The EU Ambassador to Belize, Dr. Erja Askola, has said that the inclusion of Belize into the EU’s visa waiver is unlikely to happen in the coming years.
According to Askola, a visa-free travel agreement with Belize is not realistic at the moment, stressing that the process is complex and depends on a number of factors, Schengen.News reports.
While Askola did not comment on when a visa liberalisation for Belize could be considered, she said that at least for the next couple of years, Belizeans will continue to be required to obtain a Schengen visa in order to be permitted entry into the Schengen Area.
For the time being, the visa-free treatment is not realistic, at least for the next couple of years, I would say.
However, she did not exclude the possibility of “some other progress” that would facilitate the entry of Belize passport holders into the bloc.
Askola noted that the authorities of both parties are working on other options and hope to make progress in the near future.
But there may be progress, some other progress that would facilitate the travelling of Belizeans in Europe. So we are still working on those options, and we hope to make progress in the months to come.
In addition to the above-mentioned, Askola confirmed that Belize does not impose many security or irregular migration risks.
Belize Passport Holders Currently Need to Undergo a Lengthy Schengen Visa Process
To obtain a Schengen visa, passport holders of Belize currently need to undergo a lengthy visa application process.
This is because there are no EU embassies in Belize. Schengen visa applicants from Belize need to travel to the neighbouring countries to submit their application. For example, Belizeans who want to obtain a French Schengen visa need to travel to Guatemala to submit their applications to the French Embassy.
In addition to having to travel to a neighbouring country, Belize passport holders need to submit several documents, just like other visa applicants.
Taking into account the difficulties that Belizeans face when wanting to reach the Schengen Area, the country has been continuously pushing to be included in the EU’s list of countries whose nationals do not need a visa.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize, Eamon Courtenay, previously said that the country has met all the requirements.
He also encouraged the Commission to make a decision and consider the facilitation of the rules for the citizens of the country.