Feedback about Schengen visa for Thai GF.

[nelson bunker]

Here is some feedback about my applications for a Schengen visa for the Thai GF.

 

I am a Frenchman and we are not married, we have been together since 2010. We have a 2 year old child together, the child has a French passport.

As i work and live in Belgium, in October 2017 i asked for a visa for family visit(90 days) to the Belgian authorities through TLS.

We  gathered the documents, salary slips, insurance, French family book... The GF went to Bangkok to submit her file to TLS, according to them everything was OK... The next day she had an interview with a Thai speaking lady at the Belgian embassy.

She explained she wanted to go to Belgium to visit me and discover Belgium and France and then return to TH. Which is true.

 

We waited 2 months and against our expectations, the visa was refused. She had a letter stating that i didn't earn enough money ( I get 1850 e a month and according to them you need  a basis of 1500+150 for her and 200 for the child...) and that she didn't prove her will to leave the EU after her visa has expired...

 

There is not really a way to appeal and the best way is to ask for a visa again...

 

We gathered all the documents again and in January 2018 she went to BKK again, we paid the fees to TLS and according to them everything was good, interview with the lady at the Belgian embassy...

 

Two months later, visa denied again!

According to them, we didn't prove that we had a long relationship and that the child is hers because the Birth certificate was not translated! There is no translation needed, the Birth certificate is in French and French is one of the official languages in Belgium...

 

I decided to give up with Belgium, the country where i pay tax and asked for a visa in France with the help of my brother who lives in France.

 

We did the attestation d'accueil, gathered the documents again and last Friday GF and baby went to TLS in Bangkok, according to TLS there were some documents missing : My salary slips ( i don't know why because my brother is the inviting person) and the salary slips,  invitation letter and copy of passport of my brother ( he gave all this already to get the attestation d'accueil...)

 

Three day later, i get an email from TLS saying that some documents were missing and that they sent the passport and documents back to the GF. It doesn't officially say the visa is refused...

 

Today, so a week after submitting the application, she got her passport with the visa through the post!

 

 

Conclusion : Ask the visa in your own country, avoid TLS by all means and read all the information on Thaivisa (which i should have done)...

 

[Donutz]

The Belgian embassy/authorities are notorious for giving a very hard time and being more overly/too strict. 

They refuse by far the most visas (around 10% where 1-2-3% is common). See this post and  the images attached here:

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/991267-second-uk-visit-visa-refusal/?do=findComment&comment=12060140

 

If you had been in a durable long lasting relationship 'akin to marriage' the visa to Belgium would (should!) Have been issued for free, ASAP and under simplified procedures. This as per EU directive 2004/38. A 8 year relationship and a kid go a long way in having a relationship akin to marriage!! 

 

The external service providers such as TLS and VFS are kinda crap when it comes to less regular type of applications/situations. They are optional and all Schengen embassies must tell you how to get free appointment at their own embassy within 2 weeks.  

 

An experienced and well trained staff member might have explained the special EU rules as per directive 2004/38. See the Schengen sticky, EU website and directive.

 

French lznguage version:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32004L0038

 

FAQ/short version:

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

 

If you wish to share your terrible experience with the authorities, EU home affairs can be reached via:

JUST-CITIZENSHIP {at} ec.europa.eu

 

Might not help you but could help others if Brussels is given enough feedback.

 

Ps: just a week or 2 ago I got a Private Message here from a person who had an aweful experience at the Belgian embassy too. They got the visa but after a 45 minute interview with silly questions and nagging over details such as keeping on whining about having to know the exact date that the couple met! The Belgians... I'm sorry but their embassy I am not all too pleased with.