{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-1947/annex/division-II/division-2.2/division-2.2.2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-1947/annex/division-II/division-2.2/division-2.2.2.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2017/1947",
  "legislation_title": "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",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-1947",
  "path": "annex/division/II/division/2.2/division/2.2.2",
  "kind": "division",
  "number": "2.2.2",
  "heading": "Issuance of multiple-entry visas",
  "text": "In cases where the visa applicant needs to travel frequently to the territory of the Member States, short-stay visas may be issued for several visits, provided that the total length of those visits does not exceed 90 days per period of 180 days.\nArticle 5 of the Agreement provides that:\n‘1. Diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Member States shall issue multiple-entry visas with a term of validity of 5 years to the following categories of persons:\n(a) spouses, children (including adopted), who are under the age of 21 or are dependent and parents (including custodians), 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;\n(b) members of national and regional governments and of Constitutional and Supreme courts if they are not exempted from the visa requirement by the present Agreement, in the exercise of their duties;\n(c) permanent members of official delegations who, following an official invitation addressed to Armenia, are to participate regularly in meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of the Member States by intergovernmental organisations;\nBy way of derogation, where the need or the intention to travel frequently or regularly is manifestly limited to a shorter period, the term of validity of the multiple-entry visa shall be limited to that period, in particular where:\nin the case of the persons referred to in point a), the period of validity of the authorisation for legal residence of citizens of Armenia legally residing in the European Union,\nin case of the persons referred to in point b), the term of office,\nin the case of the persons referred to in point c), the term of the validity of the status as a permanent member of an official delegation,\nis less than five years.’.\nTaking into account the professional status of those categories of persons, or their family relationship with a citizen of Armenia who is legally residing in the territory of the Member States or with a Union citizen residing in a Member State whose nationality that person holds, it is justified to grant them a multiple-entry visa with a term of validity of five years, or limited to the term of office or to their legal residence if they are less than five years.\nPersons falling under point (a) of Article 5(1) of the Agreement, must present proof of the legal residence of the host person.\nWith regard to persons falling under point (b) of Article 5(1) of the Agreement, confirmation should be given regarding their professional status and the duration of their term of office.\nThat provision does not apply to persons falling under point (b) of Article 5(1) of the Agreement if they are exempted from the visa requirement by the Agreement, i.e. if they are holders of a diplomatic passport.\nPersons falling under point (c) of Article 5(1) of the Agreement must present proof of their permanent status as a member of the official delegation and the need to participate regularly in meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes.\nIn cases where the need or the intention to travel frequently or regularly is manifestly limited to a shorter period, the validity of the multiple-entry visa will be limited to that period.\n‘2. Diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Member States shall issue multiple-entry visas with the term of validity of one year to the following categories of persons, provided that during the previous year they have obtained at least one visa and have made use of it in accordance with the laws on entry and stay of the visited State:\n(a) members of official delegations who, following an official invitation addressed to Armenia, shall participate regularly in meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of the Member States by intergovernmental organisations;\n(b) representatives of civil society organisations and persons invited by Armenian community non-profit organisations registered in the Member States when undertaking trips to the Member States for the purposes of educational training, seminars, conferences, including in the framework of exchange programmes or Pan-Armenian and community support programmes;\n(c) members of the professions participating in international exhibitions, conferences, symposia, seminars or other similar events who regularly travel to the Member States;\n(d) persons participating in scientific, cultural or artistic activities, including university and other exchange programmes, who regularly travel to the Member States;\n(e) students and post-graduate persons who regularly travel for the purposes of study or educational training, including in the framework of exchange programmes;\n(f) participants of the official exchange programmes organised by twin cities and other municipal entities;\n(g) persons needing to visit regularly for medical reasons and necessary accompanying persons;\n(h) journalists and technical crew accompanying them in a professional capacity;\n(i) business people and representatives of business organisations who regularly travel to the Member States;\n(j) participants in international sports events and persons accompanying them in a professional capacity;\n(k) drivers conducting international cargo and passenger transportation services to the territories of the Member States in vehicles registered in Armenia.\nBy way of derogation from the first sentence, where the need or the intention to travel frequently or regularly is manifestly limited to a shorter period, the term of validity of the multiple-entry visa shall be limited to that period.’.\nIn principle, multiple-entry visas with the term of validity of one year will be issued to the above-mentioned categories of visa applicants if during the previous year (12 months) the visa applicant has obtained at least one visa and has made use of it in accordance with the laws on entry and stay in the territory(ies) of the visited Member State(s) (for instance, the person has not overstayed) and if there are reasons for requesting a multiple-entry visa.\nIn cases where it is not justified to issue a visa valid for one year, for instance if the duration of the exchange programme is of less than one year or the person does not need to travel for a full year, the term of validity of the visa will be of less than one year, provided that the other requirements for issuing the visa are met.\n‘3. Diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Member States shall issue multiple-entry visas with the term of validity of a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 5 years to the categories of persons referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, provided that during the previous 2 years they have made use of the one year multiple-entry visas in accordance with the laws on entry and stay of the visited State unless the need or the intention to travel frequently or regularly is manifestly limited to a shorter period, in which case the term of validity of the multiple-entry visa shall be limited to that period.\n4. The total period of stay of persons referred to in paragraphs 1 to 3 of this Article shall not exceed 90 days per period of 180 days in the territory of the Member States.’.\nMultiple-entry visas with the term of validity from two to five years will be issued to the categories of visa applicants referred to in Article 5(2) of the Agreement, provided that during the previous two years (24 months) they have made use of the two one year multiple-entry visas in accordance with the laws on entry and stay in the territory(ies) of the visited Member State(s) and that the reasons for requesting a multiple-entry visa are still valid. It has to be noted that a visa with the term of validity from two to five years will only be issued if the visa applicant has been issued two visas valid for at least one year during the previous two years (24 months), and if that person has made use of those visas in accordance with the laws on entry and stay in the territory(ies) of the visited Member State(s). Diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Member States will decide, on the basis of the assessment of each visa application, on the term of validity of those visas, i.e. from two to five years.\nThere is no obligation to issue a multiple-entry visa if the applicant has not made use of a previously issued visa.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2017/1947/annex/division/II/division/2.2/division/2.2.2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:13:20.167959+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}