Article 1

1. Residence permits issued by Member States to third-country nationals shall be drawn up in a uniform format and provide sufficient space for the information set out in the Annex hereto. The uniform format may be used as a sticker or a stand-alone document. Each Member State may add in the relevant space of the uniform format information of importance regarding the nature of the permit and the legal status of the person concerned, in particular information as to whether or not the person is permitted to work.
2. For the purpose of this Regulation,
(a) "residence permit" shall mean any authorisation issued by the authorities of a Member State allowing a third-country national to stay legally on its territory, with the exception of:
(i) visas;
(ii) permits issued pending examination of an application for a residence permit or for asylum;
(iii) authorisations issued for a stay of a duration not exceeding six months by Member States not applying the provisions of Article 21 of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders(9);
(b) "third-country national" shall mean any person who is not a citizen of the Union within the meaning of Article 17(1) of the Treaty.