Choose the experimental features you want to try

This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website

Document 31998D0701

    98/701/JHA: Council Decision of 3 December 1998 on common standards relating to filling in the uniform format for residence permits

    OJ L 333, 9.12.1998, p. 8–16 (ES, DA, DE, EL, EN, FR, IT, NL, PT, FI, SV)

    This document has been published in a special edition(s) (CS, ET, LV, LT, HU, MT, PL, SK, SL, BG, RO, HR)

    Legal status of the document In force

    ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/1998/701/oj

    9.12.1998   

    EN

    Official Journal of the European Communities

    L 333/8


    COUNCIL DECISION

    of 3 December 1998

    on common standards relating to filling in the uniform format for residence permits

    (98/701/JHA)

    THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

    Having regard to Joint Action 97/11/JHA of 16 December 1996 concerning a uniform format for residence permits (1), and in particular Article 2(1) thereof,

    Whereas it is necessary to establish common standards relating to filling in the said format, so as to ensure the uniform aspect thereof;

    Whereas this Decision does not affect the competence of Member States relating to the recognition of States and territorial entities, as well as of passports and travel documents issued by these States or entities; whereas the attribution of the codes in the Appendix to this Decision is of a purely administrative nature and is without prejudice to the determination of the nationality of third country residents,

    HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

    Article 1

    The uniform format for residence permits shall be filled in in accordance with the procedures contained in the Annex hereto.

    Article 2

    The Council shall examine, at least once a year, the procedures and codes contained in the Annex and the Appendix hereto with a view to adapting them.

    Article 3

    This Decision shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

    Done at Brussels, 3 December 1998.

    For the Council

    The President

    K. SCHLÖGL


    (1)  OJ L 7, 10. 1. 1997, p. 1.


    ANNEX

    I.   PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION OF THE COMMON REFERENCE AREA OF THE STICKER IN THE UNIFORM FORMAT OF THE RESIDENCE PERMIT.

    The format adopted for the sticker is in ID2 format (conforming with the dimensions for the ID2 type card (ISO7810)).

    There are eight spaces to be completed in accordance with the technical specifications, where appropriate, as follows:

    1.   Permit No

    The number of the document shall appear in this space (protected by special security features and preceded by a letter code), in accordance with part one paragraph 3.7 (initial letters) as detailed in paragraph 3.2) of the technical specifications.

    2.   Name

    The surname(s) and first name(s) shall be inserted here in order. The surname(s) and first name(s) on the document to which the sticker is attached must be exactly the same as those on the sticker.

    3.   ‘Valid until’ space

    The relevant date of expiry shall be entered in this space or, if necessary, a word or a code indicating unlimited validity.

    Member States shall forward to the General Secretariat of the Council the various words or codes referred to in the previous subparagraph, to enable the Secretariat to draw up a list for distribution to all Member States. Such a list could also be used as an additional device for discovering falsifications.

    Where an expiry date is entered, the date must be entered by means of three groups of two figures in the following order, two for the day, two for the month and two for the year, to be separated by a hyphen, and the first figure shall be a nought where the number is lower than 10 (e.g. 15-01-96: 15 January 1996).

    4.   Place/date of issue

    This space shall indicate the place and date of issue of the residence permit.

    The date of issue shall be entered by means of three groups of two figures in the order laid down in the third subparagraph of point 3.

    5.   Type of permit

    This space shall show the specific type of the residence permit issued by the Member State to the national of a third country.

    This space should not be harmonised because of disparities between the laws of the Member States. However, Member States will forward to the General Secretariat of the Council the various references they include in this space to enable the Secretariat to draw up a list for distribution to all Member States. Such a list could also be used as an additional device for discovering falsifications.

    6.   Remarks

    Member States may enter in this space information and remarks for national use which are required by national provisions concerning nationals from third countries, including information on authorisation to work and passport number.

    Member States will forward to the General Secretariat of the Council the various permanent references they include in this space to enable the Secretariat to draw up a list for distribution to all Member States. Such a list could also be used as an additional device for discovering falsifications.

    7.   Date/signature/authorisation

    Where necessary, the issuing authority may affix here its signature and its stamp and/or require the holder to affix his signature.

