Schengen visa - flight reservation/where to apply/further travel destinations etc

[ipeterrobinson17]

i've searched here and there's not so much detail about applying for Schengen visa, and the pinned topic is somewhat dated, so just wanted to double-check my understanding...

 

Thai partner has 2year UK visit visa already and will soon be visiting here. i'm planning a visit to Switzerland and i'm unsure on the bits that are different to UK visa application.

 

---> flight/hotel reservations:

- it seems these need to cover the whole visit (~5 days), can anyone suggest/recommend companies they've used for this?

- when should i book these reservations as it seems they need to be valid when the Embassy are actually checking our application?

 

---> where to apply:

- i'm about to arrange for her to apply in Bangkok, but wanted to ask if she could also apply in UK? (as i'll be arranging more trips in Europe in future and this would be easier option)

 

---> further travel not included in original application:

- if we're successful in the application for a 90-day visit visa (C?) for a 5-day visit to Switzerland, i assume we will be ok to fit in any other trips we can during that valid 90-day period without problem?

- is the standard visa issued a single trip or does it allow multiple trips?

 

thanks in advance for any comments

[tomazbodner]

https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/thailand/en/home/visa/entry-ch/up-90-days/documents-schengen.html

 

 

 

[theoldgit]

In my experience Schengen countries require confirmed details of accommodation for every night of the proposed visit, one option is to make a flexible booking with a large hotel chain, Hilton and the like, which could be cancelled to suit your needs, or if the visa application is declined.

 

Shenghen applicants must provide confirmed flights, or train details, in and out of the Schengen area, if you are travelling from the UK, then also include details of her flights from Thailand.

 

Schengen countries normally require that applicants apply from their home country, not countries they are visiting, save in exceptional circumstances.

 

Yes she can visit other Shenghen member states during the validity of the visa, she should request a multi entry visa and advise that she intends to visit other Schengen countries. Visas can sometimes be issued for the duration of the initial trip, especially if it’s the first application, so ensure that she mentions the possibility of subsequent trips.

 

My wife recently applied for a visa to visit The Netherlands for a four night trip, the Dutch issued her with a visa with a five year validity.

[ipeterrobinson17]

just received visa, so will summarise for anyone doing this in future:

 

first need to log in to VFS and book appointment - this took me several days as i had many problems logging into their site (seems to have given problems for years). can only contact them via X/Twitter and their response time is not short.

 

appointments started after 1 week plus, so ours was 2 weeks ahead. i paid for a few VFS extras but probably a waste of money unless you're short of time. they don't take the EU visa fee yet.

 

so then need to fill in the visa application form, various languages accepted by Switzerland including English - all Thai paperwork needed English translation. i was named as "sponsor" so i provided statements/accommodation proof. flight & hotel details i got from "reservations" company named below.

 

appointment was over 1 hour late - seems to always be the case even if you pay extra to book a time slot. paid 80 euro visa fee. gave them masses of paperwork, and had to pay extra for even more paperwork they told us to include.

 

8 days later, received a phone call + email to say passport was on its way back to us.

 

they gave us a multi-trip visa as requested, valid for 1 month so covers the trip we specified and can now add another trip 2 or 3 weeks later.

 

 

best "reservations" company i found, reading Trustpilot reviews, was https://www.flightreservationforvisa.com and we had a few hiccups but all was completed in reasonable time. need to check the reservations when received, had problems with flight booking which needed help from their customer support. they also fixed my mistake of writing name wrong way round, and there's no charge for 1st change. the reservations expire after around 3 weeks.