France to Spain

[overherebc]

If my wife, Thai, and self have a holiday in the south west of France and want to visit Spain for a few days is the visa for France all she needs or will there be anything else required to enter Spain, question is mainly being asked by her not me as a UK passport holder. 

[vogie]

My wifes visa was a schengen visa when she came to France to visit me, we travelled to Spain no problem.

http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/schengen-visa.php

[overherebc]

8 minutes ago, vogie said:

My wifes visa was a schengen visa when she came to France to visit me, we travelled to Spain no problem.

http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/schengen-visa.php

Ok Thanks.

She is the concerned one, not me.

[Donutz]

A Schengen visa (or residence permit from a Schengen state for that matter) allows the alien to travel into, through and leave via any and all Schengen member states. So with a French Schengen visa you can fly from BKK to Zurich (Switzerland), spent time in France, travel to Spain and leave the Schengen area via Portugal.

 

You may find the sticky topic on Schengen visas useful.

[overherebc]

3 hours ago, Donutz said:

A Schengen visa (or residence permit from a Schengen state for that matter) allows the alien to travel into, through and leave via any and all Schengen member states. So with a French Schengen visa you can fly from BKK to Zurich (Switzerland), spent time in France, travel to Spain and leave the Schengen area via Portugal.

 

You may find the sticky topic on Schengen visas useful.

I'm aware of the Schengen visa it's just a case of convincing my wife of the ease of travel in the EU, unless Brexit screws it up ??.

Driving is the way we would do it, last time I did it all the borders on the motorways were wide open, almost no need to slow down.

Recents events with regard to, let's call them asylum seekers, I don't know if they have changed anything for holiday makers travelling by road through a few different countries within the EU.

 

[theoldgit]

@overherebc My wifes previous Schenghen Visa was issued by the Dutch Authorities, I'd communicated with my friend Donutz before applying. My wife was my girlfriend then and as we'd been in a subsisting relationship for a decade they felt fit to issue her with free a multi entry visa which was valid for the duration of her passport, shy of three months, this allowed us to make a number of trips to the Schengen Area.

Last year she got a passport in her married name and a shiny new five year UK Visa, as we were intending to visit the Schengen Area when we visited the UK over Christmas, she this time applied to the Danish Authorities as we were visiting Iceland, we again asked for a longer term visa, however on this occasion they only issued her with a visa valid for three months shy of the UK's exit from the EU, citing Brexit or at least the UK's withdrawal advising that they were acting on instructions, I don't know how true this was. 

[overherebc]

2 hours ago, theoldgit said:

@overherebc My wifes previous Schenghen Visa was issued by the Dutch Authorities, I'd communicated with my friend Donutz before applying. My wife was my girlfriend then and as we'd been in a subsisting relationship for a decade they felt fit to issue her with free a multi entry visa which was valid for the duration of her passport, shy of three months, this allowed us to make a number of trips to the Schengen Area.

Last year she got a passport in her married name and a shiny new five year UK Visa, as we were intending to visit the Schengen Area when we visited the UK over Christmas, she this time applied to the Danish Authorities as we were visiting Iceland, we again asked for a longer term visa, however on this occasion they only issued her with a visa valid for three months shy of the UK's exit from the EU, citing Brexit or at least the UK's withdrawal advising that they were acting on instructions, I don't know how true this was. 

Sorry to be a PIA with the questions but my wife is totally convinced we have to prove, somehow, that our marraige is 'registered' in the UK.

As it's recognised in the UK she really wants to know what bit of paper, certificate etc does she have to show to VFS/Spanish Embassy?

Her questions, not mine. ?

[theoldgit]

You’ll know as well as I that if you marry in Thailand your marriage is recognized in the UK, there isn’t, as far as I know, a procedure for registering your marriage in the UK.
That said I have read the Spanish used to demand such a document, probably fully aware that it can’t be done.
One or two of our members have fallen foul of this “requirement” maybe some of them will drop by and comment how they resolved it, and if they are still asking to see such evidence.


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[overherebc]

14 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

You’ll know as well as I that if you marry in Thailand your marriage is recognized in the UK, there isn’t, as far as I know, a procedure for registering your marriage in the UK.
That said I have read the Spanish used to demand such a document, probably fully aware that it can’t be done.
One or two of our members have fallen foul of this “requirement” maybe some of them will drop by and comment how they resolved it, and if they are still asking to see such evidence.


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Thanks. 

Seems to be on a par with a dartboard licence.

???

[7by7]

35 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Sorry to be a PIA with the questions but my wife is totally convinced we have to prove, somehow, that our marraige is 'registered' in the UK.

As it's recognised in the UK she really wants to know what bit of paper, certificate etc does she have to show to VFS/Spanish Embassy?

Her questions, not mine. ?

If she already has a Schengen visa issued by the French which is, as said, valid for all other Schengen states, including Spain, there is no need for her to show the Spanish embassy anything!

[overherebc]

56 minutes ago, 7by7 said:

If she already has a Schengen visa issued by the French which is, as said, valid for all other Schengen states, including Spain, there is no need for her to show the Spanish embassy anything!

