Visa Waiver Program between EU and Vanuatu expected for June 2015

by Jean-Baptiste CALO

The European Union (EU) and the Vanuatu government  are negotiating a Visa Waiver Program agreement that would allow European nationals and Ni Vanuatu citizens to travel to Europe and to Vanuatu without need of a visa.

Vanuatu Ambassador to the EU,
His Excellency Roy Mickey Joy

In his recent visit to Port-Vila, the Vanuatu Ambassador to the European Union, His Excellency Roy Mickey Joy told Vanuatu times in an exclusive interview that Bilateral talks between the EU and Vanuatu through the Home Affairs Ministry in Brussels this week will pave the way forward for the first draft of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will later on be  signed as the visa waver (or visa facilitation agreement) agreement between European Countries  and Vanuatu.

The Ambassador of Vanuatu to the European Union based in Brussels, Belgium, H.E Roy Mickey Joy told Vanuatu Times in an exclusive interview that normally if everything goes well after the bilateral talks, the Visa waver agreement  between the EU and Vanuatu should be implement sometime in june 2015.

“If all things go well and work equally, beginning from June 2015, we will be seeing Vanuatu nationals travelling to EU without need of visa,” H.E Joy confirmed.

He pointed out that the period of all Vanuatu Nationals Visa free would be 120 days and equally all EU nationals coming to Vanuatu would enjoy up to 120 days staying in Vanuatu without need of visa.

Once the bilateral talks are finalised and signed between the European Commission and the Vanuatu government, Ni-Vanuatu should be able to travel into the Schengen Area which covers the area comprising 26 European countries that have abolished passport and any other type of border control at their common borders (France & England included).

The European Union with the ACP Group of 79 countries from the Africa-Caribbean- Pacific Group have been advised that a very senior official from Vanuatu from the Ministry of Home Affairs in Vanuatu will be attending the meeting in Brussels and had been briefed  on the recent development which is very positive.