The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Skopje welcomes the decision taken by the member states of the EU that Macedonia's citizens will be able to travel without visa to the Schengen area as of 19 December 2009, and congratulates the authorities as well as the citizens of Macedonia on this important achievement.

The decision is a reflection of the important reforms undertaken by the Macedonian authorities in the field of Justice, Freedom and Security. Macedonia has actively implemented the roadmap for visa liberalization, making it the leader of this region in this field. The decision by the EU member states is a reflection of this pro-active approach. The Netherlands is confident that this decision will increase the mobility of Macedonia's citizens. It will have a positive effect on the contacts between the people living in Macedonia and in the EU and it will contribute to further strengthening the social, economic and cultural ties between Macedonia and the Netherlands.

The new visa free regime will apply to all holders of biometric passports, who will be able to travel to the Schengen area for up to 90 days per six-month period. The Schengen area is made up of all EU Member States, except the UK and Ireland, as well as three non-EU members, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

For more information on the visa-free travel, please visit the  website of the Delegation of the European Union