UAE's call to waive Schengen visa backed by Spain

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, has publicly supported UAE's call to waive the entry visa requirement in Schengen countries.

Spain is the first to offer unambiguous support to lifting visas for UAE nationals.

The Spanish Minister has sent a letter to Cecilia Malmstrom, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, recommending that the UAE is included in Annex II of Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of 15 March 2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, according to the Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

"This regulation harmonises the visa requirements for non-European Union nationals entering the EU. It provides a common list of countries whose nationals must hold a visa when crossing the external borders of a Member State (Annex I), but also lists the countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of maximum three months (Annex II)," the Spanish Embassy said in a statement.

In this regard, in line with the many reasons that Spain has constantly raised in different realms, the Minister has reiterated to the European Commissioner the mutual benefits for both parties in approving such a measure in all aspects (economic, political and cultural), the Embassy added.

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