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Law Approving The Agreement Between The Governments Of The Benelux States And The Government Of The Republic Of South Africa Concerning The Exemption From The Visa Requirement For Holders Of Diplomatic, Official Passports And/or Service,

Original Language Title: Loi portant assentiment à l'Accord entre les gouvernements des Etats du Benelux et le gouvernement de la République d'Afrique du Sud relatif à l'exemption de l'obligation de visa pour les titulaires de passeports diplomatiques, officiels et/ou de service,

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belgiquelex.be - Carrefour Bank of Legislation

27 MAI 2014. - An Act to approve the Agreement between the governments of the Benelux States and the Government of the Republic of South Africa on the exemption of the visa requirement for diplomatic, official and/or service passport holders made in Pretoria on February 22, 2013 (1) (2) (3)



PHILIPPE, King of the Belgians,
To all, present and to come, Hi.
The Chambers adopted and We sanction the following:
Article 1er. This Act regulates a matter referred to in Article 77 of the Constitution.
Art. 2. The Agreement between the governments of the Benelux States and the Government of the Republic of South Africa on the exemption of the visa requirement for holders of diplomatic, official and/or service passports, made in Pretoria on 22 February 2013, will come out its full and full effect.
Promulgate this law, order that it be clothed with the seal of the State and published by the Belgian Monitor.
Given in Brussels on 27 May 2014.
PHILIPPE
By the King:
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs,
D. REYNDERS
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior,
Ms. J. MILQUET
The Minister of Justice,
Ms. A. TURTELBOOM
The Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration,
Ms. M. DE BLOCK
Seal of the state seal:
The Minister of Justice,
Ms. A. TURTELBOOM
____
Notes
(1) Senate (www.senate.be):
Documents: 5-2442
Annales du Sénat : 13/03/2014
House of Representatives (www.lachambre.be):
Documents: 53-3453
Full report : 23/04/2014
(2) Entry into force: 1er August 2014
(3) Related States

AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS OF BENELUX AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICA REPUBLIC RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VISA OBLIGATION FOR DIPLOMATIC, OFFICIAL AND/OR SERVICE TITULERS
PREAMBULE
THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE BENELUX AINSI AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC SOUTH AFRICA (hereinafter referred to as "Parties" and separately "Parties");
RECOGNIZING that the Governments of the Benelux States act together under the Convention between the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands concerning the transfer of control of persons to the outer borders of the territory of the Benelux, signed in Brussels on 11 April 1960;
SOUHAITANT to facilitate the entry of citizens of the Republic of South Africa and citizens of the Benelux States in their respective countries who have valid diplomatic, official and/or national passports;
DISPOSES to enter into an Agreement concerning the exemption of the visa requirement for holders of valid diplomatic, official and/or national passports;
AGAINST the following:
ARTICLE 1er
DEFINITIONS
Under this Agreement, unless the context requires another interpretation, it shall be understood:
- by "the Benelux States": the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
- by the "Territory of Benelux": all the territories in Europe, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
ARTICLE 2
AUTORITES COMPETENTES
The competent authorities responsible for the implementation of this Agreement shall:
(a) for the Government of the Republic of South Africa, the Department of the Interior; and
(b) for the Governments of the Benelux States: for the Kingdom of Belgium, the Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, for the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration and for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ARTICLE 3
IMPLEMENTATION OF VISA OBLIGATION
(1) Nationals of the Republic of South Africa who hold valid diplomatic, official and/or national passports may enter the territory of the Benelux States without a visa for a stay of up to three (3) months.
(2) Nationals of the Benelux States who have valid diplomatic, official and/or national passports may enter the Republic of South Africa without a visa for a stay of up to three (3) months.
ARTICLE 4
REPRESENTANTS ACCREDITES
(1) Nationals of the State of one of the Parties assigned to diplomatic or consular missions or missions to international organizations located in the territory of the State of the other Party, and holders of diplomatic, official and/or valid national service passports as well as their spouse or legal partner and their minor children carrying diplomatic, official and/or visa passports may leave the country on the territory of the other Party
(2) Parties shall notify in writing of the arrival of such officials and public servants shall comply with the accreditation regulations of the other Party.
ARTICLE 5
DRAFT ADMISSION
Notwithstanding sections 3 and 4, each Government reserves the right to refuse access to its territory to persons considered to be undesirable or as potentially jeopardizing by their presence public order or national security.
ARTICLE 6
IMPLEMENTATION OF LOIS
Except as to the provisions of this Agreement, this Agreement shall not affect the laws and regulations in force in the Benelux States and in the Republic of South Africa concerning access to the territory, length of stay, establishment and removal of aliens, as well as any form of professional activity of aliens.
ARTICLE 7
READMISSION
Each Party undertakes to return to its territory at any time and without formality, persons who have entered the territory under the cover of a valid diplomatic, official and/or national service passport issued by the Authorities of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands or the Republic of South Africa.
ARTICLE 8
DOCUMENTATION
The Parties shall transmit by diplomatic means the specimens of their new or modified diplomatic, official and/or national service passports and the data concerning the use of these passports, to the extent possible, sixty (60) days before circulation.
ARTICLE 9
DIFFERENDUM REGULATIONS
Any dispute arising from the application or interpretation of this Agreement shall be settled by amicable consultation or negotiation between the Parties.
ARTICLE 10
AMENDMENT
This Agreement may, at any time, be amended by mutual consent between the Parties by means of an exchange of notes between the Parties through diplomatic channels.
ARTICLE 11
DEPOSITARY
The Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of Belgium ("the Belgian Government") will act as depositary of this Agreement. The depositary shall issue to each Party a true copy of the original.
ARTICLE 12
BENEFITS, DIDED AND DENONCIATION
(1) This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date of the last notification attesting to the completion of all constitutional and legal formalities for its entry into force, for a period of one (1) year. If it has not been denounced thirty (30) days before the end of this period, the Agreement will be considered extended for an indefinite period.
(2) Upon the expiration of the first one-year period, each Party may denounce it on a 30-day notice to the Government of Belgium.
(3) The denunciation by one of the Parties will result in the repeal of this Agreement.
(4) The Government of Belgium shall notify the other Parties of the receipt of any notification referred to in this Article and of the receipt of the communication referred to in this Article.
ARTICLE 13
SUSPENSION
The application of this Agreement may be suspended by either Party. The suspension should be notified immediately to the Government of Belgium through diplomatic channels. The Government of Belgium will notify the other Parties of the receipt of this notification. The same procedure will be followed when the suspension is lifted.
ARTICLE 14
IMPLEMENTATION OF COUNTRIES-BAS
With regard to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the application of this Agreement may be extended to Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean part of the Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba).
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the signatories, duly mandated by their respective Governments, have signed this Agreement in the French, Dutch and English language. In the event of a discrepancy of interpretation, the English text will prevail.
DATED at Pretoria, February 22, 2013.

AGREEMENT ABOUT THE GOVERNMENTS OF BENELUX ETATS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICA REPUBLIC RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VISA OBLIGATION FOR DIPLOMATIC, OFFICIAL AND/OR SERVICE TITULERS, FIRST FIRST DAY, 2013