
Article 1 
This Decision introduces a simplified regime for the control of persons at the external borders whereby:

— Bulgaria and Romania may recognise unilaterally as equivalent to their national visas for the purpose of transit the documents referred to in Articles 2 and 3, as well as those referred to in Article 4, issued by those two Member States and by Cyprus to third country nationals subject to a visa obligation pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 539/2001,
— Cyprus may recognise unilaterally as equivalent to its national visas for the purpose of transit the documents referred to in Article 4 issued by Bulgaria and Romania to third country nationals subject to a visa obligation pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 539/2001.
The implementation of this Decision shall not affect the checks to be carried out on persons at the external borders in accordance with Articles 5 to 13 and Articles 18 to 19 of Regulation (EC) No 562/2006.
Article 2 

1. Bulgaria and Romania may consider as equivalent to their national visa, for the purpose of transit, the following documents issued by the Member States fully implementing the Schengen acquis, irrespective of the nationality of the holders:
((i)) a ‘uniform visa’ as referred to in Article 10 of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement;
((ii)) a ‘long-stay visa’ as referred to in Article 18 of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement;
((iii)) a ‘residence permit’ as included in Annex IV to the Common Consular Instructions.
2. If Bulgaria and Romania decide to apply this Decision, they shall recognise all the documents referred to in paragraph 1, regardless of which State issued the document.
Article 3 
If Bulgaria and Romania decide to apply Article 2, they may recognise national short-term visas, long-stay visas and residence permits issued by Cyprus as equivalent to their national visas for the purpose of transit.
Documents issued by Cyprus which may be recognised are listed in the Annex to Decision No 895/2006/EC.
Article 4 
Moreover, Bulgaria and Romania may also recognise national short-term visas, long-stay visas and residence permits issued by each other as equivalent to their national visas for the purpose of transit.
The documents issued by Bulgaria and Romania which may be recognised pursuant to this Decision are listed in the Annex.
Cyprus may also recognise the national short-term visas, long-stay visas and residence permits issued by Bulgaria and Romania listed in the Annex as equivalent to its national visas for the purpose of transit.
Article 5 
Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania may recognise documents as equivalent to their national visas for the purpose of transit only if the duration of the transit by the third country national through their territory does not exceed five days.
The period of validity of the documents referred to in Articles 2, 3 and 4 shall cover the duration of the transit.
Article 6 
Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania shall notify the Commission within 10 working days of the entry into force of this Decision, if they decide to apply this Decision. The Commission shall publish the information communicated by those Member States in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Article 7 
This Decision shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply until the date determined by a Council decision adopted pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of the 2003 Act of Accession in respect of Cyprus and to the first subparagraph of Article 4(2) of the 2005 Act of Accession in respect of Bulgaria and Romania, on which all the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the field of the common visa policy and the movement of third country nationals legally residing within the territory of the Member States shall apply to the Member State concerned.
After the date, as referred to in the second paragraph, has been determined by the relevant Council decision in respect of a Member State, that Member State shall recognise during their period of validity, national short-term visas issued before that date until the last day of the sixth month from that date, for the purpose of transit through its territory, provided that that Member State has given the notification referred to in Article 6. During that period, the conditions set out in this Decision shall apply.
Article 8 
This Decision is addressed to Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania.
Done at Strasbourg, 17 June 2008.
For the European Parliament
The President
H.-G. PÖTTERING
For the Council
The President
J. LENARČIČ
ANNEX

— Визa за транзитно преминаване (виза вид B) – Transit visa (type B).
— Визa за краткосрочно пребиваване (виза вид C) – Short-stay visa (type C).
— Виза за дългосрочно пребиваване (виза вид D) – Long-stay visa (type D).


— Карта на продължително пребиваващ в Република България чужденец – Long-term residence card for foreign nationals.
— Карта на постоянно пребиваващ в Република България чужденец – Permanent residence card for foreign nationals.
— Удостоверение за завръщане в Република България на чужденец – Permit conferring on foreign nationals the right to return to the Republic of Bulgaria.


— viză de tranzit, identificată prin simbolul B (transit visa, identified by B symbol),
— viză de scurtă ședere, identificată prin simbolul C (short-stay visa, identified by C symbol),
— viză de lungă ședere, identificată prin unul dintre următoarele simboluri, în funcție de activitatea pe care urmează să o desfășoare în România străinul căruia i-a fost acordată (long-stay visa, identified by one of the following symbols, according to the activity that the alien receiving the visa is to perform in Romania):
((i)) desfășurarea de activități economice, identificată prin simbolul D/AE (economic activities, identified by D/AE symbol);
((ii)) desfășurarea de activități profesionale, identificată prin simbolul D/AP (professional activities, identified by D/AP symbol);
((iii)) desfășurarea de activități comerciale, identificată prin simbolul D/AC (commercial activities, identified by D/AC symbol);
((iv)) angajare în munca, identificată prin simbolul D/AM (employment, identified by D/AM symbol);
((v)) studii, identificată prin simbolul D/SD (studies, identified by D/SD symbol);
((vi)) reîntregirea familiei, identificată prin simbolul D/VF (family reunification, identified by D/VF symbol);
((vii)) activități de cercetare științifică, identificată prin simbolul D/CS (scientific research activities, identified by D/CS symbol);
((viii)) activități religioase sau umanitare, identificată prin simbolul D/RU (religious or humanitarian activities, identified by D/RU symbol);
((ix)) viză diplomatică și viză de serviciu, identificată prin simbolul DS (diplomatic visa and service visa, identified by DS symbol);
((x)) alte scopuri, identificată prin simbolul D/AS (other purposes, identified by D/AS symbol).


— Permis de ședere temporară (temporary residence permit),
— Permis de ședere permanentă (permanent residence permit),
— Carte de rezidență – pentru străinii membri de familie ai cetățenilor români (residence card – for aliens who are family members of Romanian citizens),
— Carte de rezidență permanentă – pentru străinii membri de familie ai cetățenilor români (permanent residence card – for aliens who are family members of Romanian citizens).
