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EXCHANGE OF NOTES BETWEEN HIS MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE GOVERNMENT OF NORWAY CONCERNING THE MUTUAL ABOLITION OF VISAS

London, 26th February, 1947

No. 1

Mr. Ernest Bevin to M. Per Preben Prebensen

Your Excellency,

Foreign Office,

26th February, 1947

I HAVE the honour to inform your Excellency that, as a first step towards the eventual restoration of freedom of travel to Norwegian and British territories, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are prepared to conclude with the Government of Norway an agreement in the following

terms:

(1) Norwegian subjects shall be free to travel from any place whatever to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland without the necessity of obtaining a visa in advance provided that they are furnished with valid Norwegian 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 46

British subject

shall be free to travel from any place whatever to Norway without the necessity of obtaining a visa in advance. (3) It is understood that the waiver of the visa requirement does not exempt Norwegian and British subjects coming respectively to the United Kingdom and to Norway from the necessity of complying with the British and the Norwegian laws and regulations concerning the entry, residence (temporary or permanent) and employinent 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 Spitsbergen or to Norwegian or British colonies and overseas territories, protectorates or territories under mundate or trusteeship, it is understood that visas will continue to be

• required.

2. If the Norwegian 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 March, 1947.

I have, &c.

ERNEST BEVIN.