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A European passport is a passport issued by a member country of the European Union to its citizens. European passports share common design features1 such as the burgundy coloured cover, the use of the words "European Union" (before 1997: "European Community") in 12 of the EU official languages on the first page, as well as common security features and biometrics.2 Some EU countries also issue non-European passports to people whose citizenship of that country does not make them citizens of the European Union (e.g., British Overseas Territories citizens, British National (Overseas)).3
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Common design features
Since 1980s, the European Union member states have started to harmonise the following aspects of the designs of their passports:1
Overall format
- Paper size B7 (ISO 7810 ID-3, 125 mm × 176 mm)
- 32 pages (this number is given on the bottom of the last page)
- Colour of cover: burgundy red
Cover page
Information on the cover, in this order, in the language(s) of the issuing state:
- The words "European Union" (before 1997: "European Community")
- Name of the issuing state (similar typeface as "European Union")
- Emblem of the state
- The word "Passport"
First page
Information on the first page, in some of the official languages of the European Union:
- The words "European Union"
- Name of the issuing state (similar typeface to that of "European Union")
- The word "Passport"
- Serial number (may also be repeated on the other pages)
Identification page
Information on the (possibly laminated) identification page, in the languages of the issuing state plus English and French, accompanied by numbers that refer to an index that lists the meaning of these fields in all official EU languages:
-
1. Surname 2. Forename(s) 3. Nationality 4. Date of birth 5. Sex 6. Place of birth 7. Date of issue 8. Date of expiry 9. Authority 10. Signature of holder
Following page
Optional information on the following page (not available on all EU passports):
-
11. Residence 12. Height 13. Colour of eyes 14. Extension of the passport 15. Name at birth (if now using married name or have legally changed names)
Remaining pages
- The following page is reserved for:
- Details concerning the spouse of the holder of the passport (where a family passport is issued)
- Details concerning children accompanying the holder (name, first name, date of birth, sex)
- Photographs of spouse and children
- The following page is reserved for use by the issuing authorities
- The following page carries the index that translates the field numbers into the official languages of the EU
- The following pages are reserved for visa
- The inside back cover is reserved for additional information or recommendations by the issuing state in its own official language(s)
Visa-free travel
Although member states issue their own passports, the EU countries in the Schengen area have a common visa policy. The EU is also working to achieve visa mutuality, respective to all member states. For example, today all EU passport holders are allowed to visit Mexico under the same conditions. The same is true for Canada save for Bulgarian and Romanian visitors; however, the visa requirement for those countries is expected to be removed in the near future.
It is a political goal of the European Union to achieve freedom from visa requirements for citizens of the European Union at least in such countries the citizens of which may enter the Schengen area without visa. To this end, the European Commission negotiates with third-countries, the citizens of which do not require visas to enter the Schengen area for short-term stays, about the abolishment of visa requirements which exist for at least some EU member states. The European Commission involves the members state concerned into the negotiations, and has to frequently report on the mutuality situation to the European Parliament and the Council.4 The Commission may recommend the temporary restoration of the visa requirement for nationals of the third country in question.
The European Commission has dealt with the question of mutuality of the abolishment of visa requirements towards third countries on the highest political level. With regard to Mexico and New Zealand, it already has achieved complete mutuality. With respect to Canada, the Commission has achieved complete mutuality but for Bulgaria and Romania. With respect to the U.S. it suggests to examine the effects of new legislation enacted there, but reserves itself “the right to propose retaliatory measures”.5
All European Union citizens may visit the following countries without previous visa arrangements:
Africa
Americas
Argentina
Aruba
British Virgin Islands
Chile
Costa Rica
El Salvador
French Guiana
Greenland- Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Honduras- Martinique
Mexico
Netherlands Antilles
Nicaragua
Paraguay- Saint Barthélemy
- Saint Martin
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uruguay
Venezuela
Asia
Europe
European Union unlimited access
Iceland unlimited access
Liechtenstein unlimited access
Norway unlimited access
Switzerland unlimited access
Albania 1 month
Andorra 90 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina 90 days
Croatia 90 days
Faroe Islands 90 days
Georgia 90 days
Gibraltar 90 days
Guernsey unlimited access
Isle of Man unlimited access
Jersey unlimited access
Kosovo 90 days
Macedonia 90 days
Moldova 90 days
Monaco 90 days
Montenegro 90 days
San Marino 90 days
Serbia 90 days
Ukraine 90 days
Vatican City 90 days
Oceania
Australia (eVisitor required)
Cook Islands
French Polynesia- New Caledonia
New Zealand 90 days
Tokelau- Wallis and Futuna
Gallery of EU passports
 (Dutch-French-German 2004 version) |
 (pre-EU cover) |
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 (pre-EU cover) |
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 (pre-EU cover) |
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 (Slovenian-Italian version) |
Issues related to the European Passport
References
- ^ a b "Resolution of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States of the European Communities, meeting within the Council of 23 June 1981". http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:41981X0919:EN:HTML.
- ^ Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States
- ^ Non-European lookalike passports, UK Passport office
- ^ Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, 15 March 2001.
- ^ Third report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on certain third countries' maintenance of visa requirements in breach of the principle of reciprocity, Commission of the European Communities, COM (2007) 533, 13 September 2007.
- ^ Oficially no regulation present, de facto visa-free (same rules as for Morocco)
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 16 December 2008, at 19:05.
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