Council of Europe Treaty Series

The governments signatory hereto, being members of the Council of Europe,

Desirous of facilitating personal travel between their countries,

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

1. Nationals of the Contracting Parties, whatever their country of residence, may enter or leave the territory of another Party by all frontiers on presentation of one of the documents listed in the Appendix to this Agreement, which is an integral part thereof.
2. The facilities mentioned in paragraph 1 above shall be available only for visits of not more than three months' duration.
3. Valid passports and visas may be required for all visits of more than three months' duration or whenever the territory of another Party is entered for the purpose of pursuing a gainful activity.
4. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term "territory" of a Contracting Party shall have the meaning assigned to it by such a Party in a declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for communication to all other Contracting Parties.

Article 2

To the extent that one or more Contracting Parties deem necessary, the frontier shall be crossed only at authorised points.

Article 3

The foregoing provisions shall in no way prejudice the laws and regulations governing visits by aliens to the territory of any Contracting Party.

Article 4

This Agreement shall not prejudice the provisions of any domestic law and bilateral or multilateral treaties, conventions or agreements now in force or which may hereafter enter into force, whereby more favourable terms are applied to the nationals of other Contracting Parties in respect of the crossing of frontiers.

Article 5

Each Contracting Party shall allow the holder of any of the documents mentioned in the list drawn up by it and embodied in the Appendix to this Agreement to re-enter its territory without formality even if his nationality is under dispute.

Article 6

Each Contracting Party reserves the right to forbid nationals of another Party whom it considers undesirable to enter or stay in its territory.

Article 7

Each Contracting Party reserves the option, on grounds relating to ordre public, security or public health, to delay the entry into force of this Agreement or order the temporary suspension thereof in respect of all or some of the other Parties, except insofar as the provisions of Article 5 are concerned. This measure shall immediately be notified to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, who shall inform the other Parties. The same procedure shall apply as soon as this measure ceases to be operative.
A Contracting Party which avails itself of either of the options mentioned in the preceding paragraph may not claim the application of this Agreement by another Party save insofar as it also applies it in respect of that Party.

Article 8

This Agreement shall be open to the signature of the members of the Council of Europe, who may become Parties to it either by:

1. signature without reservation in respect of ratification;
2. signature with reservation in respect of ratification followed by ratification.

Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Article 9

This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date on which three members of the Council shall, in accordance with Article 8, have signed the Agreement without reservation in respect of ratification or shall have ratified it.

In the case of any member who shall subsequently sign the Agreement without reservation in respect of ratification or shall ratify it, the Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following such signature or the deposit of the instrument of ratification.

Article 10

After entry into force of this Agreement, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe may invite any non-member State to accede to it. Such accession shall take effect on the first day of the month following the deposit of the instrument of accession with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Article 11

Any government wishing to sign or accede to this Agreement which has not yet drawn up its list of the documents mentioned in Article 1, paragraph 1, and appearing in the appendix, shall submit a list of such documents to the Contracting Parties through the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. This list shall be considered to be approved by all the Contracting Parties and shall be added to the appendix to this Agreement if no objection is raised within two months of its transmission by the Secretary General.

The same procedure shall apply if a signatory government wishes to alter the list of documents drawn up by it and embodied in the appendix.

Article 12

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall notify members of the Council and acceding States:

1. of the date of entry into force of this Agreement and the names of any members who have signed without reservation in respect of ratification or who have ratified it;
2. of the deposit of any instrument of accession in accordance with Article 10;
3. of any notification received in accordance with Article 13 and of its effective date.

Article 13

Any Contracting Party may terminate its own application of the Agreement by giving three months' notice to that effect to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this Agreement.

Done at Paris, this 13th day of December 1957, in English and French, both texts being equally authentic, in a single copy which shall remain deposited in the archives of the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall transmit certified copies to the signatory governments.

Appendix

(in force since 20 December 2007 – Last amendment : Germany)

Austria

Belgium

France

Federal Republic of Germany

Greece

Italy

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Malta :

Netherlands

Portugal

Slovenia

Spain

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine