Schengen visa for Thai GF of a Brit

[Mike Teavee]

1 minute ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

 

Personally. I think any letter from the male partner is of no value. I could accept that the living together in Thailand MIGHT strengthen the case for return, but IMO the Schengen application places less emphasis on the risk of flight than UKVI.

 

The applicant is judged on her own merits and, unlike the UK visa, the 'sponsor' is irrelevant.

 

There are exact amounts required per day for each member state and the bank letter/statements must reflect this. The applicant must be named in all hotel/flight bookings.

 

Once a track record has been established  a multiple entry visa, for 12 months, will usually be issued.

Ahh <deleted> it then, we might as well just go to the Maldives... I'm joking (well semi, as I'm looking at flights to Male as I type ???? ) 

 

Honestly appreciate your input,  I'm figuring If I can get UK Gov to give her a visa to visit the UK the EU will be a lot easier & if not I can think of a lot worse places to be stuck (Just seeing @sandyf BM name reminds me of my best mate in Glasgow & how beautiful Scotland & the (Cumbrian) Lakes are) so if we don't get a Schengen Visa, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

I'll use an agent to get her UK visa (I hate paperwork) which should hopefully help & maybe the trip to the Maldives (+ Siem Reap when my mum & dad get here) will help in her favour ???? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hotandsticky]

15 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Ahh <deleted> it then, we might as well just go to the Maldives... I'm joking (well semi, as I'm looking at flights to Male as I type ???? ) 

 

Honestly appreciate your input,  I'm figuring If I can get UK Gov to give her a visa to visit the UK the EU will be a lot easier & if not I can think of a lot worse places to be stuck (Just seeing @sandyf BM name reminds me of my best mate in Glasgow & how beautiful Scotland & the (Cumbrian) Lakes are) so if we don't get a Schengen Visa, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

I'll use an agent to get her UK visa (I hate paperwork) which should hopefully help & maybe the trip to the Maldives (+ Siem Reap when my mum & dad get here) will help in her favour ???? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The UK Visa is completed online and is quite straight forward - most of the details are just repetitive data input. The uploaded documents are the crux of the application but they should be limited to those that provide supporting evidence for the 3 key areas of genuineness of relationship/reason to visit, financial adequacy and reasons to return to Thailand.

 

 

 

I always include an introductory letter detailing the genuineness of the relationship, showing the financial adequacy and listing the reasons to return. 

[Mike Teavee]

2 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

The UK Visa is completed online and is quite straight forward - most of the details are just repetitive data input.

 

I always include an introductory letter detailing the genuineness of the relationship, showing the financial adequacy and listing the reasons to return. 

Many thanks for this, can you please share what the "Financial adequacy" side of things are (I know I can look them up but might help get actual experience)

 

We should be ok on the genuineness of the relationship (Unless the Officer falls asleep during all the Photos my GF takes).

 

Her Reason to return is mainly that I live here (Not being arrogant I just mean we've made our life together here) But she would return even if I didn't (I think most Thai's are like that, like to visit a new country, love Thailand).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

Many thanks for this, can you please share what the "Financial adequacy" side of things are (I know I can look them up but might help get actual experience)

 

We should be ok on the genuineness of the relationship (Unless the Officer falls asleep during all the Photos my GF takes).

 

Her Reason to return is mainly that I live here (Not being arrogant I just mean we've made our life together here) But she would return even if I didn't (I think most Thai's are like that, like to visit a new country, love Thailand).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. You cannot submit photographs, you will need to detail the relationship. when, where etc and back it up with some evidence. If you have made your life here you will have evidence. Without knowing your situation I can't make specific comment but you will either live in a house owned by your partner, rented by you or you live in a condo - that should throw up evidence of abode, which you ,ay well have used for annual extensions.

 

2. Financial adequacy is subjective (unlike Schengen that are very specific on daily amounts required). As sponsor, I usually submit my Premium Bonds statement, then show off by including my P60.

 

3. The risk of flight is the biggest reason for an application being declined (often the relationship or financials are also a but flimsy), Your circumstances will determine how strong the ties are to family etc in Thailand. Owning land is a nice one to throw in, but returning to continue your life together of xx years is compelling. 

