Bermudian passport holders will no longer have to apply for visas to European Union Countries if their document is stamped: "right of abode in the UK".

Rather then apply for the British Passport, Bermudians can now send their passports to New York to get a stamp that will allow them access to all EU countries and other visa-free countries for British nationals.

Senator Walton Brown, however, said that the introduction of this stamp was only the first step and hopefully Bermuda passport holders will not have to send their documents abroad in the near future.

In the Senate yesterday, Senator Brown said: "I am very pleased to report that as a consequence of our meeting the UK Government has agreed that, with immediate effect all Bermuda passport holders are entitled to have the "Right of abode in the UK" stamped in their Bermuda passport.

"With this stamp Bermuda passport holders will no longer require a visa to enter any of the Schengen group of countries, some 29 sovereign states.

"The current process for securing this stamp is through the UK consular office in New York."

Senator Brown added after the Senate that: "We feel this is a cumbersome process and while many British nationals outside of the UK use this method — it is the only means currently in place — we are working with the UK to find a simpler, Bermuda-based solution.

"Our hope is that new Bermuda passports will be issued with the stamp already included and that passports already issued will be stamped once validated through a process less complex than that which is currently in place."

In recent months many of the EU countries have changed their travel requirements for those travelling on the Bermudian passport.

At one point this caused problems on a school trip to France, when students with their Bermudian passports that were issued before 2002 were held-up by French immigration.

The stamp, which will clear this confusion, will cost about $250 and will take up to six weeks to process.

According to the UK Border Agency website a certificate issued after 21 December 2006 can be withdrawn if the person no longer qualifies.

Bermudians can also still apply for the full British passport, which has been available to Bermudians since May 2002 with the commencement of the British Overseas Territories Act, which made all British Overseas Territories Citizens (BOTC) full British citizens.

The stamp will provide the same access.

To apply for the stamp download and fill out forms available at: www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/ and, according to Senator Brown the applications will be accepted at the New York Office which is: 845 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022.