4. Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports and members of international organisations

4.1. In view of the special privileges or immunities they enjoy, the holders of diplomatic, official or service passports issued by third countries or their Governments recognised by the Member States, as well as the holders of documents issued by the international organisations listed in point 4.4 who are travelling in the course of their duties, may be given priority over other travellers at border crossing points even though they remain, where applicable, subject to the requirement for a visa. By way of derogation from Article 5(1)(c), persons holding those documents shall not be required to prove that they have sufficient means of subsistence. 4.2. If a person presenting himself or herself at the external border invokes privileges, immunities and exemptions, the border guard may require him or her to provide evidence of his or her status by producing the appropriate documents, in particular certificates issued by the accrediting State or a diplomatic passport or other means. If he or she has doubts, the border guard may, in case of urgent need, apply direct to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 4.3. Accredited members of diplomatic missions and of consular representations and their families may enter the territory of the Member States on presentation of the card referred to in Article 19(2) and of the document authorising them to cross the border. Moreover, by way of derogation from Article 13 border guards may not refuse the holders of diplomatic, official or service passports entry to the territory of the Member States without first consulting the appropriate national authorities. This shall also apply where an alert has been entered in the SIS for such persons. 4.4. The documents issued by the international organisations for the purposes specified in point 4.1 are in particular the following: United Nations laissez-passer issued to staff of the United Nations and subordinate agencies under the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of Specialised Agencies adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 21 November 1947 in New York, European Community (EC) laissez-passer, European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) laissez-passer, legitimacy certificate issued by the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, documents issued pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article III of the Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Force (military ID cards accompanied by a travel order, travel warrant, or an individual or collective movement order) as well as documents issued in the framework of the Partnership for Peace.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-14 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.