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

Many thanks for this, can you please share what the "Financial adequacy" side of things are (I know I can look them up but might help get actual experience)

 

We should be ok on the genuineness of the relationship (Unless the Officer falls asleep during all the Photos my GF takes).

 

Her Reason to return is mainly that I live here (Not being arrogant I just mean we've made our life together here) But she would return even if I didn't (I think most Thai's are like that, like to visit a new country, love Thailand).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is loads of stuff available in the pinned topics above and, for example, the gov.uk website. Here are a couple of snippets:-

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visitor-visa-guide-to-supporting-documents

 

 

9. Documents you should not use as evidence

Some types of documents are less useful as evidence in visit applications. These include:

bank statements or letters issued more than 1 year before the date of application

credit card statements

driving licence

educational certificates that are not listed as required for your visa

evidence of car ownership

personal photographs

notarial certificates

business cards

hotel bookings

flight bookings (unless transiting)

photocopies of bank cards

certificates relating to leisure activities, for example sports trophies

travel insurance

sponsor’s utility bills

sponsor’s council tax bills

Visit-guidance-v7.0EXT.PDF

[Mike Teavee]

21 hours ago, sandyf said:

What will be more of a challenge is the UK. You need to be much more specific on the reasons to return. You will need to highlight things like the length of relationship, the fact you live in Thailand and how you fund living here. It would help if you can establish if your GF has an interest in the property.

The UK visa application is quite tedious and I would suggest you make a dummy application to get some experience on the information required and how to make responses. At the end you can just delete the application without completion.

I'm no doubt going to get a lot of flak for this but I plan on using an Agent to do all of that tedious work for me. 

 

When you think about how much a trip to the UK is going to cost (2xflights, hotels in London, Lake District, Glasgow, Edinburgh) their fees are insignificant

 

Thanks again for all the advice, this is my 1st time in trying to do anything like this so it's great to learn from guys who have been there/done that... 

 

 

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

 

Personally. I think any letter from the male partner is of no value. I could accept that the living together in Thailand MIGHT strengthen the case for return, but IMO the Schengen application places less emphasis on the risk of flight than UKVI.

 

The applicant is judged on her own merits and, unlike the UK visa, the 'sponsor' is irrelevant.

 

There are exact amounts required per day for each member state and the bank letter/statements must reflect this. The applicant must be named in all hotel/flight bookings.

 

Once a track record has been established  a multiple entry visa, for 12 months, will usually be issued.

You are quite entitled to your opinion. I would agree the EU are a bit more accommodating but where bookings are likely to have more than one name it would be prudent to explain why. Information on purpose of travel is more beneficial than omission.

The Schengen visa can only be issued for up to 3 months.

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

I'm no doubt going to get a lot of flak for this but I plan on using an Agent to do all of that tedious work for me. 

 

When you think about how much a trip to the UK is going to cost (2xflights, hotels in London, Lake District, Glasgow, Edinburgh) their fees are insignificant

 

Thanks again for all the advice, this is my 1st time in trying to do anything like this so it's great to learn from guys who have been there/done that... 

The days of paperwork are long gone, I can still remember going to VFS at Regents  House with a bag full. I can also remember something that was said to my wife at her first interview, "your husband lives in Thailand, there won't be a problem." there wasn't and there hasn't been in 10 or so applications I have done since.

Being married helps but not a lot when the husband lives in the UK, your residence in Thailand makes for a strong case.

As far as the agent goes entirely up to you, you have to bear in mind the application is on behalf of your GF and she will need to provide the same information to the agent as is asked for on the online application. To be quite honest I do not see a lot to be gained.

You can obviously use a computer or you wouldn't be here so as I said before you and your GF should go through the application online before approaching an agent. There may well be information required that she is not happy discussing with a stranger, better to find out beforehand.

The application is in 2 stages, you provide the info to UK immigration and then make the payment, you can delete any application before getting to that stage. Once paid you are transferred to the VFS website to make an appointment and upload the documents. You can opt out of the upload and choose for VFS to do that for you. As suggested by others you should do some research on the UK and VFS websites.

 

[hotandsticky]

50 minutes ago, sandyf said:

You are quite entitled to your opinion. I would agree the EU are a bit more accommodating but where bookings are likely to have more than one name it would be prudent to explain why. Information on purpose of travel is more beneficial than omission.

