Agreement between the European Union and the United Arab Emirates on the short-stay visa waiver
Date: 2015-05-06
Institutions: European Union, United Arab Emirates
Subjects: EU visa policy, Schengen Agreement, United Arab Emirates, agreement (EU), external border of the EU, foreign national




L_2015125EN.01000301.xml










21.5.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 125/3








            AGREEMENT
         
between the European Union and the United Arab Emirates on the short-stay visa waiver


THE EUROPEAN UNION, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Union’ or ‘the EU’, and
THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, hereinafter referred to as ‘the UAE’,
hereinafter referred to jointly as the ‘Contracting Parties’,
WITH A VIEW TO further developing friendly relations between the Contracting Parties and desiring to facilitate travel by ensuring visa-free entry and short stay for their citizens;
HAVING REGARD to Regulation (EU) No 509/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 amending 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 (1) by, inter alia, transferring 19 third countries, including the UAE, to the list of third countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement for short stays in the Member States;
BEARING IN MIND that Article 1 of Regulation (EU) No 509/2014 states that for those 19 countries, the exemption from the visa requirement shall apply from the date of entry into force of an agreement on visa exemption to be concluded with the Union;
DESIRING to safeguard the principle of equal treatment of all EU citizens;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that persons travelling for the purpose of carrying out a paid activity during their short stay are not covered by this Agreement and therefore for that category the relevant rules of Union law and national law of the Member States and the national law of the UAE on the visa obligation or exemption and on the access to employment continue to apply;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice and the Protocol on the Schengen acquis integrated into the framework of the European Union, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and confirming that the provisions of this Agreement do not apply to the United Kingdom and Ireland,
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:



Article 1

Purpose

This Agreement provides for visa-free travel for the citizens of the Union and for the citizens of the UAE when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period.


Article 2

Definitions

For the purpose of this Agreement:






(a)


‘Member State’ shall mean any Member State of the Union, with the exception of the United Kingdom and Ireland;










(b)


‘a citizen of the Union’ shall mean a national of a Member State as defined in point (a);










(c)


‘a citizen of the UAE’ shall mean a national of the UAE;










(d)


‘Schengen area’ shall mean the area without internal borders comprising the territories of the Member States as defined in point (a) applying the Schengen acquis in full.






Article 3

Scope of application


1.   The citizens of the Union holding a valid ordinary, diplomatic, service/official or special passport issued by a Member State may enter and stay without a visa in the territory of the UAE for the period of stay as defined in Article 4(1) of this Agreement.
The citizens of the UAE holding a valid ordinary, diplomatic, service/official or special passport issued by the UAE may enter and stay without a visa in the territory of the Member States for the period of stay as defined in Article 4(2) of this Agreement.


2.   Paragraph 1 does not apply to persons travelling for the purpose of carrying out a paid activity.
For that category of persons, each Member State individually may decide to impose a visa requirement on the citizens of the UAE or to withdraw it in accordance with Article 4(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 (2).
For that category of persons, the UAE may decide on the visa requirement or the visa waiver for the citizens of each Member State individually in accordance with its national law.


3.   The visa waiver provided for by this Agreement shall apply without prejudice to the laws of the Contracting Parties relating to the conditions of entry and short stay. The Member States and the UAE reserve the right to refuse entry into and short stay in their territories if one or more of these conditions is not met.


4.   The visa waiver applies regardless of the mode of transport used to cross the border crossing points of the Contracting Parties.


5.   Issues not covered by this Agreement shall be governed by Union law, the national law of the Member States and by the national law of the UAE.



Article 4

Duration of stay


1.   Citizens of the Union may stay in the territory of the UAE for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period.


2.   Citizens of the UAE may stay in the territory of the Member States fully applying the Schengen acquis for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period. That period shall be calculated independently of any stay in a Member State which does not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full.
The Citizens of the UAE may stay for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period in the territory of each of the Member States that does not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full, independently of the period of stay calculated for the territory of the Member States fully applying the Schengen acquis.


3.   This Agreement does not affect the possibility for the UAE and the Member States to extend the period of stay beyond 90 days in accordance with their respective national laws and Union law.



Article 5

Territorial application


1.   As regards the French Republic, the provisions of this Agreement shall apply only to the European territory of the French Republic.


