Passports of European Union candidate states

Since the 1980s, member states of the European Union have started to harmonise aspects of the designs of their ordinary passports (but not other types of passports, such as diplomatic, service and emergency passports), as well as common security features and biometrics.

European Union candidate states

EU candidate states shown in cyan.
Candidate states
Main article: Passports of the European Union
The front cover of a contemporary Montenegrin  biometric passport.

Most passports issued by EU member states have the common recommended layout; burgundy in colour with the words “European Union” accompanied by the name of the issuing member state printed on the cover.[1]

Characteristics

Overall format
  • Paper size B7 (ISO/IEC 7810 ID-3, 88 mm × 125 mm)
  • 32 pages (passports with more pages can be issued to frequent travellers)
  • Colour of cover: burgundy red or blue

Cover

Information on the cover, in this order, in the language(s) of the issuing state:

  • Name of the issuing state
  • Emblem of the state
  • The word "PASSPORT"
  • The biometric passport symbol:

First page

Information on the first page, in one or more of the languages:

  • Name of the issuing state
  • 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:

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:

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 the faces of spouse and children
  • The following page is reserved for use by the issuing authorities
  • The remaining 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)

Overview of passports issued by the EU candidate states
Candidate state Passport cover Visa requirements Cost Validity Issuing authority Latest version
Albania

  • 5 or 10 years
 Ministry of the Interior 2015
Montenegro

  • €40
  • 10 years
 Ministry of the Interior[2] 2008
North Macedonia

  • 1800 MKD older than 27
  • 1700 MKD ages 4 – 27
  • 1600 MKD ages 0 – 4
  • 5 or 10 years (aged 27 and older)
 Ministry of the Interior[3] 2019
Serbia

  • 10 years
 Ministry of the Interior[4] 7 July 2008
Turkey

  • 164.55 (~ $83) for 6 months
  • 207.20 (~ $104) for 1 year
  • 292.65 (~ $147) for 2 years
  • 385.25 (~ $193) for 3 years
  • 513.40 (~ $258) for 4–10 years
  • 6 months
  • 1–10 years
 Ministry of Interior[5] 1 June 2010

Visa requirements for the nationals of EU candidate states for travel to the EEA, United States and Canada

Nationals of the candidate countries have varying visa arrangements with the Schengen Area and the Common Travel Area members, as well as with the United States and Canada. The following table details the requirements:

State Current candidate
status		 Schengen Area
Annex II[6]		 Common Travel Area[7]
UK and Ireland		 USA – ESTA[8] Canada
 Albania[9] Candidate 90 days
per 1/2-year[6]		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED
 Montenegro[10] Negotiating 90 days
per 1/2-year[6]		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED
 North Macedonia[11] Candidate 90 days
per 1/2-year[6]		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED
 Serbia[12] Negotiating 90 days
per 1/2-year[6]		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED
 Turkey[13] Negotiating PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED		 road map
country		 PRE-ARRIVAL
VISA REQUIRED

Current EU enlargement agenda
Main article: Enlargement of the European Union
  Member states
  Candidates: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey[14]
  Recognised by the EU as potential candidates which have not yet applied for membership: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo (status disputed).[15]

The enlargement of the European Union involves the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community (the EU's predecessor) in 1952. Since then, the EU's membership has grown to twenty-eight with the most recent expansion to Croatia in 2013.

Currently, accession negotiations are under way with several states. The process of enlargement is sometimes referred to as European integration. This term is also used to refer to the intensification of co-operation between EU member states as national governments allow for the gradual harmonisation of national laws.

To join the European Union, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria (after the Copenhagen summit in June 1993), which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament must agree to any enlargement.

The present enlargement agenda of the European Union regards Turkey and the Western Balkans. Turkey has a long-standing application with the EU but the negotiations are expected to take many more years. As for the Western Balkan states, the EU had pledged to include them after their civil wars: in fact, two states have entered, three are candidates, one applied and the others have pre-accession agreements.

There are however other states in Europe which either seek membership or could potentially apply if their present foreign policy changes, or the EU gives a signal that they might now be included on the enlargement agenda. However, these are not formally part of the current agenda, which is already delayed due to bilateral disputes in the Balkans and difficulty in fully implementing the acquis communautaire (the accepted body of EU law).

Today the accession process follows a series of formal steps, from a pre-accession agreement to the ratification of the final accession treaty. These steps are primarily presided over by the European Commission (Enlargement Commissioner and DG Enlargement), but the actual negotiations are technically conducted between the Union's Member States and the candidate country.

Before a country applies for membership it typically signs an association agreement to help prepare the country for candidacy and eventual membership. Most countries do not meet the criteria to even begin negotiations before they apply, so they need many years to prepare for the process. An association agreement helps prepare for this first step.

In the case of the Western Balkans, a special process, the Stabilisation and Association Process exists to deal with the special circumstances there.

When a country formally applies for membership, the Council asks the Commission to prepare an opinion on the country's readiness to begin negotiations. The Council can then either accept or reject the Commission's opinion (The Council has only once rejected the Commission's opinion when the latter advised against opening negotiations with Greece).[16]

If the Council agrees to open negotiations the screening process then begins. The Commission and candidate country examine its laws and those of the EU and determine what differences exist. The Council then recommends opening negotiations on "chapters" of law that it feels there is sufficient common ground to have constructive negotiations. Negotiations are typically a matter of the candidate country convincing the EU that its laws and administrative capacity are sufficient to execute European law, which can be implemented as seen fit by the member states. Often this will involve time-lines before the Acquis Communautaire (European regulations, directives and standards) has to be fully implemented.

State
 Status
 Association
Agreement		 Applied for
Membership		 Candidate
status		 Start of
negotiations		 Screening
completed		 Acquis Chapters
open/closed[17]
Albania Candidate 12 June 2006 (SAA) 28 April 2009 23 June 2014 – – –
Montenegro Negotiating 15 October 2007 (SAA) 15 December 2008 17 December 2010 29 June 2012 – 30/3 of 33
North Macedonia Candidate 9 April 2001 (SAA) 22 March 2004 17 December 2005 – – –
Serbia Negotiating 29 April 2008 (SAA) 22 December 2009 1 March 2012 21 January 2014 21 January 2014 16/2 of 34
Turkey Negotiating 12 September 1963 (AA) 14 April 1987 12 December 1999 3 October 2005 13 October 2006 13/1 of 33

See also

References
  1. Anonymous (6 December 2016). "Document security - Migration and Home Affairs - European Commission".
  2. Postupak i potrebni dokazi za izdavanje ličnih dokumenata -PASOŠ
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Издавање на патна исправа
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) ПУТНА ИСПРАВА – ПАСОШ
  5. "İçişleri Bakanlığı'nın görev ve yetkileri belirlendi". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  6. Consolidated version of Council regulation No. 539/2001, as of 19 December 2009, 'Annex II' countries and territories
  7. "Visa policy of the United Kingdom#United Kingdom visa requirements",|United Kingdom visa requirements
  8. "ESTA Website". Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  9. Visa requirements for Albanian citizens
  10. Visa requirements for Montenegrin citizens
  11. Visa requirements for citizens of North Macedonia
  12. Visa requirements for Serbian citizens
  13. Visa requirements for Turkish citizens
  14. "European Commission—Enlargement—Potential Candidates". Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  15. "European Commission—Enlargement—Potential Candidates". Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  16. Ena.lu
  17. Excluding Chapters 34 (Institutions) and 35 (Other Issues) since these are not legislation chapters.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.