{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2018-311/annex/division-II/division-2.2/division-2.2.1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2018-311/annex/division-II/division-2.2/division-2.2.1.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2018/311",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision (EU) 2018/311 of 27 February 2018 establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the Union within the Joint Committee set up under the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan 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-2018-311",
  "path": "annex/division/II/division/2.2/division/2.2.1",
  "kind": "division",
  "number": "2.2.1",
  "heading": "Documentary evidence regarding the purpose of the journey",
  "text": "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.\nHowever, this does not mean a waiver of the general requirement to appear in person in order to submit the visa application or to provide supporting documents with regard to e.g. the means of subsistence.\nIf 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 and the Migration Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the visa applicant may be called for an additional 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 may be voluntarily provided by the visa applicant or exceptionally requested by the consular officer. That practice shall, however, not be systematic and will be closely monitored by the Joint Committee.\nIn 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.\nFor the categories of persons not mentioned in Article 4 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.\nSchengen rules and national law shall apply to issues not covered by the Agreement, such as the recognition of travel documents and guarantees regarding return and sufficient means of subsistence.\nArticle 4(1) of the Agreement provides that:\n‘1. For the following categories of citizens of the Union and of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the following documents are sufficient for justifying the purpose of the journey to the other Party:\n(a) for close relatives – spouses, children (including adopted), parents (including custodians), grandparents and grand-children – visiting citizens of the European Union legally residing in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan or citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan 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, or citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan residing in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan:\na written request from the host person;’.\nThe 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. Invitation should be validated by competent authorities.\nThis provision also applies to relatives of staff working in diplomatic missions and consulates travelling for a family visit of up to 90 days to the territory of the Member States or of the Republic of Azerbaijan, except for the need to prove legal residence and family ties.\n‘(b)\nwithout prejudice to Article 10, for members of official delegations including permanent members of such delegations who, following an official invitation addressed to the Member States, the European Union or the Republic of Azerbaijan, shall participate in official meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan or one of the Member States by intergovernmental organisations:\nletter issued by a competent authority of a Member State or of the Republic of Azerbaijan or by an institution of the European Union confirming that the applicant is a member of its delegation respectively or 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;’.\nThe name of the visa applicant must be indicated 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 indicated in the official invitation to participate in the meeting, although this might be the case when the official invitation is addressed to a specific person.\nThat provision applies to members of official delegations irrespective of the type of passport (service or ordinary passport) they hold.\n‘(c)\nfor business people and representatives of business organisations:\na written request from the host legal person or company, organization or an office or a branch of such legal person or company, state, or local authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan or the Member States or organising committees or trade and industrial exhibitions, conferences and symposia held in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan or one of the Member States endorsed by the competent authorities in accordance with the national legislation;’.\nIn addition to the above, the national business registry will issue a document confirming the existence of the business organizations.\n‘(d)\nfor drivers conducting international cargo and passenger transportation services between the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Member States in vehicles registered in the Member States or in the Republic of Azerbaijan:\na written request from the national company or association (union) of carriers of the Republic of Azerbaijan or the national associations of carriers of the Member States providing for international road transportation, stating the purpose, itinerary, duration and frequency of the trips;’.\nThe association competent to issue the written request is the national association of the country of origin of the driver. Regional or other branches of national associations of the Member States can also issue the written requests.\n‘(e)\nfor pupils, students, post-graduate students 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:\na written request or a certificate of enrolment from the host university, academy, institute, college or school or student cards or certificates of the courses to be attended;’.\nA student card is only accepted as justification of 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.\n(f) ‘for persons participating in scientific, academic, cultural or artistic activities, including university and other exchange programmes:\na written request from the host organisation to participate in those activities;\n(g) for journalists and technical crew accompanying them in a professional capacity:\na certificate or other document issued by a professional organization 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 technical crew accompanying the journalist in a professional capacity;’.\nThis category does not cover free-lance journalists and their assistants.\nA certificate or document issued by a professional journalist organisation or the visa applicant's employer, proving that the visa applicant is a professional journalist or an accompanying person in a professional capacity and stating that the purpose of the journey is to carry out a journalistic work or assist in such work, must be presented.\n‘(h)\nfor participants in international sports events and persons accompanying them in a professional capacity:\na written request from the host organization, competent authorities, national sport Federations of the Member States or the Republic of Azerbaijan or National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan or National Olympic Committees of the Member States;’.\nThe list of accompanying persons in case of international sports events will be limited to those accompanying the sportsperson in a professional capacity: coaches, masseurs, managers, medical staff, and head of the sports club. Supporters will thus not be considered as accompanying persons.\n‘(i)\nfor participants in official exchange programmes organized by twin cities:\na written request of the Head of Administration/Mayor of these cities;’.\nThe 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.\n‘(j)\nfor persons travelling for medical reasons and necessary accompanying persons:\nan 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;’.\nA document issued by a 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.\n(k) ‘for members of the professions participating in international exhibitions, conferences, symposia, seminars or other similar events held on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan or Member States:\na written request from the host organization confirming that the person concerned is participating in the event;\n(l) for representatives of civil society organizations when undertaking trips for the purposes of educational training, seminars, conferences, including in the framework of exchange programmes:\na written request issued by the host organization, a confirmation that the person is representing the civil society organization and the certificate on establishment of such organization from the relevant register issued by a state authority in accordance with the national legislation;’.\nA document from the civil society organisation confirming that the visa applicant is representing that organisation must be presented.\nIndividual members of the civil society organisations are not covered by the Agreement.\n(m) ‘relatives visiting for burial ceremonies:\nan official document confirming the fact of death as well as confirmation of the family or other relationship between the applicant and the buried;\n(n) for visiting military and civil burial grounds:\nan official document confirming the existence and preservation of the grave as well as family or other relationship between the applicant and the buried.’.\nThe 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.\nThe 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.\nThe 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 case of false issuance of such requests.",
  "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/2018/311/annex/division/II/division/2.2/division/2.2.1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:13:10.698397+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."
}