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Thu, Feb 09 2012
Bulgarian Government sets biometric data collection standards for foreigners
Photo: fazen
Foreigners who apply for a Bulgarian visa will have to provide biometric data as of early 2010.
Changes to the Foreigners Act, approved by the Government on October 28 2009, provide for exemptions to the collection of certain biometric data, a Government media statement said.
According to the statement, the changes were in line with Schengen requirements.
Exempt from providing fingerprints were children under the age of 12, as well as people who physically cannot provide fingerprints. Others excluded from the fingerprint requirement included heads of state, members of national parliaments and their partners, delegation members, as well as visitors on an official invitation from European Union (EU) member states or international organisations and members of royal families on an official visit to the country.
The changes were said to be part of Bulgaria's preparation to join the Schengen treaty and for the future connection between the Bulgarian and the EU visa information systems.
The new system was expected to be operational at the beginning of 2010, the media statement said. By then, the consul services of Schengen member states were expected to be ready to start collecting fingerprint data from visa applicants in Northern Africa. Twenty days later the system was expect to be used at all borders between EU member states and non-EU countries, including Bulgaria's borders with its non-EU neighbours, the media statement said.
Changes to the Foreigners Act, approved by the Government on October 28 2009, provide for exemptions to the collection of certain biometric data, a Government media statement said.
According to the statement, the changes were in line with Schengen requirements.
Exempt from providing fingerprints were children under the age of 12, as well as people who physically cannot provide fingerprints. Others excluded from the fingerprint requirement included heads of state, members of national parliaments and their partners, delegation members, as well as visitors on an official invitation from European Union (EU) member states or international organisations and members of royal families on an official visit to the country.
The changes were said to be part of Bulgaria's preparation to join the Schengen treaty and for the future connection between the Bulgarian and the EU visa information systems.
The new system was expected to be operational at the beginning of 2010, the media statement said. By then, the consul services of Schengen member states were expected to be ready to start collecting fingerprint data from visa applicants in Northern Africa. Twenty days later the system was expect to be used at all borders between EU member states and non-EU countries, including Bulgaria's borders with its non-EU neighbours, the media statement said.
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I wonder if visiting Government Ministers will have to comply? You would have thought that they would also have been exempt.
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained off-topic content
No it probably won't include the Americans because they don't need visa to come to BG.
Too bad, I would've enjoyed their humiliation....
"... members of national parliaments and their partners, delegation members, as well as visitors on an official invitation from European Union (EU) member states or international organizations..."
OK does this include Americans? Are their soldiers in the "official invitation" category?
I'd love to see them finger printed like common criminals... pay back is a biach ;)))
Not to mention that the term "foreigner" isn't used for EU citizen in Bulgaria any longer.
But alas, do spill your hatred before you grasp the situation - typical...
Isn't it obvious that they're exempt as they only have to show a passport to enter and not a visa? Did you not read the first paragraph: "Foreigners who apply for a Bulgarian visa will have to provide biometric data as of early 2010."
Since common citizens from EU member states are not quoted as exempt from the finferprint requirement, one is lead to think that they have to comply with the new rules. This is not what is written in the Schgengen treaty as no one of the member states I visited ever dreamed of asking for my fingeprint. What next?