The Schengen visa can only be issued for up to 3 months.

 

Unfortunately, you are wrong Sandy.

 

Because of her track record/history my partner is automatically issued with a 12 month multiple entry Schengen visa.

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

The Schengen visa can only be issued for up to 3 months.

I will put my pedantic hat on now, it’s the visit that is restricted to 90 days, not the actual visa.

My wife’s most recent visas were issued up to six month shy of the expiry date of her passport, the last one had a validity of just over two years.

You’re well versed in Schengen rules Sandyf, probably better than most, and I suspect that was the point you were making.

[theoldgit]

4 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

I'm no doubt going to get a lot of flak for this but I plan on using an Agent to do all of that tedious work for me. 

I don’t think anyone is going to give you any flak, the use of an agent is really a personal choice, whilst the process is relatively straightforward, some applicants find it quite daunting, or simply don’t have the time or inclination to go through the process without some support.

Don’t forget that your partner is the applicant and she will be responsible for the information and supporting documents submitted and will still need to attend the Visa Application Centre.

I would strongly advise that you choose an agent with caution, there are, unfortunately, a number of cowboys out there.

Good luck.

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Unfortunately, you are wrong Sandy.

 

Because of her track record/history my partner is automatically issued with a 12 month multiple entry Schengen visa.

The Schengen Visa Handbook was drawn up to deal with short term visits of up to 90 days, hence the name Schengen visa. Long term visas were a different process altogether.

It would appear there has been an amendment since I raised an issue against the German Embassy with Solvit a few years back, a point in time when I read the handbook more times than I care to remember.

It is however not as straightforward as you would make out. This is how it is put:-

 

8.4.3. Multiple entries for the When a multiple-entry visa is issued with a period of validity between 180 days (6 months) and 5 years, the duration of authorised stay is always 90 days (per 180 day-period). Multipleentry visas (MEVs) with a long(er) validity should be issued to frequent or regular travellers irrespective of travel purpose.  When assessing a visa applicant’s ‘travel history’ account must be taken of previous visas issued by all Member States and not only those of the case handling Member State. Visas allowing for multiple entries with a validity of less than 6 months should only be issued if the travel pattern of the applicant during the (short) validity period would not be covered by a visa for one or two entries. In such cases, if the applicant is consider to be bona fide, the consulate should also consider whether it could issue a multiple-entry visa valid for 6 months and a duration of authorised stay of 90 days. 

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, theoldgit said:

I will put my pedantic hat on now, it’s the visit that is restricted to 90 days, not the actual visa.

My wife’s most recent visas were issued up to six month shy of the expiry date of her passport, the last one had a validity of just over two years.

You’re well versed in Schengen rules Sandyf, probably better than most, and I suspect that was the point you were making.

Quite.  This is the statement I responded to, on reflection a bit ambiguous. As you say duration of stay is the main factor.

"Once a track record has been established  a multiple entry visa, for 12 months, will usually be issued."

 

It would appear that the old Schengen Handbook has been superceded by the Visa Code handbook integrating various types of visa so the term "Schengen Visa" is not quite what it once was.

 

 

[hotandsticky]

13 hours ago, sandyf said:

Quite.  This is the statement I responded to, on reflection a bit ambiguous. As you say duration of stay is the main factor.

"Once a track record has been established  a multiple entry visa, for 12 months, will usually be issued."

 

It would appear that the old Schengen Handbook has been superceded by the Visa Code handbook integrating various types of visa so the term "Schengen Visa" is not quite what it once was.

 

 

 

Nothing stays the same. The 2020 revisions:-

 

The rules changing are as follows:

Visa fees have increased for all applicants

Applicants that used to pay €60 per application will now need to pay €80, while children aged 6 to 12 that had to pay €35 will now need to pay €40. The fee does not change for nationals of countries that have a visa-facilitation agreement with the European Union, for which the fee remains €35.*

The European Union has argued that the visa fee hike brings it in line with the level where it would be today if it had been aligned to the general EU-wide inflation rate since 2006.

It also points out that despite the increase, Schengen visa fees remain much lower than the ones for other countries.

