Archive - old situation
Visa Requirements for BAHAMIANS traveling Overseas
Schengen - Overviews
d http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengener_Abkommen
e http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement
News re: Switzerland and Schengen
| EDA Nov2008: Brauchen Ausländer
aus Drittstaaten mit
Schweizer Wohnsitz weiterhin ein Visum, um in
ein Schengen-Staat einzureisen? Nein, wer in einem Schengen-Staat lebt und
eine Aufenthaltsbewilligung besitzt, darf sich grundsätzlich ohne Visum
im Schengen-Raum bewegen. Ausländer, die in der Schweiz leben und früher
ein Schengen-Visum benötigten, brauchen voraussichtlich ab 12. Dezember
2008 keines mehr. Sie müssen aber die Aufenthaltspapiere und ein
gültiges Reisedokument auf sich tragen. Zudem darf der Aufenthalt im
Schengen-Raum ausserhalb des Wohnsitzstaates nicht länger als drei Monate
(im 6-Monate-Zeitraum) dauern. http://tinyurl.com/6afjz3 oder Originallink
http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/de/home/themen/schweiz_-_eu/schengen_dublin.html |
|
Switerland a Schengen state? Yes - but . . . implementation in 2008 *at the earliest*
"On 5 June 2005 the population of
Switzerland approved the
Schengen/Dublin association agreement by 54.6%." http://www.europa.admin.ch/nbv/referendum/e/index.htm
- Factsheet Schengen/Dublin http://www.europa.admin.ch/nbv/expl/factsheets/e/schengen.pdf
(search for "Schengen visa") |
News re: Bahamas and Schengen
|
June 14th, 2008 Schengen Visa Exemption Progress Foreign Affairs Minister Brent Symonette in the House of Assembly. The Bahamas High Commission in London has been invited by the European Commission to an opening round of negotiations on a bilateral short-stay visa agreement in Brussels next month. Prior to that meeting, the Bahamas High Commission is expected to receive a draft of the proposed visa waiver agreement. It’s the latest step in the process of obtaining an exemption for The Bahamas from the requirement for Schengen visas and according to Foreign Affairs Minister Brent Symonette a positive indicator that the outcome will be successful. The visas, named for the European town of Schengen, are required to gain entry into any European country except the United Kingdom. The Bahamas government has long been working to resolve the issue either by having an issuing station in The Bahamas or by getting The Bahamas off the visa list of Schengen countries On December 21, 2006, the European Council adopted Council regulation, amending EC regulation so as to transfer six countries, including The Bahamas, to the visa exempt list of the Schengen Agreement. Minister Symonette has explained that this would be upon conclusion of a bilateral agreement on visa exemption between the European Community and the country in question; in this case, The Bahamas. In January 2007, the Bahamas High Commission was told that the first step would be a technical meeting with representatives from six countries. The next step would be formal negotiations. "…Through its mission to the EU and during each meeting with an EU Country Ambassador, my Ministry made representation on the question of the Schengen Visa Abolition Agreement," Minister Symonette disclosed in the House of Assembly during the 2008/2009 budget debate. "During the period under review, the Ministry received various indicators from several European Union States that negotiations on the Schengen visa were moving forward." On the issue of other visas, Minister Symonette told House Members that during the period July to December 2007, The Bahamas Consulate General in Miami issued the most Bahamian visas, followed closely by the Consular Division in New Providence. Figures show that from January to June of this year, The Bahamas Consulate General in Miami issued 2,826 visas; in Nassau, 886; in Washington, 758; in Cuba, 357; in London, 322 and in Ottawa, 65, a total of 6,693. Minister Symonette has announced that in order to provide first class service to the public, the Consular Division is gradually going through a restructuring process. The government anticipates that the changes will be implemented by the end of the year. http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=17411 |
|
Nassau Guardian 23.02.2008 (page A4 and A11) http://archive.nassauguardian.net/pubfiles/nas/archive/images_pages/02232008_A04.pdf http://archive.nassauguardian.net/pubfiles/nas/archive/images_pages/02232008_A11.pdf |
List on Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Website Visa Requirements for Bahamians traveling Overseas http://www.mfabahamas.org/Visa%20Bahamian.htm
+++Articles
25.04.06 "Schengen visas to remain in effect" Nassau
Guardian
05.08.04 "U.S. Embassy [in Nassau] announces
changes in the processing of non–immigrant visas" Nassau
Guardian
04.10.04 "Minister wants Schengen visas lifted"
Nassau
Guardian
21.10.04 "New Visa rules will not affect
Bahamians"
Nassau
Guardian
21.01.05 "U.S. Embassy Official Explains VisaApplication
Challenges" Bahama Journal
Apply for a Visa?! Do it before
you leave the Bahamas !
