Schengen: issue of visas at the border, seamen in transit. Initiative Spain

PURPOSE : to clarify and update rules for issuing visas at the border to seamen in transit. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Regulation 415/2003/EC on the issue of visas at the border to seamen in transit. CONTENT : By way of derogation from the general rule that visas shall be issued by diplomatic and consular authorities, in accordance with the provisions of the Schengen Convention, a third-country national who needs to have a visa when crossing the external borders of the EU may exceptionally be issued with a visa at the border if certain conditions are fulfilled. One of these is that he had not been in a position to apply for a visa in advance. A visa issued at the border may either be a transit or travel visa. In both cases, the visa should not be valid for more than one entry. The validity of travel visas must not exceed 15 days and the validity of transit visas must not exceed 5 days. A seaman who must have a visa when crossing external borders may be issued with a transit visa if he fulfils the conditions and is crossing the border to embark or re-embark on a ship on which he will work. Seamen who are of the same nationality and travelling in a group of between 5 and 50 may be issued with a group transit visa at the border. Before issuing a visa to seamen in transit, competent national authorities must comply with certain operational instructions set out in Annex I to the Regulation. They must exchange the necessary information by means of a duly completed form for seamen in transit as set out in Annex II. A Committee will assist the Commission, if amendments to the Annexes are necessary. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 01/05/03.