# Council Decision (EU) 2017/1947 of 23 October 2017 establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Joint Committee set up under the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia on the facilitation of the issuance of visas, with regard to the adoption of common guidelines for the implementation of that Agreement, Division 2.2.1: Documentary evidence regarding the purpose of the journey

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

For the categories of persons listed in Article 4(1) of the Agreement, only the indicated documentary evidence proving the purpose of the journey will be required. As provided for in Article 4(3) of the Agreement, no other justification, invitation or validation concerning the purpose of the journey will be required. However, this does not mean a waiver of the requirement to appear in person in order to submit the visa application or to provide supporting documents with regard to, for example, the means of subsistence.
If in individual cases doubts remain regarding the authenticity of the document proving the purpose of the journey, under Article 21(8) of the Visa Code the visa applicant may be called for an additional in-depth interview to the embassy and/or the consulate where that applicant can be questioned regarding the actual purpose of the visit or the applicant's intention to return. In such individual cases, additional documents can be provided by the visa applicant or exceptionally requested by the consular officer. The Joint Committee will closely monitor that issue.
For the categories of persons not mentioned in Article 4(1) of the Agreement (for example tourists), the general rules regarding documentation proving the purpose of the journey continue to apply. The same applies to documents regarding parental consent for travel of children under 18 years of age.
Schengen rules and national law shall apply to issues not covered by the Agreement, such as the recognition of travel documents, guarantees regarding return and sufficient means of subsistence.
In principle, the original of the document required by Article 4(1) of the Agreement will be submitted with the visa application. However, the consulate can start processing the visa application based on the facsimile or copies of the document. Nevertheless, the consulate may ask for the original document in case of the first time visa application and will ask for it in individual cases where there are doubts.
Article 4(1) of the Agreement provides that:
‘1. For the following categories of citizens of Armenia, the following documents are sufficient for justifying the purpose of the journey to the other Party:
(a) for close relatives — spouses, children (including adopted), parents (including custodians), grandparents, grandchildren visiting citizens of Armenia legally residing in the Member States, or citizens of the European Union residing in the territory of the Member State of which they are nationals:
a written request from the host person;’.
Point (a) of Article 4(1) of the Agreement regulates the situation of Armenian close relatives travelling to the Member States to visit citizens of Armenia legally residing in territory of the Member States or citizens of the Union residing in the territory of the Member State of which they are nationals.
The authenticity of the signature of the inviting person must be confirmed by the competent authority according to the national legislation of the country of residence. The invitation should be validated by competent authorities. In the case of diplomats, technical and administrative staff and other officials posted by the Government of the Republic of Armenia to the Member States, the authenticity of the signature must be confirmed by a letter or a note verbale issued by the head of diplomatic mission or consular post.
‘(b)
for members of official delegations including permanent members of such delegations who, following an official invitation addressed to Armenia, shall participate in meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of one of the Member States by intergovernmental organisations:
a letter issued by a competent authority of Armenia confirming that the applicant is a member of its delegation, respectively a permanent member of its delegation, travelling to the territory of the other Party to participate in the aforementioned events, accompanied by a copy of the official invitation;’.
The name of the visa applicant must be stated in the letter issued by the competent authority confirming that the person is part of the delegation travelling to the territory of the other Party to participate in the official meeting. The name of the visa applicant does not need to be stated in the official invitation to participate in the meeting, although this might be necessary when the official invitation is addressed to a specific person.
That provision applies to members of official delegations regardless of the type of passport they hold.
‘(c)
for pupils, students, post-graduate persons and accompanying teachers who undertake trips for the purposes of study or educational training, including in the framework of exchange programmes as well as other school-related activities:
a written request or a certificate of enrolment from the host university, college or school or student cards or certificates of the courses to be attended;’.
A student card is only accepted to justify the purpose of the journey if it has been issued by the host university, college or school where the studies or educational training are going to take place.
‘(d)
for persons travelling for medical reasons and necessary accompanying persons:
an official document of the medical institution confirming necessity of medical care in this institution, the necessity of being accompanied and proof of sufficient financial means to pay for the medical treatment.’.
The document from the medical institution confirming the three elements (the necessity of medical care in that institution, the necessity of being accompanied and the proof of sufficient financial means to pay for the medical treatment, e.g. proof of prepayment) must be submitted.
