Sponsor Thai GF to visit Europe

[Paul UK]

HI

 

I'm after some advice.  I'm currently in Uk with my Thai GF who got 6 month visitor visa.  We hope to return to Thailand in September

 

I live in UK - not EU since Brexit.

 

I'm looking to sponsor my Thai GF to get Schengen visa to visit Tenerife (where my dad has apartment) in December.  Then hoping to apply for 2nd UK visitor visa for around Xmas too.

 

I want to know if I can sponsor my GF Schengen visa, esp advice from anyone who's done similar before.

 

GF has no work (lost reaching job due to Covid as couldn't get back to Thailand in time to continue work) so cannot show regular income into her bank ac.

 

If I need to give any more info, please message me - I look forward to any advice people can give.

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[theoldgit]

There's nothing to stop you providing financial support for your girlfriends proposed trip to Tenerife, though she will need to apply in Thailand and satisfy the decision maker that she is a genuine tourist and that she is likely to return home at the conclusion of her visit.

 

If she plans to visit the UK during the same trip she should apply for a her UK first, the Spanish will want to see that, she will also need to show round trip tickets to the UK and or Spain, the Spanish Visa Section are known to be fairly difficult.

 

A second UK visa may not be as straightforward as you'd hope for, so soon after returning from her previous UK holiday, especially given her current employment position.

 

For her Spanish Visa she will need to produce her flight tickets, her UK Visa unless she's only visiting Spain, details of the accomodation, travel insurance and evidence of affordability. Her her empoyment status in Thailand may prove difficult to satisfy the decision maker that she will return home at the conclusion of her trip.

 

She will need to factor in the current restrictions of Thai Nationals currently overseas and wishing to return home.

 

The Brexit issue is not relevant in her case, she is already treated as a third country national, the fact you're British and the Transition Period ends at the end of the year will not affect her application.

 

 https://blsspainvisa.com/thailand/index.php

[Paul UK]

7 hours ago, theoldgit said:

If she plans to visit the UK during the same trip she should apply for a her UK first, the Spanish will want to see that, she will also need to show round trip tickets to the UK and or Spain, the Spanish Visa Section are known to be fairly difficult.

Do we have to purchase her plane tickets before applying, as if the visa was refused, we would be out of pocket.  How do you get around this?

 

7 hours ago, theoldgit said:

For her Spanish Visa she will need to produce her flight tickets, her UK Visa unless she's only visiting Spain, details of the accomodation, travel insurance and evidence of affordability. Her her empoyment status in Thailand may prove difficult to satisfy the decision maker that she will return home at the conclusion of her trip.

Is it ok for me to show money in my bank account for the trip, or must they see an amount in my GF account?  I know for UK visa we were advised not to transfer money to her, so we didn't.  Just want to know what's the best way to go about it for Spain?

 

Thanks very much for all help and advice - very much appreciated!

 

[hotandsticky]

15 minutes ago, Paul UK said:

Do we have to purchase her plane tickets before applying, as if the visa was refused, we would be out of pocket.  How do you get around this?

 

Is it ok for me to show money in my bank account for the trip, or must they see an amount in my GF account?  I know for UK visa we were advised not to transfer money to her, so we didn't.  Just want to know what's the best way to go about it for Spain?

 

Thanks very much for all help and advice - very much appreciated!

 

 

As a non-married partner you have no standing as a partner/sponsor.

 

For Spain you will need a flight booking, hotel booking (showing her on the booking) plus a bank letter within 7 day s before the application showing the required funds..... EUR 70.77 per day.  Plus insurance of 1.5m Baht, recommend MSIG.  https://www.msig-thai.com/ecommerce/travel.php?lang=en

 

 

Means of Subsistence for Spain Schengen Visa

Concerning to what the European Commission informs, under the Order of the Ministry of the Presidency of the Spain (PRE/1282/2007), a foreigner who seeks to enter the territory of Spain needs to attest owning the overall amount for duration up to 10 days that is representative of a 90% of the gross national minimum wage (636.93 €) that is 573.23€, while in case of exceeding 10 days the daily required amount is 70.77€. The foreign national needs to attest owning such amount to the Spain Embassy or Consulate a the moment applying for a Spanish Visa.

 

Applications through BLS Spain:-  https://uk.blsspainvisa.com/london/

 

 

NB:  Watch your timings ... if you are flying to the UK first you will need the UK visa first to link Thailand to UK to Spain to UK to Thailand AND will need to submit the UK flight details with the Schengen application. Obviously, (unless you are flying direct to Spain) you will get the UK Visa and then when everything is approved you can apply for the Schengen.

Edited July 4, 2020 by hotandsticky

[northsouthdevide]

You may be better applying for a schengen visa to visit a different EU country, then travel from there to tenerife. 

