Protocol concerning the exemption of nationals of the Nordic countries from the obligation to have a passport or residence permit while resident in a Nordic country other than their own
Protocol concerning the exemption of nationals of the Nordic countries from the obligation to have a passport or residence permit while resident in a Nordic country other than their own. Signed at Copenhagen, on 22 May 1954. Iceland participated, by an exchange of notes, 1 December 1955. The Protocol includes the Faroe Islands from 1 January 1966.
The Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish Governments have each decided that as from 1 July 1954 nationals of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden shall no longer be required to have a passport or other travel document when travelling from any one to any other of those countries or to be in possession of a residence permit while resident in a Scandinavian country other than their own.
The Agreement of 14 July 19522 between Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway for the readmittance of aliens who have illegally entered the territory of another contracting party shall remain in force.
In this connexion the undersigned, being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have agreed as follows :
Where persons are residing in a Scandinavian country other than their own and are presumed to be nationals of another Scandinavian country, information necessary to establish their identity and nationality may be exchanged directly between the police authorities concerned.
The Governments of the above-mentioned States hereby declare that if any of them should consider it necessary again to require passports and residence permits in respect of the nationals of one or more of those States, such action shall not be taken unless the Governments of the other States concerned have, so far as possible, been notified and efforts have been made to settle any disagreements which may have arisen and, in addition, reasonable notice of the denunciation of the Protocol has been given. Nevertheless, any of the Governments of the said States may without previous notice reintroduce the above-mentioned require ments in respect of the nationals of one or more of the other States in the event of war or a threat of war or similar extraordinary circumstances of an international or national character, but in such case the other Governments shall forthwith be informed of the action taken.
During the validity of the present Protocol, the Protocol of 14 July 1952 concerning the abolition of passports shall be regarded as without effect.
The present Protocol shall not apply to the Faroe Islands or to Greenland. It shall likewise not prevent the making of special regulations concerning areas where security or defence considerations are of special significance.
The Government of Iceland may, by an exchange of notes and subject to reciprocity, participate in the arrangements provided for in the Protocol in favour of the nationals of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF we, being duly authorized thereto, have signed the present Protocol and have thereto affixed our seals.
DONE at Copenhagen on 22 May 1954 in a single original in the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish languages, certified copies of which shall be transmitted to the Governments of the other contracting States by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Unless otherwise indicated, the translation of this text into English has been made by the Secretariat of the United Nations, See 199UNTS2675.
Signatories
Sverige, Danmark, Finland och Norge
Signing of agreement
Date: May 22, 1954
Effective
Dec 01, 1955
