Short-Stay Visa Waiver Agreements Signed between EU, Four Caribbean Countries

Short-stay visa waiver agreements were signed on last week between the European Union (EU) and four Caribbean countries in a ceremony that took place in Brussels with the participation, from the European Community side, of Vice-President Jacques Barrot (from the Commission) and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Helena Bambasova (from the Czech Presidency) and representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mauritius, Barbados and Seychelles.

The agreements provide for visa-free travel for the citizens of the European Union and for the citizens of the six countries –holders of all passports (diplomatic, service and ordinary)- between their territories for stays not exceeding three months.

The agreements cover all categories of travelers, except for the category of persons traveling for the purpose of carrying out a paid activity, for whom each Member State and also the six countries remain free to impose the visa requirement in accordance with applicable Community or national law.

In order to make citizens benefit from the visa-free travel as soon as possible, the agreements are provisionally applied from the date of today’s signature, 28 May 2009. About 800.000 European citizens travel to these countries per year.