................21 2.1. Consultationwiththenationalcentralauthority....................................................21 2.2. Consultationwiththecentralauthorityofoneor moreContracting Parties.....................................................................................................................21 2.3. Consultationprocedureintheframeworkof representation.................................21 9042/10 PR/lm 2 DG H 1A EN 3. Visaapplicationslodgedbynonresidents .......................................................................22 4. Authorisationtoissueuniformvisas ................................................................................22 III. Receiptoftheapplication ........................................................................................................23 1. Visaapplications................................................................................................................23 1.1. Visaapplicationforms - numberofapplicationforms .........................................23 1.2. Biometricidentifiers ..............................................................................................23 2. Documentstobeenclosed ................................................................................................26 3. Guaranteesregardingreturnandmeansofsubsistence ....................................................26 4. Personalinterviewwiththeapplicant ...............................................................................27 5. Conductofstaff .................................................................................................................27 IV. Legal basis ...............................................................................................................................28 V. Examinationofapplicationsanddecisionstaken ....................................................................31 Basic criteria forexaminingapplications ................................................................................31 1. Examinationofvisaapplications ......................................................................................32 1.1. Verificationofthevisaapplication.......................................................................32 1.2. Verificationoftheapplicant'sidentity ..................................................................32 1.3. Verificationofthetraveldocument ......................................................................32 9042/10 PR/lm 3 DG H 1A EN 1.4. Verificationofotherdocumentsdependingontheapplication .............................33 − Supportingdocumentsregardingthe purposeofthe journey ......................33 − Supportingdocumentsregardingmeansoftransportandreturn..................33 − Supportingdocumentsregardingmeansofsubsistence ..............................34 − Supportingdocumentsregarding accommodation ......................................35 − Otherdocumentswhichmay berequired....................................................37 1.5. Assessmentoftheapplicant's goodfaith ..............................................................37 2. Decision-making procedureforvisa applications ............................................................38 2.1. Choiceoftypeofvisa andnumberofentries .......................................................38 2.2. Administrativeresponsibilityoftheinterveningauthority....................................39 2.3. Proceduretobefollowedincases of priorconsultation withthecentralauthoritiesoftheotherContractingParties..................................39 (a) Procedure .....................................................................................................40 (b) Transmissionofapplicationstothenationalcentralauthority ....................40 (c) Informationtransmittedtothecentral authority ..........................................41 (d) Transmissionofapplications betweencentral authorities ...........................43 (e) Deadlineforreplies:Extension ...................................................................43 (f) Decisionbasedontheoutcomeoftheconsultation .....................................44 (g) Transmissionofspecific documents.............................................................44 2.4. Refusaltoexamineanapplication,toissueavisa ................................................45 3. Visaswithlimitedterritorialvalidity ................................................................................46 9042/10 PR/lm 4 DG H 1A EN VI. Howtofillinvisastickers .......................................................................................................48 1. Commonentriessection(SECTION8) ............................................................................48 1.1. "VALID FOR"heading ........................................................................................48 1.2. "FROM...TO"heading.........................................................................................49 1.3. "NUMBEROFENTRIES"heading......................................................................50 1.4. "DURATIONOFVISIT ...DAYS"heading ........................................................50 1.5. "ISSUED IN...ON..." heading ...........................................................................51 1.6. "PASSPORT NUMBER"heading.........................................................................51 1.7. "TYPEOFVISA"heading ...................................................................................52 1.8. "SURNAMEAND FIRST NAME"heading.........................................................52 2. Nationalentriessection(comments)(SECTION9) .........................................................53 3. Sectionforthe photograph................................................................................................53 4. Sectiontobeelectronicallyscanned(SECTION5) ..........................................................54 5. Otheraspectsrelatingtotheissueofvisas .......................................................................54 5.1. Signingvisas .........................................................................................................54 5.2. Invalidating completedvisastickers .....................................................................54 5.3. Affixingvisastickerstopassports ........................................................................55 5.4. Passportsandtraveldocumentstowhichuniformvisasmay beaffixed..............55 5.5. Stampoftheissuingdiplomaticmissionorconsular