Division 2.2.2 Visa processing fee

Article 5(1) of the Agreement reads:

‘1.

Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 2, the Member States or Cape Verde shall not collect visa fees from the following categories of people:

(a)

members of official delegations who, following an official invitation addressed to Cape Verde, the Member States or the Union, take part in meetings, consultations, negotiations or official exchange programmes, or in events in the territory of a Member State or of Cape Verde organised by intergovernmental organisations;

(b)

children under 12 years of age^f1;

(c)

school pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers travelling for study or educational purposes;

(d)

researchers travelling for the purposes of scientific research;

(e)

participants no older than 25 years of age taking part in seminars, conferences or sports, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations.’.

The fee is fully waived for the abovementioned categories of persons.

Article 16(6) and the first subparagraph of Article 16(7) of the Visa Code reads:

‘6.

In individual cases, the amount of the visa fee to be charged may be waived or reduced when to do so serves to promote cultural or sporting interests as well as interests in the field of foreign policy, development policy and other areas of vital public interest or for humanitarian reasons.

7.

The visa fee shall be charged in euro, in the national currency of the third country or in the currency usually used in the third country where the application is lodged, and shall not be refundable except in the cases referred to in Articles 18(2) and 19(3).’ (i.e. cases of an inadmissible application or cases where the consulate is not competent).

Visa applicants from Cape Verde, in accordance with Article 16(8) of the Visa Code, and the citizens of the Union, in accordance with Décret-Loi 27/2007 of Cape Verde ‘shall be given a receipt for the visa fee paid’.

Article 5(2) of the Agreement reads:

‘2.

Where the Member States or Cape Verde cooperate with an external service provider, service charges may be collected. The service charge shall be proportionate to the costs incurred by the external service provider in the performance of the tasks, and shall not exceed EUR 30. Cape Verde and the Member State or States concerned shall maintain the possibility for all applicants to lodge their applications directly at its/their consulates.’.

The categories of persons exempted from the visa fee are subject to a service fee in cases where a Member State cooperates with an external service provider.

Currently no Member State has outsourcing arrangements with external service providers in Cape Verde.