    If this space is used, the date should be entered by means of three groups of two figures in the order laid down in the third subparagraph of point 3.

    Where the Member State's legislation or practices require the affixing of an issuing-office stamp, the stamp should be located in the rectangle bounded on the right by the right edge of the sticker, on the left by the ‘Remarks’ box, above by the emblem of the Member State and below by the machine-readable area.

    It is also desirable that the stamp consist of a rectangle 1 cm high × 2,5 cm wide showing the name of the authority issuing the residence permit and the signature and/or the date. The signature and/or the date should be framed on each side by three parallel horizontal lines, the middle one being half as long as the other two.

    8.   Machine-readable area

    The area reserved for machine reading (including codes indicating nationality or other status) shall be completed in accordance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), as set out in the technical specification. On the second line, either the number of the permit or the passport number shall be recorded. The three codes relating to the nationality or status of the permit holder shall be entered in accordance with the list in the Appendix.

    Member States shall notify the General Secretariat of the Council whether they intend to record the permit or the passport number. The Secretariat will circulate this information to all Member States.

    II.   PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION OF THE COMMON REFERENCE AREA OF THE STAND-ALONE DOCUMENT IN THE UNIFORM FORMAT OF THE RESIDENCE PERMIT.

    The format adopted for the stand-alone document is either the ID1 or ID2 format in accordance with ISO standard 7810.1995. In both formats there are 12 boxes to be completed in accordance with the technical specifications where appropriate.

    A.   FRONT

    1.   Permit No

    The number of the document shall appear in this space preceded by a letter code, in accordance with Part 2 of paragraph 3.2 (initial letter(s) as detailed in Part I, paragraph 3.2) of the technical specifications.

    2.   Name

    The surname(s) and first name(s) shall be inserted here in order.

    3.   ‘Valid until’ space

    The corresponding date of expiry shall be entered in this space or, if necessary, a word or a code indicating unlimited validity.

    Member States shall forward to the General Secretariat of the Council the various words or codes referred to in the previous subparagraph, to enable the Secretariat to draw up a list for distribution to all Member States. Such a list could also be used as an additional device for discovering falsifications.

    Where an expiry date is entered, the date must be entered by means of three groups of two figures in the following order, two for the day, two for the month and two for the year, to be separated by a hyphen, and the first figure shall be a nought where the number is lower than 10 (e.g. 15-01-96: 15 January 1996).

    4.   Place/date of issue

    This space shall indicate the place and date of issue of the residence permit.

    The date of issue shall be entered by means of three groups of two figures in the order laid down in the third subparagraph of point 3.

    5.   Type of permit

    This space shall show the specific type of the residence permit issued by the Member State to the national of a third country.

    This space should not be harmonised because of disparities between the laws of the Member States. However, Member States will forward to the General Secretariat of the Council the various references they include in this space to enable the Secretariat to draw up a list for distribution to all Member States. Such a list could also be used as an additional device for discovering falsifications.

    6.   Remarks

    Member States may enter in this space information and remarks for national use which are required by national provisions concerning nationals from third countries, incuding information on authorisation to work.

    Member States will forward to the General Secretariat of the Council the various permanent references they include in this space to enable the Secretariat to draw up a list for distribution to all Member States. Such a list could also be used as an additional device for discovering falsifications.

    7.   Date/signature/authorisation

    Where necessary, the issuing authority may affix here its signature and its stamp and/or require the holder to affix his signature.

    If this space is used, the date should be entered by means of three groups of two figures in the order laid down in the third subparagraph of point 3.

    Where the Member State's legislation or practices require the affixing of an issuing-office stamp, the stamp could be located in the rectangle bounded on the right by the right edge of the standalone document, on the left by the ‘Remarks’ box, above by the emblem of the Member State and below by the base of the card in the ID1 format, or by the machine-readable area in the ID2 format.

    It is also desirable that the stamp consist of a rectangle 1 cm high x 2,5 cm (1) wide showing the name of the authority issuing the residence permit and the signature and/or the date; the signature and/or the date should be framed on each side by three parallel horizontal lines, the middle one being half as long as the other two.

    B.   BACK

    Where there is a stand-alone document, the following additional references shall appear on the back.