There is also the alternative of a football tour related visa, that many Thais choose to cut through red tape. 

[Bogbrush]

On 6/13/2020 at 7:38 PM, unblocktheplanet said:

Well, yes & no. All couriers act as Customs brokers. It's in their interest to make you pay, if possible, even if you legitimately don't owe. It's a pain to claim those fees back. In my long experience, it's always better to usethe Post. There's not much difference in cost for regular airmail & EMS from overseas, if the tracking gives you any sense of security.

 

Second point. It is illegal to import prescription medicines even if your overseas doc mails them with his own hands. Even on one's person, I believe prescription meds are limited to a 30-day supply. In practice, they'rey're rarely stopped and never seized. I know this because I'm on several compounded meds that are not available in Thailand (nor are there compounding pharmacies).

 

Any import is not charged duty if the value is B1,500 or less. In practice, almost all parcels under $100 are not given much attention.

 

I just received an 8kg EMS box of my annual supply of vitamin supplements from the US as I won't be visiting family this year. Declared value $145. Charged VAT of just over B1,000.

 

On 7/4/2020 at 11:32 AM, theoldgit said:

There's nothing to stop you providing financial support for your girlfriends proposed trip to Tenerife, though she will need to apply in Thailand and satisfy the decision maker that she is a genuine tourist and that she is likely to return home at the conclusion of her visit.

 

If she plans to visit the UK during the same trip she should apply for a her UK first, the Spanish will want to see that, she will also need to show round trip tickets to the UK and or Spain, the Spanish Visa Section are known to be fairly difficult.

 

A second UK visa may not be as straightforward as you'd hope for, so soon after returning from her previous UK holiday, especially given her current employment position.

 

For her Spanish Visa she will need to produce her flight tickets, her UK Visa unless she's only visiting Spain, details of the accomodation, travel insurance and evidence of affordability. Her her empoyment status in Thailand may prove difficult to satisfy the decision maker that she will return home at the conclusion of her trip.

 

She will need to factor in the current restrictions of Thai Nationals currently overseas and wishing to return home.

 

The Brexit issue is not relevant in her case, she is already treated as a third country national, the fact you're British and the Transition Period ends at the end of the year will not affect her application.

 

 https://blsspainvisa.com/thailand/index.php

Another factor to consider is the length of time it takes to get an appointment at the Spanish Embassy for the interview. In March, Greece were quoting July...

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, northsouthdevide said:

You may be better applying for a schengen visa to visit a different EU country, then travel from there to tenerife. 

There is also the alternative of a football tour related visa, that many Thais choose to cut through red tape. 

 

A risky option as Schengen rules mandate that an applicant must apply for the member state which is the main destination in the Schengen Area.

[English Engineer]

In my experience the Spanish Schengen visa is difficult. My wife had a 5 year UK visitor visa. I also had business class tickets booked to UK and onward to Spain with booked accomadation in Spain. We had to make a number of visit to Bangkok. I sponsered my wife and could show very ample funds. The visa only covered the dates of the visit plus a few days. My advice would be to allow plenty of time if you want to visit Spain

[Mak25]

16 hours ago, Paul UK said:

Do we have to purchase her plane tickets before applying, as if the visa was refused, we would be out of pocket.  How do you get around this?

Ticket fare conditions often allow full refund in case of not approved visa. Check in advance before booking.

[theoldgit]

16 hours ago, Paul UK said:

1 - Do we have to purchase her plane tickets before applying, as if the visa was refused, we would be out of pocket.  How do you get around this?

 

2 - Is it ok for me to show money in my bank account for the trip, or must they see an amount in my GF account?  I know for UK visa we were advised not to transfer money to her, so we didn't.  Just want to know what's the best way to go about it for Spain?

 

1 - It's certainly a requirement that the applicant must supply an itinerary or reservation which must include dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from the Schengen area, a number of travel agents in Bangkok will, or at least used to, supply an itinerary at a cost, I'm sorry I don't have details of those who do.

The actual rules in the Consolidated Schengen Handbook say "A paid return ticket should not be required upon lodging [the application] but may be requested in exceptional circumstances when the visa has been issued. As ticket reservation is often not possible, in such cases the consulate should ascertain that the applicant has sufficient financial means to buy the tickets". The Spanish often interpret the rules differently from other member states.
If she's also visiting the UK she'll need to show details of her flights to there as well.

 

2 - The rules on financial compliance are a bit vague, whilst they say that an applicant should provide details of the funds available, they also mention a reliable sponsor, certainly when my wife was my girfriend I supplied copies of my bank statements and source of funds as I was paying for us both, you're right in saying that it's risky just placing funds into her account. We were travelling togther, which I suspect helped, I would provide details of your flights as well and also a brief note detailing your relationship and why you're providing financial supporting.

