Council of the European Union approves easing of visa regime for Moldovans
The Moldovan citizens will enjoy a number of concessions when applying for visas to the EU member states. The Council of the European Union approved the decision regarding the signing of the agreements on visa facilitation and readmission.
The visa facilitation agreement will include a set of benefits for the Moldovans traveling to the EU member states such as the maintenance of the tax of 35 euros, in contrast to the tax of 60 euros for other states, and issuance of free visas to a significant number of Moldovans, especially children, students, young people aged under 18, representatives of the civil society, journalists, businesspeople, sportsmen, artists, transporters, pensioners etc.
The persons that travel to the EU systematically can get multiple entry visas valid for a longer period, of one to five years, under the bona fidae principle. At the same time, the Moldovans will be issued with free visas for Romania and Bulgaria until the Council for the Full Implementation of the Schengen Acquis makes a decision on the visa policy of these countries.
The readmission agreement stipulates the obligation to readmit nationals of the country with which the EU has signed the agreement. Also, these agreements contain the commitment to readmit stateless persons or persons of another jurisdiction who entered the EU illegally from the country in question, or vice versa. These might include, for example illegal immigrants in the EU who were also illegal in the country from which they entered, or who had temporary residence permits in that country that have subsequently expired. The agreement guarantees the full observance of the rights as stipulated in the European Convention on Human Rights.