2.   As regards the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the provisions of this Agreement shall apply only to the European territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.



Article 6

Joint Committee for the management of the Agreement


1.   The Contracting Parties shall set up a Joint Committee of experts (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Committee’), composed of representatives of the Union and representatives of the UAE. The Union shall be represented by the European Commission.


2.   The Committee shall have the following tasks:






(a)


monitoring the implementation of this Agreement;










(b)


suggesting amendments or additions to this Agreement;










(c)


settling disputes arising from the interpretation or application of this Agreement;










(d)


any other task agreed upon by the Contracting Parties.






3.   The Committee shall be convened whenever necessary at the request of one of the Contracting Parties.


4.   The Committee shall establish its rules of procedure.



Article 7

Relationship of this Agreement to existing bilateral visa waiver agreements between the Member States and the UAE

This Agreement shall take precedence over the provisions of any bilateral agreements or arrangements concluded between individual Member States and the UAE, in so far as they cover issues falling within the scope hereof.


Article 8

Final provisions


1.   This Agreement shall be ratified or approved by the Contracting Parties in accordance with their respective internal procedures and shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date of the later of the two notifications by which the Contracting Parties notify each other that those procedures have been completed.
This Agreement shall be applied on a provisional basis as from the date of signature thereof.


2.   This Agreement is concluded for an indefinite period, unless terminated in accordance with paragraph 5.


3.   This Agreement may be amended by written agreement of the Contracting Parties. Amendments shall enter into force after the Contracting Parties have notified each other of the completion of their internal procedures necessary for this purpose.


4.   Each Contracting Party may suspend in whole or in part this Agreement, in particular, for reasons of public policy, the protection of national security or the protection of public health, illegal immigration or upon the reintroduction of the visa obligation by either Contracting Party. The decision on suspension shall be notified to the other Contracting Party not later than two months before its planned entry into force. A Contracting Party that has suspended the application of this Agreement shall immediately inform the other Contracting Party should the reasons for that suspension cease to exist and shall lift that suspension.


5.   Each Contracting Party may terminate this Agreement by giving written notice to the other Party. This Agreement shall cease to be in force 90 days thereafter.


6.   The UAE may suspend or terminate this Agreement only in respect of all the Member States.


7.   The Union may suspend or terminate this Agreement only in respect of all of its Member States.





Done in duplicate in the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and Arabic languages, each text being equally authentic.
Съставено в Брюксел на шести май две хиляди и петнадесета година.
Hecho en Bruselas, el seis de mayo de dos mil quince.
V Bruselu dne šestého května dva tisíce patnáct.
Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den sjette maj to tusind og femten.
Geschehen zu Brüssel am sechsten Mai zweitausendfünfzehn.

               Kahe tuhande viieteistkümnenda aasta maikuu kuuendal päeval Brüsselis.
Έγινε στις Βρυξέλλες, στις έξι Μαΐου δύο χιλιάδες δεκαπέντε.
Done at Brussels on the sixth day of May in the year two thousand and fifteen.
Fait à Bruxelles, le six mai deux mille quinze.
Sastavljeno u Bruxellesu šestog svibnja dvije tisuće petnaeste.
Fatto a Bruxelles, addì sei maggio duemilaquindici.
Briselē, divi tūkstoši piecpadsmitā gada sestajā maijā.
Priimta du tūkstančiai penkioliktų metų gegužės šeštą dieną Briuselyje.
Kelt Brüsszelben, a kétezer-tizenötödik év május havának hatodik napján.
Magħmul fi Brussell, fis-sitt jum ta’ Mejju tas-sena elfejn u ħmistax.
Gedaan te Brussel, de zesde mei tweeduizend vijftien.
Sporządzono w Brukseli dnia szóstego maja roku dwa tysiące piętnastego.
Feito em Bruxelas, em seis de maio de dois mil e quinze.
Întocmit la Bruxelles la șase mai două mii cincisprezece.
V Bruseli šiesteho mája dvetisícpätnásť.
V Bruslju, dne šestega maja leta dva tisoč petnajst.
Tehty Brysselissä kuudentena päivänä toukokuuta vuonna kaksituhattaviisitoista.
Som skedde i Bryssel den sjätte maj tjugohundrafemton.






