EU Citizens Excluded From “Foreigner” Definition
November 30th, 2006Bulgaria is to introduce a new definition of the term ‘foreigner’ that excludes citizens of EU member states, Bulgaria in EU Press Center reports.
The change would be introduced through modifications in the country’s Foreigners Act. According to the amendments, a foreigner would be each person who is not a citizen of an EU member state, a country from the European Economic Community (which adds to the EU countries Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland) and of Switzerland. Current regulation says that each person of origin other than Bulgarian is a foreigner.
Changes to the Foreigners Act are needed because of Bulgaria’s upcoming EU entry and the commitments listed in the country’s Accession Treaty. The country needs to synchronies with European norms its regulations on the status of foreigners.
Visas would be issued from now on in the form of a unanimously accepted in the EU sticker, a Council of Ministers press release said. Biometrical information including ten fingerprints and a digital photo will be introduced automatically in the visa sticker. The use of biometrical information contained in the sticker for other purposes than visa issuing is formally forbidden.
A facilitated visa procedure will be introduced for foreigners willing to carry out research in Bulgaria. This visa of D-category allows the persons to enter the country several times within one-year period. Foreigners, who have received residence permit for another EU member state, would also have the right to acquire residence permit for Bulgaria for a period exceeding three months. Foreigners to which visa was not issued will receive an EU certified document explaining the reasons for the refusal.