! ! !
Usually, only *residents* of a country can apply for a visa to visit
another country..
Bahamian Nationals must now apply for
Schengen
Visas and British Entry permits outside the Bahamas
01.08.2003: http://www.mfabahamas.org/Schengen%20Visa.htm
|
Source: Bahamas Newsletter, Bahamas High Comm. London, 2004 Spring Ed.: As of August 2003, the Honorary Consul for the Netherlands in The Bahamas has ceased issuing Schengen visas on behalf of all 15 Schengen Member States, which are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. As a result, Bahamians must now apply for these visas from each of respective countries’ consular missions which have jurisdiction for The Bahamas. Please note that for many of these countries, the consular offices with jurisdiction for The Bahamas are in the united States- in particular Miami, New York and Washington. Bahamians resident in the Bahamas must apply for Schengen visas before travelling to Europe. The Embassies of these countries in the United Kingdom have shown a marked reluctance to accommodate applications and will not issue visas to Bahamians who are not resident in the Unites Kingdom. The British High Commission in Nassau, has advised that they will no longer perform consular services, as all consular matters have been transferred to the British Consulate in New York. Although regrettable, this decision is unlikely to cause the same inconvenience to Bahamians as the cessation of the Schengen visas. Bahamians do not ordinarily require visas to travel to the United Kingdom as tourists. |
for
Bahamian citizens - where to apply for a visa for
- Italy http://www.esteri.it/visti/index_eng.asp
- France http://www.diplomatie.fr/venir/visas/index.html
(not updated, still lists Honorary Consul for the Netherlands)
- Germany http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/de/laenderinfos/adressen/dtl_vertretung?land_id=14
- Austria http://www.austria.org/visa_reg.shtml
Where to apply for a Schengen Visa when intended to
visit several Schengen countries
see http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/travelling/schengen-area/index.html#23297_5
> where to apply for the visa
(e.g. according to the Consulate of France in Chicago):
|
All short stay visas issued by this Consulate
[here the Consulate of France in Chicago] are Schengen visas which will allow travels to the following countries without applying for additional visas : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. http://www.consulfrance-chicago.org/article.php3?id_article=491 |
Bahamians who reside in Switzerland - apply for a
Schengen Visa
France - Consulat de France Zurich
informations et instructions http://www.consulatfrance-zurich.org/visas.htm
application form (in English) http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/venir/visas/pdf/visaengl.pdf
Deutschland - Deutsche Botschaft Bern
info in English http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/en/WillkommeninD/EinreiseUndAufenthalt/Visabestimmungen.html
application form (in English) http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/en/WillkommeninD/EinreiseUndAufenthalt/Download/VisumantragEngl.pdf
Info Deutsch http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/WillkommeninD/EinreiseUndAufenthalt/Visabestimmungen.html
Visumantrag deutsch http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/en/WillkommeninD/EinreiseUndAufenthalt/Download/Visumantrag.pdf
Visumspflicht Bahamesen in der Schweiz
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Bahamesen sind in der Schweiz von der
Visumspflicht befreit http://www.weisungen.bfm.admin.ch/einreise/visumvorschriften_d.asp " Der Aufenthalt ohne Erwerbstätigkeit (Besuch, Tourismus usw.) ist bis zu drei Monaten ohne ausländerrechtliche Bewilligung erlaubt. Nach drei Monaten muss der Aufenthalt unterbrochen werden. Dieser gilt gemäss Praxis der Bundesbehörden erst dann als unterbrochen, wenn sich die Ausländerinnen und Ausländer mindestens einen Monat im Ausland aufhalten. Der Aufenthalt in der Schweiz darf insgesamt höchstens sechs Monate innerhalb von 12 Monaten betragen." Wenn Aufenthalt länger als 3 Monate, muss man
eine Bewilligung beim Kanton einholen. Quelle: Bundesamt für Migration (2005) |