За Европейския съюз
Por la Unión Europea
Za Evropskou unii
For Den Europæiske Union
Für die Europäische Union
Euroopa Liidu nimel
Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση
For the European Union
Pour l'Union européenne
Za Europsku uniju
Per l'Unione europea
Eiropas Savienības vārdā –
Europos Sąjungos vardu
Az Európai Unió részéről
Għall-Unjoni Ewropea
Voor de Europese Unie
W imieniu Unii Europejskiej
Pela União Europeia
Pentru Uniunea Europeană
Za Európsku úniu
Za Evropsko unijo
Euroopan unionin puolesta
För Europeiska unionen

















За Обединените арабски емирства
Por los Emiratos Árabes Unidos
Za Spojené arabeské emiráty
For De Forenede Arabiske Emirater
Für die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate
Araabia Ühendemiraatide nimel
Για τα Ενωμένα Αραβικά Εμιράτα
For the United Arab Emirates
Pour les Émirats arabes unis
Za Ujedinjene Arapske Emirate
Per gli Emirati Arabi Uniti
Apvienoto Arābu Emirātu vārdā
Jungtinių Arabų Emyratų vardu
Az Egyesült Arab Emirségek részéről
Għall-Emirati Gharab Maghquda
Voor de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten
W imieniu Zjednoczonych Emiratów Arabskieh
Pelos Emirados Árabes Unidos
Pentru Emiratele Arabe Unite
Za Spojené arabské emiráty
Za Združene arabske emirate
Yhdistyneiden Arabiemiirikuntien puolesta
För Förenade Arabemiraten















(1)  
            OJ L 149, 20.5.2014, p. 67.

(2)  Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of 15 March 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 (OJ L 81, 21.3.2001, p. 1).





JOINT DECLARATION WITH REGARD TO ICELAND, NORWAY, SWITZERLAND AND LIECHTENSTEIN

The Contracting Parties take note of the close relationship between the European Union and Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, particularly by virtue of the Agreements of 18 May 1999 and 26 October 2004 concerning the association of those countries with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis.
In such circumstances it is desirable that the authorities of Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, on the one hand, and the United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, conclude, without delay, bilateral agreements on the short-stay visa waiver in terms similar to those of this Agreement.






JOINT DECLARATION ON THE INTERPRETATION OF THE CATEGORY OF PERSONS TRAVELLING FOR THE PURPOSE OF CARRYING OUT A PAID ACTIVITY AS PROVIDED FOR IN ARTICLE 3(2) OF THIS AGREEMENT

Desiring to ensure a common interpretation, the Contracting Parties agree that, for the purposes of this Agreement, the category of persons carrying out a paid activity covers persons entering for the purpose of carrying out a gainful occupation or remunerated activity in the territory of the other Contracting Party as an employee or as a service provider.
This category should not cover:






—


businesspersons, i.e. persons travelling for the purpose of business deliberation (without being employed in the country of the other Contracting Party),










—


sportspersons or artists performing an activity on an ad-hoc basis,










—


journalists sent by the media of their country of residence, and,










—


intra-corporate trainees.




The implementation of this Declaration shall be monitored by the Joint Committee within its responsibility under Article 6 of this Agreement, which may propose modifications when, on the basis of the experiences of the Contracting Parties, it considers it necessary.






JOINT DECLARATION ON THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PERIOD OF 90 DAYS IN ANY 180-DAY PERIOD AS SET OUT IN ARTICLE 4 OF THIS AGREEMENT

The Contracting Parties understand that the maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period as provided by Article 4 of this Agreement means either a continuous visit or several consecutive visits, the total duration of which does not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
The notion of ‘any’ implies the application of a moving 180-day reference period, looking backwards at each day of the stay into the last 180-day period, in order to verify if the 90 days in any 180-day period requirement continues to be fulfilled. Inter alia, it means that an absence for an uninterrupted period of 90 days allows for a new stay for up to 90 days.






JOINT DECLARATION ON INFORMING CITIZENS ABOUT THE VISA WAIVER AGREEMENT

Recognising the importance of transparency for the citizens of the European Union and the nationals of the United Arab Emirates, the Contracting Parties agree to ensure full dissemination of information about the content and consequences of the visa waiver agreement and related issues, such as the entry conditions.