    8.   Date and place of birth

    Reference to the place and date of birth of the holder of the residence permit shall be entered here.

    The place of birth shall be the name of the city, if known, as well as the country where the holder of the permit was born. Reference to the country of birth must be given since the holder's nationality may be different from the country of his birth.

    The date of birth shall be entered by means of three groups of two figures in the order laid down in the third subparagraph of point 3.

    9.   Nationality

    The nationality or any other status of the holder of the residence permit shall be entered here.

    Reference to the nationality shall be by reference to the name of the country of which the foreigner is a national, or to any other relevant status, e.g. Colombia.

    10.   Sex

    The sex of the holder of the residence permit shall be entered here in accordance with ICAO standards for the machine-readable zone.

    Member States will forward to the General Secretariat of the Council the various references they include in this box to enable the Secretariat to draw up a list for distribution to all Member States. Such a list could also be used as an additional device for discovering falsifications.

    11.   Remarks

    Member States may enter in this box information and remarks for national use which are required by national provisions concerning nationals from third countries, for example the holder's address.

    Member States will forward to the General Secretariat of the Council the various references they include in this box to enable the Secretariat to draw up a list for distribution to all Member States. Such a list could also be used as an additional device for discovering falsifications.

    12.   Machine-readable area

    (on reverse side of the document in ID1 format and on the front of the document in ID2 format)

    The area reserved for machine reading (including codes indicating nationality or other status) shall be completed in accordance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), as set out in the technical specification. The three codes relating to the nationality or status of the permit holder shall be entered in accordance with the list in the Appendix.


    (1)  For ID1format, these dimensions should be reduced by half.

    Appendix

    List of the codes for entering the nationality or status of the holder of the residence permit in the machine-readable area

     

    Country

    Code

    EUROPE

     

    Albania

    ALB

     

    Andorra

    AND

     

    Armenia

    ARM

     

    Azerbaijan

    AZE

     

    Belarus

    BLR

     

    Bosnia and Herzegovina

    BIH

     

    Bulgaria

    BGR

     

    Croatia

    HRV

     

    Cyprus

    CYP

     

    Czech Republic

    CZE

     

    Estonia

    EST

     

    Georgia

    GEO

     

    Holy See (Vatican City State)

    VAT

     

    Hungary

    HUN

     

    Latvia

    LVA

     

    Lithuania

    LTU

     

    Malta

    MLT

     

    Moldova, Republic of

    MDA

     

    Monaco

    MCO

     

    Poland

    POL

     

    Romania

    ROM

     

    Russian Federation

    RUS

     

    San Marino

    SMR

     

    Slovakia

    SVK

     

    Slovenia

    SVN

     

    Switzerland

    CHE

     

    The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

    FRM

     

    Turkey

    TUR

     

    Ukraine

    UKR

     

    Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of

    YUG

    AFRICA

    Algeria

    DZA

     

    Angola

    AGO

     

    Benin

    BEN

     

    Botswana

    BWA

     

    Burkina Faso

    BFA

     

    Burundi

    BDI

     

    Cameroon

    CMR

     

    Cape Verde

    CPV

     

    Central African Republic

    CAF

     

    Chad

    TCD

     

    Comoros

    COM

     

    Congo

    COG

     

    Congo, the Democratic Republic of the

    COD

     

    Cote d'Ivoire

    CIV

     

    Djibouti

    DJI

     

    Egypt

    EGY

     

    Equatorial Guinea

    GNQ

     

    Eritrea

    ERI

     

    Ethiopia

    ETH

     

    Gabon

    GAB

     

    Gambia

    GMB

     

    Ghana

    GHA

     

    Guinea

    GIN

     

    Guinea-Bissau

    GNB

     

    Kenya

    KEN

     

    Lesotho

    LSO

     

    Liberia

    LBR

     

    Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

    LBY

     

    Madagascar

    MDG

     

    Malawi

    MWI

     

    Mali

    MLI

     

    Mauritania

    MRT

     

    Mauritius

    MUS

     

    Morocco

    MAR

     

    Mozambique

    MOZ

     

    Namibia

    NAM

     

    Niger

    NER

     

    Nigeria

    NGA

     

    Rwanda

    RWA

     