‘(e)
for journalists and technical crew accompanying them in a professional capacity:
a certificate or other document issued by a professional organisation or the applicant's employer proving that the person concerned is a qualified journalist and stating that the purpose of the journey is to carry out journalistic work or proving that he/she is a member of the technical crew accompanying the journalist in a professional capacity;’.
This category does not cover freelance journalists and their assistants.
The certificate or document proving that the visa applicant is a professional journalist or an accompanying person in a professional capacity and the original document issued by that person's employer stating that the purpose of the journey is to carry out journalistic work or assist in such work must be presented.
A number of professional organisations exist in Armenia, which represent the interests of journalists or accompanying persons in a professional capacity and could issue certificates proving that the person is a professional journalist or an accompanying person in a professional capacity in a specific area. In order to assess the professional status of those organisations, consulates may consult www.e-register.am. Consulates may also accept a certificate issued by the applicant's employer.
‘(f)
for participants in international sport events and persons accompanying them in a professional capacity:
a written request from the host organisation, competent authorities, national sport federations or national Olympic committees of the Member State;’.
The list of accompanying persons in the case of international sports events will be limited to those attending in a professional capacity: coaches, masseurs, managers, medical staff and head of the sports club. Therefore, supporters will not be considered as accompanying persons.
‘(g)
for business people and representatives of business organisations:
a written request from the host legal person or company, organisation or an office or a branch of such legal person or company, state or local authorities of the Member States or organising committees or trade and industrial exhibitions, conferences and symposia held in the territories of one of the Member States, endorsed by the competent authorities in accordance with the national legislation;’.
In order to verify the existence of the business organisation the consulates may consult www.e-register.am.
(h) ‘for members of the professions participating in international exhibitions, conferences, symposia, seminars or other similar events:
a written request from the host organisation confirming that the person concerned is participating in the event;.
(i) for representatives of civil society organisations and persons invited by Armenian community non-profit organisations registered in the Member States when undertaking trips for the purposes of educational training, seminars, conferences, including in the framework of exchange programmes or Pan-Armenian and community support programmes:
a written request issued by the host organisation, a confirmation that the person is representing the civil society organisation or participating in Pan-Armenian or community support activities and the certificate on establishment of such organisation from the relevant register issued by a state authority in accordance with the national legislation;’.
A document from the civil society organisation confirming that the visa applicant is representing that organisation must be presented.
The competent Armenian state authority issuing the certificate on establishment of a civil society organisation is the Ministry of Justice.
The register in which the certificates on establishment of civil society organisations are registered is the State Registry of Legal Persons. The Ministry of Justice administers the electronic data base of NGOs, which is available via the website /https://www.e-register.am/ of the Ministry of Justice.
Individual members of the civil society organisations are not covered by the Agreement.
‘(j)
for persons participating in scientific, academic, cultural or artistic activities, including university and other exchange programmes:
a written request from the host organisation to participate in the activities;’
‘(k)
for drivers conducting international cargo and passenger transportation services to the territories of the Member States in vehicles registered in Armenia:
a written request from the national association (union) of carriers of Armenia providing for international road transportation, stating the purpose, itinerary, duration and frequency of the trips;’.
The Armenian national association of carriers competent for providing the written request to professional drivers is the Association of International Road Carriers of Armenia (AIRCA).
‘(l)
for participants of the official exchange programmes organised by twin cities and other municipal entities:
a written request of the Head of Administration/Mayor of these cities or municipal authorities;’.
The Head of Administration/Mayor of the city or other locality competent to issue the written request is the Head of Administration/Mayor of the host city or other locality where the twinning activity is going to take place. That category only covers official twinning.
‘(m)
for visiting military and civil burial grounds:
an official document confirming the existence and preservation of the grave as well as family or other relationship between the applicant and the buried.’.
The Agreement does not specify whether the above-mentioned official document should be issued by the authorities of the country where the burial ground is located or those of the country in which the person who wants to visit the burial ground resides. It should be accepted that the competent authorities of either country may issue such an official document.
The above-mentioned official document confirming the existence and preservation of the grave as well as of the family or other relationship between the visa applicant and the buried must be presented.
The Agreement does not create any new liability rules for the natural or legal persons issuing the written requests. The respective Union and/or national law applies in the case of false issuance of such requests.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2017/1947/annex/division/II/division/2.2/division/2.2.1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-1947/annex/division-II/division-2.2/division-2.2.1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.