New Schengen region Residence Cards for family of EU

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

http://www.udi.no/Norwegian-Directorate ... EEA-area-/

Documentation for family members of EEA nationals from outside the EEA area

Persons from outside the EEA area who are family members of EEA nationals and who are entitled to reside in Norway do not get a sticker in their passports. The present system consists of a document confirming their right to reside and travel in the Schengen area.

In December 2011, we will introduce a card that can be used to document right of residence and the right to visit other Schengen countries. Identical residence cards will also be introduced in the other Schengen countries. This will make it easier for family members of EU/EEA nationals to document their rights when crossing the Schengen border.

Last updated 15.08.2011
Published 17.06.2011

This suggests that all Schengen countries will start issuing identical Residence Cards.

[ca.funke]

...Identical residence cards will also be introduced in the other Schengen countries...

Yippie, is it true?

I suggested this (albeit with more details) in 2009, but it fell on deaf ears everywhere...

This is a start

[Obie]

I don't believe there are major problems for family members, traveling within Schengen area. I strongly believe the major problem is with the UK.

Once this is resolved, i believe everything will be more or less okay

[ca.funke]

...problems for family members, traveling within Schengen...

Hi Obie,

there can be MAJOR problems, maybe not WITHIN, but going TO Schengen

Take >>the Swiss version of the residence card<< as an example.

Flying into the Schengen-Zone from outside with this permit can be VERY problematic.

Personal experience:

• Flying from Beirut to Zürich (direct) sort-of works, since there are simply quite a bunch of people who travel with the same card.
• Flying from Beirut to Zürich via Prague nearly saw us miss the plane.
  • The "smart" guy at check-in didn´t believe that a Schengen-residence-permit can look like that.
  • He maintained that "all Schengen-residence-permits are credit-card sized, no exceptions"

The following detail is unbelievable but true:

• If you´re married to a Swiss national, you get a credit-card-sized residence permit (looks similar to >>this<<).
• If you´re married to an EU-national, you get the residence-permit >>I linked to before<<.

Now explain that difference to airline-check-in-staff. Most of them couldn´t care less...

I complained to several departments about this, and repeatedly asked to have a credit-card-sized residence-permit issued, explaining that travelling is VERY problematic with the other permit.

Standard answer: That´s the way we issue them, and the Stupid are responsible to know about that...

...only thing is: They just do no know - welcome to the real world

[mastermind]

There was a similar news item from Sweden earlier:
http://www.migrationsverket.se/info/3639_en.html
http://www.migrationsverket.se/info/4030.html
http://www.migrationsverket.se/download ... ort_en.pdf

The aim of the residence permit cards, or UT cards, is to be more secure than today’s stickers.
The cards will therefore be biometric – they have a data chip with the bearer’s photo and fingerprints. All EU member states will issue the same type of residence permit cards beginning May 20, 2011.

The implementation of this in "All EU member states" remains to be seen though...