The European Union publicly confirmed a decision on Tuesday allowing Colombian and Peruvian nationals the right to enter countries belonging to the Schengen migration coalition.
The European Union ambassador to Colombia released a statement saying that “today’s decision reaffirms the political will of the EU to remove the visa requirement for Colombians and is a green light to initiate the legislative process that will permit the implementation of the measure soon.”
While the removal of Colombian and Peruvian visa requirements is now official, van Gool has acknowledged that a timetable for actual entry into the EU by Colombians and Peruvians to the current 26 member states can not been set. She attributes this to the legislative process of the EU but also says that a bilateral agreement must also come from the Colombian side as well. Because of this, and EU elections between the 22nd and 25th of May this year the approval of a measure to allow Colombians and Peruvians to enter the Schengen without a visa may take several months.
The announcement comes after months of anticipation that Colombians would be granted entry into the Schengen coalition nations without obtaining a prior visa.
MORE: Colombians Could See Visa Restrictions Removed by January
European Union citizens already have the right to enter Colombia and Peru without a visa.
Citizens of several other countries like: Canada, the United States and Australia are already allowed to travel throughout the EU without a visa.
Sources
- European Union Confirms Elimination of Visas for Colombians (Terra)
- European Union Confirms Elimination of Visas for Colombians (Delegation for the EU in Colombia)
- The Missing Steps for Colombia to Not Require a Visa for the EU (Portfolio)