Use of the VIS for examining applications
Article 15
1. The competent visa authority shall consult the VIS for the purposes of the examination of applications and the decisions relating to those applications, including the decision whether to annul, revoke, extend or shorten the validity of the visa in accordance with the relevant provisions. 2. For the purposes referred to in paragraph 1, the competent visa authority shall be given access to search with one or several of the following data: (a) the application number; (b) the data referred to in Article 9(4)(a); (c) the data on the travel document, referred to in Article 9(4)(c); (d) the surname, first name and address of the natural person or the name and address of the company/other organisation, referred to in Article 9(4)(f); (e) fingerprints; (f) the number of the visa sticker and date of issue of any previous visa. 3. If the search with one or several of the data listed in paragraph 2 indicates that data on the applicant are recorded in the VIS, the competent visa authority shall be given access to the application file(s) and the linked application file(s) pursuant to Article 8(3) and (4), solely for the purposes referred to in paragraph 1.