The European Parliament on Thursday abolished Schengen visa requirements for Colombian citizens by a landslide vote, allowing nationals freer entry into 26 European countries.
The visa waiver was approved in the European Parliament by 523 votes to 41, granting Colombian citizens visa-free access to Europe’s Schengen area countries for the first time since 2001. The Europe Schnegen area was the result of an agreement to abolish internal border checks.
This formal ratification of the political agreement made on February 4 by the European Parliament, Council and Commission will benefit both Colombian and Peruvian nationals.
MORE: Colombians to have EU visa waiver before April: Ambassador to Spain
The European Union (EU) countries implied are Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Greece.
The exemption also includes four countries that are not members of the EU; Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Proceedings began to drop the short-term visas requirements for Colombia citizens — which had been in place since 2001 — when Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy submitted the request for exemption to the European Commission in August 2013.
MORE: Spain Prime Minister: “No EU Visa for Colombians”
Sources
- Commissioner Malmström on the European Parliament vote: visa-free travel for the nationals of 19 third countries moves one step closer (Official Press Release — European Commission)
- Colombianos a viajar libremente por 26 países europeos (Semana)
- Levantan visa Schengen a colombianos para viajar a la UE (Caracol Radio)