US-EU visa reciprocity

European Parliament has urged US to respect the visa reciprocity mechanism voting on non-legislative resolution on March 2nd, 2017 .

According to the official statement of the European Parliament issued on Thursday, March 2nd, “the EU Commission is legally obliged to take measures temporarily reintroducing visa requirements for US citizens, given that Washington still does not grant visa-free access to nationals of five EU countries.” In the case of non-compliance within the next two months from the resolution, European Union will lift the visa-free travel to EU countries for American citizens for 12 months.

Citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania still cannot enter US territory without a visa, while US citizens can travel to all EU countries visa-free. According to the visa reciprocity mechanism, if a third country does not lift its visa requirements within 24 months of being notified of non-reciprocity, the EU Commission must adopt a delegated act – to which both Parliament and the Council may object – suspending the visa waiver for its nationals for 12 months.

As of April 2014, five countries including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Japan and the US, did not meet the obligation of visa reciprocity for all EU citizens. Australia, Brunei and Japan have since lifted their visa requirements for all EU citizens and Canada will do so in December this year.