TNAG-2953-FCO40-4230-Hong-Kong-European-Community-visa-regime-for-British-Nationa-1993 — Page 12

27 September 1993

DIEU

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SWIA 2AH

From The Secretary of State

дем мити

Thank you for your letter of 7 September on behalf of

members of LegCo about the possible curtailment of

visa-free entry for Hong Kong British Dependent Territory

Citizens (BDTCs) and British National (Overseas) Citizens

(BN(0)s) to European countries which are signatories of the

Schengen Convention.

I agree with you that continuity in visa free travel arrangements is an important factor in sustaining the confidence of Hong Kong people. We have indeed already

taken up the matter with Schengen Convention countries and

have urged those who do not at present require visas to

maintain visa free access for these Hong Kong visitors.

We understand that BDTCs and BN(0)s will continue to

enjoy visa free travel to Belgium, Luxembourg, The

Netherlands, Italy and Greece. We have also established

that there are no plans for a common approach among the

Schengen Convention signatories towards visas for Hong

Kong. All this is reassuring. However, the Spanish

authorities tell us that they will require BDTCs and BN (0)s

visiting Spain from 1 October 1993 to apply for visas.

This requirement in effect brings to an end an arrangement

which has been in force since 1988 under which Spain

Mrs Elsie Tu