Nordic Passport Union

The Nordic Passport Union includes Iceland, Norway, Denmark^[1], Sweden, and Finland.

The Nordic Passport Union allows citizens of the Nordic countries: Denmark^[2] (Faroe Islands included^[3]), Sweden, Norway,^[4] Finland, and Iceland^[5] to travel and reside in other Nordic countries without a passport or a residence permit.

Establishment

The Nordic Passport Union was established in three steps. The first step came in 1952, in the form of agreements by the Nordic countries to abolish passports for travel between them and to readmit aliens having entered illegally into one Nordic country from another. The second step was implemented in 1954, when the agreement was extended to allow citizens to reside in any Nordic country without a residence permit. The third step was the removal of passport checks for aliens at internal Nordic borders by a treaty signed July 12, 1957 and coming into force May 1, 1958.

Nordic countries and Schengen

As of 1996, all Nordic countries had joined the larger Schengen Agreement, now comprising 25 countries in Europe.

From March 25, 2001, the Schengen acquis fully applied to the five countries of the Nordic Passport Union (except for the Faroe Islands, which remain outside the Schengen Area). Border checkpoints have been removed within the Schengen zone. There are some areas in the Nordic Passport Union that give extra rights for Nordic citizens, not covered by Schengen, such as less paperwork if moving to a different Nordic country, and fewer requirements for naturalization of citizenship. Within the Nordic area, any Nordic ID card (e.g. a driving license) is valid for Nordic citizens because of the Nordic Passport Union, while a national ID card or a passport is required in other Schengen countries. Most Scandinavian people do not own any Schengen approved national ID card, so they need a passport when visiting Schengen countries outside the Nordic area^[6].

Before 2001, full customs checks were required for ferry travel when traveling from Denmark to other Nordic countries. There was no land border with Denmark before July 2000 when the Öresund Bridge was opened, which had relaxed customs check from the start. Nordic citizens did not need to be in possession of a passport, but a passport could be useful for those not natively speaking a Scandinavian language. As a part of the customs check, at least when arriving from Denmark and non-Nordic countries, every car driver was asked about where they had been, and suspicious people were subject to further checks. For land and ferry travel into Denmark and between Sweden, Norway and Finland, there were much more relaxed customs and passport checks, and often no checks at all. For air travel, there were full passport and customs checks, even though verbally claiming Nordic citizenship with a Scandinavian language, plus showing the ticket for the intra-Nordic flight, or any Nordic ID card, was usually enough to pass the passport check. It happened that Nordic citizens without a passport were not allowed to pass until a thorough identity investigation had been made, usually for people looking non-Nordic. Passengers traveling by public transport, such as train or air, were usually not interviewed by the customs control.

From March 2001, the Schengen rules have given more relaxed customs checks from Denmark, including no passport checks at airports, since intra-Schengen travelers are separated from the travelers from outside the Schengen area.

Agreements

Abolition of passport for Nordic citizens

The protocol concerning the abolition of passports for travel between Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway^[7], was signed on July 14, 1952, in Stockholm.

This protocol was implemented by the individual but concurrent decisions of the four governments. It provided that the need for citizens of the four countries, to carry passports when traveling in the these countries, for such short times that a residence permit was not necessary, was abolished.

The agreement could be revoked in case of war, danger of war, or extraordinary international or national circumstances.

Readmittance of aliens

The agreement for the readmittance of aliens^[8], was signed on July 14, 1952, in Stockholm.

The agreement provides that any alien, i.e. persons not citizens of the Nordic countries, having illegally entered one of the Nordic countries directly from another Nordic country should be readmitted by that country, unless that person has stayed at least a year in that country or has received either a residence or work permit.

Exemption of passport or residence permit

The protocol concerning the exemption of nationals of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden from the obligation to have a passport or residence permit while resident in a Scandinavian country other than their own^[9], was signed on May 22, 1954 in Copenhagen.

The protocol was implemented by individual but concurrent decisions by the governments of each of the countries, and can be revoked in case of war, danger of war, or other extraordinary international or national circumstances.

The protocol provides that citizens of the Nordic countries can travel without passport or other travel documentation to any other Nordic country. Citizens of the Nordic countries can reside without residence permit in any other Nordic country.

Police authorities in the Nordic countries shall make all necessary information available to ascertain a person's identity and citizenship in a Nordic country.

Removal of passport checks at the internal Nordic borders

The agreement between Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to remove passport control at the internal Nordic borders^[10], was signed July 12, 1957 in Copenhagen and came into force May 1, 1958.

This agreement removed all passport checks at the internal Nordic borders, and required the Nordic countries to uphold passport control at the external borders. Aliens with residence permits are allowed to stay up to three months in other Nordic countries, except for seeking employment or conducting business.

Aliens who are denied entry into one Nordic country should also be denied entry into the other Nordic countries. The Nordic countries are also obliged to readmit aliens that should have been denied entry at the first point of entry.

See also

• Pre-Schengen free-travel zones in Europe

References

1. ^ Greenland not included, Faroe Islands included
2. ^ Greenland not included
3. ^ Since January 1, 1966
4. ^ Svalbard, Jan Mayen, Bouvet Island and Queen Maud's Land not included
5. ^ Since November 3, 1955
6. ^ När behöver jag pass? (Swedish)
7. ^ United nations treaty collection. "Protocol concerning the abolition of passports for travel between Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway". http://untreaty.un.org/unts/1_60000/5/30/00009491.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
8. ^ United nations treaty collection. "Agreement for readmittance of aliens who have illegally entered the territory of another contracting party". http://untreaty.un.org/unts/1_60000/5/30/00009492.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
9. ^ United nations treaty collection. "Protocol concerning the exemption of nationals of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden from the obligation to have a passport or residence permit while resident in a Scandinavian country other than their own". http://untreaty.un.org/unts/1_60000/5/32/00009566.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
10. ^ United nations treaty collection. "Agreement between Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to remove passport control at the internal Nordic borders". http://untreaty.un.org/unts/1_60000/9/28/00017396.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-17.