Background:

On 26 October 2016, the EU adopted Regulation (EU) 2016/1953, establishing a uniform and secure European travel document to support Member States in the return of irregularly staying third-country nationals. The Regulation sets out the technical specifications of the document, while leaving Member States responsible for designating issuing authorities and defining national procedures. Italy subsequently incorporated the instrument into its legal framework, assigning the Questore (provincial Chief of Police) as the competent authority and approving the official model through an interministerial decree. At the operational level, the document may be used in the context of various EU readmission agreements and technical arrangements with countries such as Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and others.

In this context, EMN NCP Italy sought updated information on the use of the European travel document, complementing earlier data collected in 2022.

Respondents:

17 EMN Member Countries provided a public answer to this ad hoc query.

Findings:

A preliminary analysis of the results of the ad hoc query shows that:

• The practical use of the European travel document remains limited, despite being legally available in most Member States. Only a few countries regularly use it. DE reports consistent use for returns to the Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) as well as to Moldova. LU issues it for readmissions to Albania and Kosovo. NL uses it for returns to Tanzania. ES has used it intermittently for returns to Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Argentina. BG, CZ, LV and SK mention very few cases, often linked to particular circumstances or individuals who had some form of existing documentation.
   
• Many Member States indicate that, although able to issue the document, they have not used it in practice. This is the case for CY, EE, LT and PL. In such countries, return procedures typically rely on emergency travel documents issued by the country of origin, obtained either through readmission agreements or diplomatic channels. IT has only recently finalised printing its first documents and has not yet reported use.
   
• Established procedures exist only in a few countries. LU uses frameworks developed within existing readmission agreements. DE requires identity verification before issuing the document. NL reports that procedures depend on the country of return, the airline involved and the specifics of each case, with the document sometimes serving as a guarantee for carriers in the event a returnee is refused entry. In most other countries, the document is used only occasionally and without dedicated national procedures.
   
• Some countries report acceptance by third countries even without European or bilateral agreements. ES notes acceptance by Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Argentina without any formal arrangements. BG previously used the document (combined with an expired passport) for Tunisia and the Republic of Congo. CZ notes acceptance in isolated cases involving Venezuela and Montenegro, although these were highly specific circumstances.
   
• Acceptance for transit purposes is extremely limited. LV reports one case involving transit in Turkey for a child travelling to Azerbaijan. BG notes that transit is possible but only with explicit approval from the country of origin. ES does not use the document when transit is required. Other countries - such as CZ, LT, NL, PT and SK - report no experience or no regular acceptance in transit contexts. PL notes only limited ad hoc use of the document alongside an emergency travel document during returns involving transit through Turkey or Uzbekistan.
   
• Overall, the findings demonstrate that the practical implementation of the European travel document remains modest. Reasons include limited acceptance by third countries, a general preference for travel documents issued by countries of origin, the risk-averse attitude of airlines (concerned about penalties if a passenger is refused entry), and other operational challenges. Where used, the document mainly supports returns to a very limited group of countries and is typically applied only after careful case-by-case assessment.

For further details, please read the compilation of answers attached above.