Young people and youth workers from Partner Countries, who participate in the "Youth in Action" projects hosted in the Schengen-area, may benefit from facilitated visa rules since the new EU Visa Code came into force on 5 April 2010.
The Code has relaxed provisions for
airport transit visas and
short-stay visas, which means a stay of less than 90 days during any six-month period. Citizens from third countries, who need for such visas, should wait no longer than two weeks for a consular appointment for lodging the application and should receive a
final decision only 15 days later. As from 5 April 2011, the refusal of a visa will be justified and the applicants will have the right to appeal against a negative decision. The visa fees have been reduced from €60 to €35 for children aged
6 to 12 years, while inter alia the following groups of young people do not need to pay anything: •
school pupils, students, postgraduate students and
accompanying teachers participating in a study or educational training abroad; •
representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations. However, Member States may decide to exempt from paying the visa additional categories of applicants. The EU Visa Code rules apply to nationals from third countries that require a visa to enter the Schengen-area – a zone comprising
22 EU countries as well as
Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. UK, Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus are out of the zone. More information:
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/111&type=HTMLhttp://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/doc_centre/freetravel/visa/doc/oj_2009_l_243_1_en.pdf
/youth/youth-in-action-programme/supporting-documents-european-voluntary-service_en.htm