Council Regulation (EC) No 1683/95Show full title

Article 1 U.K.

Visas issued by the Member States in conformity with Article 5 shall be produced in the form of a uniform format (sticker). They shall conform to the specifications set out in the Annex.

[F1 Article 2 U.K.

1. Further technical specifications for the uniform format for visas relating to the following shall be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6(2):

(a) additional elements and security requirements including enhanced anti-forgery, counterfeiting and falsification standards;

(b) technical standards and methods to be used for the filling in of the uniform visa.

2. The colours of the visa sticker may be changed in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6(2).

[F2 3. In accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6(2), it may be decided that the specifications referred to in Article 2 shall be secret and not be published. In that case they shall be made available only to the bodies designated by the Member States as responsible for the printing and to persons duly authorised by a Member State or the Commission.] ]

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Council Regulation (EC) No 334/2002 of 18 February 2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas.

F2 Inserted by Council Regulation (EC) No 856/2008 of 24 July 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas as regards the numbering of visas.

Article 3 U.K.

F3 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. Each Member State shall designate one body having responsibility for printing visas. It shall communicate the name of that body to the Commission and the other Member States. The same body may be designated by two or more Member States for this purpose. Each Member State shall be entitled to change its designated body. It shall inform the Commission and the other Member States accordingly.

Textual Amendments

F3 Deleted by Council Regulation (EC) No 856/2008 of 24 July 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas as regards the numbering of visas.

Article 4 U.K.

1. Without prejudice to the relevant more extensive provisions concerning data protection, an individual to whom a visa is issued shall have the right to verify the personal particulars entered on the visa and, where appropriate, to ask for any corrections or deletions to be made.

2. No information in machine-readable form shall be given on the uniform format for visas unless it also appears in the boxes described in points 6 to 12 of the Annex, or unless it is mentioned in the relevant travel document.

Article 5 U.K.

For the purposes of this Regulation a ‘visa’ shall mean an authorization given by or a decision taken by a Member State which is required for entry into its territory with a view to:

• an intended stay in that Member State or in several Member States of no more than three months in all,

• transit through the territory or airport transit zone of that Member State or several Member States.

[F1 Article 6 U.K.

1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC (1) shall apply.

The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at two months.

3. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Council Regulation (EC) No 334/2002 of 18 February 2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas.

Article 7 U.K.

Where Member States use the uniform visa format for purposes other than those covered by Article 5, appropriate measures must be taken to ensure that confusion with the visa referred to in Article 5 is not possible.

Article 8 U.K.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Article 1 shall become applicable six months after the adoption of the measures referred to in Article 2.

[F4 The integration of the photograph provided for in point 2a of the Annex shall be implemented at the latest five years after the adoption of the technical measures provided for the adoption of this measure in Article 2.]

Textual Amendments

F4 Inserted by Council Regulation (EC) No 334/2002 of 18 February 2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.