A
EXCHANGE OF NOTES BETWEEN HIS MAJESTY'S Government IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC CONCERNING THE MUTUAL ABOLITION OF VISAS
Your Excellency,
London, 24th/27th December, 1946
No. 1
Mr. Ernest Bevin to Monsieur R. Massigli
Foreign Office, S.W. 1,
24th December, 1946.
I HAVE the honour to inform your Excellency that, in order to carry into effect the understanding regarding the mutual abolition of visas which was reached between M. Bidault and myself on 11th October last, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are prepared, as a first step towards the eventual restoration of the freedom of travel which existed between British and French territories before the war, to conclude with the Government of the French Republic an agreement in the following terms:-
(1) French citizens shall be free to travel to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by any route without the necessity of obtaining a visa in advance provided that they are furnished with valid French passports.
(2) Holders of valid passports bearing on the cover the inscription "British Passport and inside the description of the holder's national status as "British subject shall be free to travel to metropolitan France and Algeria by any route without the necessity of obtaining a visa in advance.
(3) It is understood that the waiver of the visa requirement does not exempt French citizens and British subjects coming respectively to the United Kingdom and to metropolitan France or Algeria from the necessity of complying with the British and the French laws and regulations concerning the entry, residence (temporary or permanent) and employment or occupation of foreigners, and that travellers who are unable to satisfy the immigration authorities that they comply with these laws and regulations are liable to be refused leave to enter or land.
(4) As regards travel to French or British colonies and overseas terri
tories, protectorates or territories under mandate or trusteeship, it is understood that visas will continue to be required.
2. If the French Government are prepared to accept the foregoing provisions I have the honour to suggest that the present note and your Excellency's reply in similar terms should be regarded as placing on record the agreement between the two Governments, which shall take effect on 1st January, 1947.
+ 4
I have, &c.
ERNEST BEVIN.
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