Council Regulation (EC) No 856/2008 of 24 July 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas as regards the numbering of visas
Date: 2008-07-24
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU visa policy, European standard, Schengen Agreement, admission of aliens, harmonisation of standards, identity document, information system, technical specification

2.9.2008

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 235/1

(Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory)

I

REGULATIONS

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 856/2008

of 24 July 2008

amending Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas as regards the
numbering of visas

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community, and in particular Article 62(2)(b)(iii) thereof,

establishing the European

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

legal

The current
framework provided for in Council
Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 (1) and the additional
technical specifications, adopted by the Commission on
7 February 1996 and 27 December 2000, do not allow
for reliable searches in the Visa Information System
established under Regulation (EC) No 767/2008 of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008
on the Visa Information System (VIS) and the exchange
of data between Member States on short-stay visas (VIS
Regulation) (2).

The numbering system in use does not allow in
particular for sufficient characters to be indicated on
the visas issued by Member States with large numbers
of applications.

A consistent and unique visa sticker numbering system is
therefore essential for the verification in the VIS.

Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 should be
accordingly.

amended

(1) OJ L 164, 14.7.1995, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 60.

a

of

of

Iceland

regards

provisions

development

and Norway,

this Regulation
As
constitutes
the
Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement
concluded by the Council of the European Union and
the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway
concerning the latters' association with the implemen­
tation, application and development of
the Schengen
acquis (3) which fall within the area referred to in
Article 1, point B of Council Decision 1999/437/EC (4)
that
on certain arrangements for
Agreement.

the application of

(6)

(7)

this Regulation constitutes a
As regards Switzerland,
development of provisions of
the Schengen acquis
within the meaning of the Agreement signed between
the European Union, the European Community and the
Swiss Confederation concerning the association of the
Swiss Confederation with the implementation, appli­
cation and development of the Schengen acquis, which
fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point A of
Decision 1999/437/EC read
in conjunction with
Article 4(1) of Council Decisions 2004/849/EC (5) and
2004/860/EC (6).

As regards Liechtenstein, this Regulation constitutes a
development of provisions of
the Schengen acquis
within the meaning of the Protocol signed between the
European Union, the European Community, the Swiss
Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein on
the accession of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the
Agreement between the European Union, the European
Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss
Confederation’s association with the implementation,
application and development of
the Schengen acquis,
which fall within the area referred to in Article 1,
point A of Decision 1999/437/EC, read in conjunction
with Article 3 of Council Decision 2008/261/EC (7).

(3) OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 36.
(4) OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 31.
(5) OJ L 368, 15.12.2004, p. 26.
(6) OJ L 370, 17.12.2004, p. 78.
(7) OJ L 83, 26.3.2008, p. 3.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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(8)

the Protocol on the
In accordance with Article 1 of
position of the United Kingdom and Ireland annexed
to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty
establishing the European Community,
the United
Kingdom and Ireland are not participating in the
adoption of this Regulation. As a result, and without
prejudice to Article 4 of the said Protocol, the provisions
of this Regulation do not apply to the United Kingdom
and Ireland,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

referred to in Article 2 shall be secret and not be
published. In that case they shall be made available only
to the bodies designated by the Member States as responsible
for the printing and to persons duly authorised by a Member
State or the Commission.’;

2.

in Article 3, paragraph 1 shall be deleted;

3. the Annex shall be replaced by the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 is hereby amended as follows:

This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

1.

in Article 2, the following paragraph shall be added:

‘3.
Article 6(2),

In accordance with the procedure referred to in
the specifications

it may be decided that

Member States shall apply this Regulation at the latest on 1 May
2009. Member States may use up their remaining stocks in
consular offices not connected to the Visa Information System
(VIS).

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in the Member States in
accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community.

Done at Brussels, 24 July 2008.

For the Council
The President

B. HORTEFEUX

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The following model is to be inserted:

ANNEX

1. An integrated photograph produced to high security standards.

Security features

2. An optically variable mark (‘kinegram’ or equivalent) shall appear in this space. Depending on the angle of view, 12

stars, the letter ‘E’ and a globe become visible in various sizes and colors.

3. The logo consisting of a letter or letters indicating the issuing Member State (or ‘BNL’ in the case of the Benelux
countries, namely Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) with a latent image effect shall appear in this space.
This logo shall appear light when held flat and dark when turned by 90°. The following logos shall be used: A for
Austria, BG for Bulgaria, BNL for Benelux, CY for Cyprus, CZE for the Czech Republic, D for Germany, DK for
Denmark, E for Spain, EST for Estonia, F for France, FIN for Finland, GR for Greece, H for Hungary, I for Italy, IRL
for Ireland, LT for Lithuania, LVA for Latvia, M for Malta, P for Portugal, PL for Poland, ROU for Romania, S for
Sweden, SK for Slovakia, SVN for Slovenia, UK for the United Kingdom.

4. The word ‘visa’ in capital letters shall appear in the middle of this space in optically variable coloring. Depending on

the angle of view, it shall appear green or red.

5. This box shall contain the 9-digit national number of the visa sticker, which shall be pre-printed. A special type shall

be used.

5a. This box shall contain the three-letter country code as set out in ICAO Document 9303 on machine-readable travel

documents (1), indicating the issuing Member State.

The ‘number of the visa sticker’ is the three-letter country code as set out in box 5a and the national number as
referred to in box 5.

Sections to be completed

6. This box shall begin with the words ‘valid for’. The issuing authority shall indicate the territory or territories for

which the visa is valid.

(1) Exception for Germany: ICAO document 9303 on machine-readable travel documents provides for Germany the country code ‘D’.

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7. This box shall begin with the word ‘from’ and the word ‘until’ shall appear further along the line. The issuing

authority shall indicate here the period of validity of the visa.

8. This box shall begin with the words ‘type of visa’. The issuing authority shall

indicate the category of visa in
this Regulation. Further along the line the words ‘number of entries’,

conformity with Articles 5 and 7 of
‘duration of stay’ (i.e. duration of applicant’s intended stay) and again ‘days’ shall appear.

9. This box shall begin with the words ‘issued in’ and shall be used to indicate the place of issue.

10. This box shall begin with the word ‘on’ (after which the date of issue shall be filled in by the issuing authority) and
further along the line the words ‘number of passport’ shall appear (after which the holder’s passport number shall
appear).

11. This box shall begin with the words ‘Surname, Name’.

12. This box shall begin with the word ‘remarks’. It shall be used by the issuing authority to indicate any further
information which is considered necessary, provided that it complies with Article 4 of this Regulation. The following
two and a half lines shall be left empty for such remarks.

13. This box shall contain the relevant machine-readable information to facilitate external border controls. The machine-
readable area shall contain a printed text in the background printing,
indicating the Member State issuing the
document. This text shall not affect the technical features of the machine-readable area or its ability to be read.

The paper shall have a natural colouring with red and blue markings.

The words designating the boxes shall appear in English and French. The issuing State may add a third official
Community language. However, the word ‘visa’
language of the
Community.

in the top line may appear in any one official