“By international standards, the €80 visa fee remains low. As a comparison, applying for a tourist visa to the United States costs €143 and €126 for China. Travelers to Australia have to pay €90 for their visa, while those going to New Zealand will be charged €146. A visa to Canada costs €68, to India €95, and to the UK €112 (January 2020),” a Q&A published by the European Commission points out.

Application form can now be signed and submitted electronically

The EU has instructed the Member States to allow applicants to complete and submit application forms electronically, where possible.

This means that applicants will also be able to sign the applications electronically, which signature should then be recognized by the competent Member State.

Applying six months in advance of a trip is now possible

While so far Schengen visa applicants could file an application ad early as three months in advance of their trip to the borderless Schengen area, now this rule has changed.

The updated code makes it possible for travelers to apply six months before their trip.

Whereas seafarers in the performance of their duties can submit their application nine months prior to their intended arrival at any Schengen port.

Schengen Members to outsource visa application in every country

With the new code, the Schengen Member States will be present in more countries, so that travelers will no longer have to travel to a neighboring country just to file an application.

The Code obliges all members, where possible, to be present in every country through their embassy/consulate, another Member States, or by outsourcing Schengen visa admission to an external service provider.

More Benefits for Frequent Travelers with a Positive Visa History

Frequent travelers to the Schengen Area, either for business, tourism, or other short-term purposes, will benefit most from the new rules for Schengen Visa application, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

These travelers will be granted with the benefit of getting a multiple-entry visa valid for up to five years, given that have a positive visa history, which means they meet the following conditions:

They have lawfully used their previous visas.

They have a good economic situation in the country of origin.

They have a genuine intention to leave the Schengen Area before the expiry of the visa for which they have applied.

 

 

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/new-schengen-visa-rules-start-applying-on-sunday-feb-2/

[sandyf]

49 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

The EU has instructed the Member States to allow applicants to complete and submit application forms electronically, where possible.

An interesting development.

Back in 2015 when we went to Germany the Germans had introduced an interactive online application form called Videx.  The software made no allowance for family members of EU citizens, everyone had to follow the same procedure with the same supporting documents.

I raised the issue with Solvit, didn't do me any good, but in due course the EU ruled in my favour.

The Germans amended their guidance so that family members of EU citizens could make a manual submission using the standard Schengen visa application form.

Unfortunately for us Brits that is no longer an option.

https://ec.europa.eu/solvit/what-is-solvit/index_en.htm

 

 

[hotandsticky]

12 minutes ago, sandyf said:

An interesting development.

Back in 2015 when we went to Germany the Germans had introduced an interactive online application form called Videx.  The software made no allowance for family members of EU citizens, everyone had to follow the same procedure with the same supporting documents.

I raised the issue with Solvit, didn't do me any good, but in due course the EU ruled in my favour.

The Germans amended their guidance so that family members of EU citizens could make a manual submission using the standard Schengen visa application form.

Unfortunately for us Brits that is no longer an option.

https://ec.europa.eu/solvit/what-is-solvit/index_en.htm

 

 

 

 

The 'new' rules give a lot more flexibility.

 

Should I happen to be on holiday in the UK, I can now take my missus on a spontaneous booze run to Calais - or lunch in Le Touqet.

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

The 'new' rules give a lot more flexibility.

 

Should I happen to be on holiday in the UK, I can now take my missus on a spontaneous booze run to Calais - or lunch in Le Touqet.

The "Flexibility" is conditional and a bit like beauty, in the eye of the beholder.

The last non UK visa my wife obtained was in Feb 2020 for Morocco, lost it, but maybe next year. We went to Dublin a few weeks ago on the back of her UK visa but at my age unlikely she will enter the EU again.

[hotandsticky]

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

The "Flexibility" is conditional and a bit like beauty, in the eye of the beholder.

The last non UK visa my wife obtained was in Feb 2020 for Morocco, lost it, but maybe next year. We went to Dublin a few weeks ago on the back of her UK visa but at my age unlikely she will enter the EU again.

 

I love Dublin (now there's flexibility on visas - that temporary arrangement runs and runs), as does my missus Arlington hotel, Guinness storehouse, Bushmills, Gaiety theatre (Riverdance), Temple bar, Croke Park......