Updates: COLOMBIA/EUROPEAN UNION
COLOMBIA/EUROPEAN UNION
The European Union (EU) and Colombia have signed a short-stay visa waiver agreement.
The EU and Colombia have signed a short-stay visa waiver agreement allowing Colombians free entry into the 26 European countries. The new visa regime provides for visa-free travel for EU citizens when traveling to the territory of Colombia and for citizens of Colombia when travelling to the EU, for a period of stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
To benefit from visa-free travel, citizens from the EU and Colombia must possess a valid ordinary, diplomatic, service/official, or special passport. Visa-free travel applies to all categories of persons and for any kind of travel (e.g., tourism, cultural visits, scientific activities, family visits, business), except for persons traveling for the purpose of carrying out a paid activity.
The text of the decision on the conclusion of the agreement, and of the agreement, will now be sent to the European Parliament with a view to obtaining its consent before the agreement can be concluded. However, it is being applied on a provisional basis as of December 3, 2015.
Ireland and the United Kingdom are not subject to the agreement, in accordance with the protocols annexed to the EU treaties. The visa regime for these member states remains subject to their national legislation.
More information on this agreement is at http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/12/02-visa-waiver-colombia/. The full text of the agreement is at http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-12094-2015-INIT/en/pdf.