 

Your girl friends biggest hurdle, for both visas, is the time she intends to stay away from home and her employment issues.   

[Dexxter]

18 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

As a non-married partner you have no standing as a partner/sponsor.

18 months ago I sponsored my non-married but de-facto Thai partner for a 3 week holiday in Europe. As a student she had no income and very little savings. I was financing the trip and all her expenses. She received her Schengen Visa in under 2 weeks. We applied in Bangkok through the French embassy since apparently they are easier to work with. Obtaining her visa so easily was a little surprising since I am Australian and not a European citizen.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Dexxter

[jimn]

I know it is not really the answer to your question, but I personally see 2 potential issues for you. (1) September might be a bit early for you both to return to Thailand. Obviously she is Thai and she will be able to return, maybe still on a repatriation flight if the Thai government continue with their plans, for you doubtful. (2) Be very carefull in applying for a second UK visa so soon after her returning from her visit. I know from personal experiance that if it appears that your GF is spending more time in the UK than in Thailand in any 12 month period she will not get a visa. As a general rule and I know seasoned posters like the Oldgit may disagree but its true. My wife arrived in the UK in September 2014 me and we returned to Thailand in January 2015. In April she applied for another visa to visit the UK from early May until late September. The visa was refused because the Entry Clearance Office said that she would have spent more time in the UK than in Thailand over a 12 month period. She applied again 2 months later and was issued the  visa. My advice is just be very carefull.

[sampson]

8 hours ago, jimn said:

I know it is not really the answer to your question, but I personally see 2 potential issues for you. (1) September might be a bit early for you both to return to Thailand. Obviously she is Thai and she will be able to return, maybe still on a repatriation flight if the Thai government continue with their plans, for you doubtful. (2) Be very carefull in applying for a second UK visa so soon after her returning from her visit. I know from personal experiance that if it appears that your GF is spending more time in the UK than in Thailand in any 12 month period she will not get a visa. As a general rule and I know seasoned posters like the Oldgit may disagree but its true. My wife arrived in the UK in September 2014 me and we returned to Thailand in January 2015. In April she applied for another visa to visit the UK from early May until late September. The visa was refused because the Entry Clearance Office said that she would have spent more time in the UK than in Thailand over a 12 month period. She applied again 2 months later and was issued the  visa. My advice is just be very carefull.

OISC lawyer in the UK told me the odds of continuing successful tourist visas for none EU citizens are improved exponentially when ensuring they are out of the UK for 6 months between each visa (which of course means they're staying less than 6 months a year)

 

Also they recommended she didn't stay more than 2 months on the first visit, but subsequent visits for 6 months would be fine.  Maybe not written in the rules but these are people assisting with these applications everyday..

[hotandsticky]

17 hours ago, Dexxter said:

18 months ago I sponsored my non-married but de-facto Thai partner for a 3 week holiday in Europe. As a student she had no income and very little savings. I was financing the trip and all her expenses. She received her Schengen Visa in under 2 weeks. We applied in Bangkok through the French embassy since apparently they are easier to work with. Obtaining her visa so easily was a little surprising since I am Australian and not a European citizen.

 

How exactly did you evidence the sponsorship of your Thai partner - and which country did you apply to? 

 

 

For Spain, they would not accept sponsorship (as in evidencing funds as with UK visa applications) from me as we were not married. I had to put money in my partner's bank account.

 

 

Edited July 6, 2020 by hotandsticky

[hotandsticky]

9 hours ago, jimn said:

I know it is not really the answer to your question, but I personally see 2 potential issues for you. (1) September might be a bit early for you both to return to Thailand. Obviously she is Thai and she will be able to return, maybe still on a repatriation flight if the Thai government continue with their plans, for you doubtful. (2) Be very careful in applying for a second UK visa so soon after her returning from her visit. I know from personal experience that if it appears that your GF is spending more time in the UK than in Thailand in any 12 month period she will not get a visa. As a general rule and I know seasoned posters like the Oldgit may disagree but its true. My wife arrived in the UK in September 2014 me and we returned to Thailand in January 2015. In April she applied for another visa to visit the UK from early May until late September. The visa was refused because the Entry Clearance Office said that she would have spent more time in the UK than in Thailand over a 12 month period. She applied again 2 months later and was issued the  visa. My advice is just be very careful.

 

 

A friend was declined for exactly that reason.

 

I had always believed that there wasn't an official 6 month rule - and if there is (official or otherwise) is it based on a rolling 12 months or calendar 12 months. 

 

I have always viewed visas for my missus as being for 2018... or 2019,.... etc. I think you were unlucky - (unless you made repeated applications within 6 months of the previous one) as you were presumably doing the same... September to January for 2014, May to September 2015. To me, that is wholly within the spirit of the visa system.