Travel ID for refugees

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German convention passport
Austrian convention passport
Swiss travel document for refugees

The travel document for refugees (colloquially: convention pass ) is a passport substitute that is issued to a refugee within the meaning of the Geneva Refugee Convention (GFK). The legal basis is Article 28 of the CSF. The reason for the exhibition is that the refugee is granted protection from persecution measures in the country of origin and it is therefore unreasonable for him to submit to the protection of this state by having a regular passport issued by this state .

Exhibition modalities and use

The modalities for issuing travel documents for refugees are specified in the appendix to the GRC. Thereafter, among other things:

  • The travel document must be drawn up in at least two languages ​​and in any case in English or French .
  • Children can be included in it.
  • The fees for the issue may not be higher than for regular passports that the issuing state issues to its own nationals.
  • Except in special cases, the travel document should be valid worldwide.
  • It is issued for one to three years.
  • The issuing country of the previous ID card is responsible for reissuing and renewing it. However, if the holder has settled in another country and lives there legally, the responsibility is transferred to the new host country. The latter withdraws the old travel document for refugees and either sends it back to the issuing country or destroys it.
  • Authorized diplomatic missions from an exhibiting country abroad can extend the travel documents for six months.
  • The contracting states of the GRC must generally recognize the travel documents for refugees from other contracting states.
  • Visas can be affixed to the travel document for refugees .
  • If you have a visa from a destination country, countries of transit should issue transit visas if there is no reason for refusal.
  • No fees may be charged for the visa that exceed the minimum fee rates for visas issued to foreigners.
  • Each issuing country must take back the holder during the validity of the travel document for refugees; However, visas and other formalities may be required.
  • The travel document for refugees does not provide diplomatic or consular protection.

Further international legal provisions; Schengen law

The European Convention on the Abolition of Visa Requirement for Refugees of April 20, 1959, a Council of Europe agreement, provides for the visa-free regime for refugees traveling with travel documents from the contracting parties.

Contracting parties are currently: Belgium , Denmark , Germany , Finland , France , Ireland , Iceland , Italy , Liechtenstein , Luxembourg , Malta , Netherlands , Norway , Austria , Poland , Portugal , Romania , Sweden , Switzerland , Slovakia , Spain , Czech Republic and that United Kingdom . France and the United Kingdom have ratified the Convention, but have since declared, in accordance with a clause that allows this, that they no longer wish to apply it until further notice.

Visa-free entry with the refugee travel document is possible into France, but not into the United Kingdom.

An agreement with similar objectives was concluded between Switzerland and the Federal Republic of Germany ( agreement between the government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Swiss Federal Council on the abolition of the mandatory visa for refugees of May 4, 1961; Federal Law Gazette 1962 II pp. 2330, 2331 ).

German law

  • Foreign travel documents for refugees that have been issued in accordance with the Geneva Refugee Convention (i.e. by contracting states) are accepted as a passport substitute in Germany ( Section 3 (3) No. 1, Section 1 (3) of the Residence Ordinance [AufenthV]).
  • Holders of foreign travel documents for foreigners are exempt from the requirement of a visa or residence permit for entry and short stays if the identity card is issued by an EU or an EEA country, Switzerland or a country whose citizens can enter for short stays without a visa, if the travel document contains an entitlement to return that is valid for four months from the date of entry and no gainful employment in the sense of residence law is to be carried out ( Section 18 sentence 1 AufenthV). The four-month period does not apply to those states in which the European Convention on the Abolition of the Mandatory Visa for Refugees of April 20, 1959 applies (Section 18, Sentence 2, AufenthV).
  • German travel documents for refugees are passport substitute papers ( Section 4 Paragraph 1 No. 3 Residence Ordinance). As a rule, they are withdrawn if the exhibition requirements are no longer met (Section 4 (7) of the Residence Ordinance).
  • The samples of the German travel documents for refugees are set out in Annex D7a to the Residence Ordinance or (provisional document) in Annex D7b ( Section 58 No. 7 Residence Ordinance ).
  • According to Section 48, Paragraph 1, No. 1 a and b and d of the Residence Ordinance, fees of EUR 60 are charged for the exhibition, EUR 38 for under 24s and EUR 13 for under 12s. It is no longer possible to extend the ID; after the expiry of the validity, a new ID must be issued. 30 euros are charged for provisional travel documents (Section 48 Paragraph 1 No. 1 c Residence Ordinance); These IDs can be extended for a fee of 20 euros (Section 48, Subsection 1, No. 2 of the Residence Ordinance).

See also

Web links

Commons : Travel Documents for Refugees  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files