    Sao Tome and Principe

    STP

     

    Senegal

    SEN

     

    Seychelles

    SYC

     

    Sierra Leone

    SLE

     

    Somalia

    SOM

     

    South Africa

    ZAF

     

    Sudan

    SDN

     

    Swaziland

    SWZ

     

    Tanzania, United Republic of

    TZA

     

    Togo

    TGO

     

    Tunisia

    TUN

     

    Uganda

    UGA

     

    Zambia

    ZMB

     

    Zimbabwe

    ZWE

    AMERICA

     

    Antigua and Barbuda

    ATG

     

    Argentina

    ARG

     

    Bahamas

    BHS

     

    Barbados

    BRB

     

    Belize

    BLZ

     

    Bolivia

    BOL

     

    Brazil

    BRA

     

    Canada

    CAN

     

    Chile

    CHL

     

    Colombia

    COL

     

    Costa Rica

    CRI

     

    Cuba

    CUB

     

    Dominica

    DMA

     

    Dominican Republic

    DOM

     

    Ecuador

    ECU

     

    El Salvador

    SLV

     

    Grenada

    GRD

     

    Guatemala

    GTM

     

    Guyana

    GUY

     

    Haiti

    HTI

     

    Honduras

    HND

     

    Jamaica

    JAM

     

    Mexico

    MEX

     

    Nicaragua

    NIC

     

    Panama

    PAN

     

    Paraguay

    PRY

     

    Peru

    PER

     

    Saint Kitts and Nevis

    KNA

     

    Saint Lucia

    LCA

     

    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

    VCT

     

    Suriname

    SUR

     

    Trinidad and Tobago

    TTO

     

    United States of America

    USA

     

    Uruguay

    URY

     

    Venezuela

    VEN

    ASIA

     

    Afghanistan

    AFG

     

    Bahrain

    BHR

     

    Bangladesh

    BGD

     

    Bhutan

    BTN

     

    Brunei Darussalam

    BRN

     

    Cambodia

    KHM

     

    China

    CHN (1)

     

    East Timor

    TMP

     

    India

    IND

     

    Indonesia

    IDN

     

    Iran (Islamic Republic of)

    IRN

     

    Iraq

    IRQ

     

    Israel

    ISR

     

    Japan

    JPN

     

    Jordan

    JOR

     

    Kazakhstan

    KAZ

     

    Korea, Democratic People's Republic of

    PRK

     

    Korea, Republic of

    KOR

     

    Kuwait

    KWT

     

    Kyrgyzstan

    KGZ

     

    Lao People's Democratic Republic

    LAO

     

    Lebanon

    LBN

     

    Malaysia

    MYS

     

    Maldives

    MDV

     

    Mongolia

    MNG

     

    Myanmar

    MMR

     

    Nepal

    NPL

     

    Oman

    OMN

     

    Pakistan

    PAK

     

    Palestine

    *

     

    Philippines

    PHA

     

    Qatar

    QAT

     

    Saudi Arabia

    SAU

     

    Singapore

    SGP

     

    Sri Lanka

    LKA

     

    Syrian Arab Republic

    SYR

     

    Tajikistan

    TJK

     

    Thailand

    THA

     

    Turkmenistan

    TKM

     

    United Arab Emirates

    ARE

     

    Uzbekistan

    UZB

     

    Vietnam

    VNM

     

    Yemen

    YEM

    OCEANIA

     

    Australia

    AUS

     

    Fiji

    FJI

     

    Kiribati

    KIR

     

    Marshall Islands

    MHL

     

    Micronesia (Federated States of)

    FSM

     

    Nauru

    NRU

     

    New Zealand

    NZL

     

    Palau

    PLW

     

    Papua New Guinea

    PNG

     

    Samoa

    WSM

     

    Solomon Islands

    SLB

     

    Tonga

    TON

     

    Tuvalu

    TUV

     

    Vanuatu

    VUT


    The following codes are also used:

    Stateless

    XXA

    Refugees (Convention of 28 July 1951)

    XXB

    Other refugees

    XXC

    International Committee of the Red Cross

    CRC

    UNHCR

    UNR


    (1)  For residents of Hong Kong, the code HKG may be used.


    Top