Bermuda passport holders will enjoy visa-free travel from June 9 to the Schengen Countries — a zone of European countries that have dropped border controls within their common borders.

The right of British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC) passport holders to travel visa-free through the Schengen Area, which covers 26 countries, has been approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

The move was announced on Monday by Shadow Immigration and External Affairs Minister Walton Brown, who lobbied the EU for several years to include Bermuda and other Overseas Territories on the list of countries with visa-free access to the Shengen area.

However, the June 4 date given in Mr Brown’s announcement was said to be incorrect, according to Government House. The official statement was issued last night.