I understand that but if you are looking at booking a holiday in Spain only and don't want to go anywhere else and the area of Spain is not within easy travel distance of France you have to go through the process of making France or Portugal your intended destination for the duration then getting the visa for those two then cancelling the bookings for them and moving to Spain for the holiday etc etc.

Just seems a whole lot of wasted time and effort because the  Spanish embassy/VFS is asking for something that doesn't exist.

I'm getting to the point where we might go to UK, get married in a registry office before we do anything else.

??

Edited February 12, 2018 by overherebc

[theoldgit]

Sorry I misread the part where you said you were visiting France and wanted to pop into Spain, so presumably already have a Schengen Visa.
I can confirm what 7by7 has told you that this will allow you unfettered access into Spain, there will not be any border checks though in the current climate there could possibly be a cursory glance in your car, terrorism and refugees spring to mind.
With my wife’s Schengen Visa issued by the French she entered Italy by land and air, and with her visa issued by the Dutch she entered France a few times, Belgium, Luxembourg and of course the Netherlands.
This is one of the perks that is very much at risk when the UK leaves the EU.
Once again I apologize for misreading your post.


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[Donutz]

14 minutes ago, overherebc said:

I understand that but if you are looking at booking a holiday in Spain only and don't want to go anywhere else and the area of Spain is not within easy travel distance of France you have to go through the process of making France or Portugal your intended destination for the duration then getting the visa for those two then cancelling the bookings for them and moving to Spain for the holiday etc etc.

Just seems a whole lot of wasted time and effort because the  Spanish embassy/VFS is asking for something that doesn't exist.

I'm getting to the point where we might go to UK, get married in a registry office before we do anything else.

??

Not only something that doesn't exist but which they also legally cannot ask. It would be a violation of EU law (Directive 2004/38).

 

But the Spainish embassy is rather notorious for breaking the rules and few people complain  (it seems) to the EU ombudsmen Solvit or EU home affairs ( JUST-CITIZENSHIP {at} ec.europa.eu ).

[overherebc]

3 minutes ago, Donutz said:

Not only something that doesn't exist but which they also legally cannot ask. It would be a violation of EU law (Directive 2004/38).

 

But the Spainish embassy is rather notorious for breaking the rules and few people complain  (it seems) to the EU ombudsmen Solvit or EU home affairs ( JUST-CITIZENSHIP {at} ec.europa.eu ).

??

Do you have a website for The Inquisition?

??

[chickenslegs]

14 minutes ago, overherebc said:

I'm getting to the point where we might go to UK, get married in a registry office before we do anything else.

I don't think you can do that, as you are already married.

It could be regarded as bigamy .

 

If you are serious about doing it I suggest you contact the General Register Office for advice.

 

 

[7by7]

1 hour ago, 7by7 said:

If she already has a Schengen visa issued by the French which is, as said, valid for all other Schengen states, including Spain, there is no need for her to show the Spanish embassy anything!

 

46 minutes ago, overherebc said:

I understand that but if you are looking at booking a holiday in Spain only and don't want to go anywhere else and the area of Spain is not within easy travel distance of France you have to go through the process of making France or Portugal your intended destination for the duration then getting the visa for those two then cancelling the bookings for them and moving to Spain for the holiday etc etc

 I thought that as you asked in your OP 

 

10 hours ago, overherebc said:

If my wife, Thai, and self have a holiday in the south west of France and want to visit Spain for a few days is the visa for France all she needs

that she already has, or is about to apply for, a French issued Schengen visa; which is, as said, valid for Spain as well.

 

If not, then as France is her main destination she should apply to France for her visa. Which means, of course, the Spanish wont be involved at all.

 

56 minutes ago, overherebc said:

I'm getting to the point where we might go to UK, get married in a registry office before we do anything else.

As chickenlegs says; not possible if you are already legally married in another country; e.g. registered your marriage at an ampur in Thailand. UK law recognises most marriages which are legal in the country where they were registered and does not allow a couple to register their marriage twice, e.g. once abroad and then again in the UK.

 

But you do not need to go to such extremes anyway, the answer to the question you asked in your OP is, quite simply yes; a valid French issued Schengen visa is all she needs to enter Spain, plus her passport of course. 

[Donutz]

3 hours ago, overherebc said:

??

Do you have a website for The Inquisition?

??

 The directive itself: it only says marriage is requires, nothing about where it needs to be registered.

 

The handbook for embassy staff on EU home affairs:

https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy_en

 

 

And the sample story on the EU website:

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-family/index_en.htm

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Sample story

Marriage certificate enough to get a visa

Thomas is Irish and lives in Belarus with his wife Delia, a Belarusian national. When they wanted to visit Thomas's mother, now living in Spain, they applied for an entry visa for Delia.

She included their marriage certificate in the application, but the Spanish authorities also asked for proof of hotel accommodation in Spain and health insurance before they would issue the visa.

However, when Delia pointed out that no such additional documents were required under EU law, the Spanish authorities apologised for their mistake and immediately issued her entry visa.

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