Hi! My husband has an official UN trip to Switzerland for one week using his UNLP. We are landing in Geneva and planning to have a 3-day trip to France via train. Does he need a visa to go Paris? Is there going to be an immigration check when we arrive at the train station in Paris? Appreciate all the help I can get.
Thanks,
Jt
I don't know anything about a UNLP - perhaps he could ask the person issueing it.
No, no immigration checks between Schengen countries (both France and Switzerland are members) but there can be Customs checks (Switzerland is not part of the EU).
I also know nothing about a laissez-passer. What passport will he be traveling on?
US citizens going to Switzerland and France do not need a visa for stays of less than 90 days (combined in the two, or for that matter, in all of the Schengen countries, which both Switzerland and France are). If either of you hold non-US passports, the rules could be different, and the L-P could further change them.
Isn't the UNLP only for "business" travel? If he is traveling on UN business the answer is no he does not need a visa. But if he is traveling on personal business, he is supposed to travel with his regular passport and the question of a visa is based on the country that issued his "regular" passport. If he has an American passport, no visa will be required. You raise an interesting question though because once he gets into Switzerland, there will be no visa check to get into France and so even if he needed a visa, he should not come across anyone who will ask for it.
Thanks everyone. We both have a non-US passport. I already obtained a Schengen visa and since it is an official UN trip, he does not need one since he will be travelling with his LP. We haven't been to Paris and we would really like a short visit but he doesn't have enough time to apply for a tourist visa. We are just worried and don't want him to get reprimanded by UN in case there's a problem questioning his travel documents.
You need to check with his work colleagues in Geneva, not people who have no experience with UNLP and different passports. France does stop people at times, both at borders or on the street asking for their papers. People on this forum are unlikely to have ever been targeted. Are you allowed a weekend excursion using the Laissez-passer? This is too high stakes to rely on our advice.
Most especially now, nerves are some what frayed in paris, i would be completely sure we were following correct procedures.
@ OP, So the trip to Paris is part of the official UN business. Your second post is not clear on that.
You need to ask a French consulate (or perhaps the relevant UN office that handles such things). We here are simply not qualified to answer your question.
