Hi, I am having a thai girlfriend for about two years now and we see each other on a regular bases, which is about once a month and every long holiday together.

She has been working as cabin crew in the middle east. I am working for 8 years with the same company, owning a flat and have sufficient funds on my account to support her.

I wanted to show her France for a couple of days but her Shengen visa was denied due to insufficient funds from her side, though she is having a job with regular income.

I provided my bank statement, supporting letter that i stand garantee for her, but she was told that her bankaccount need to cover all the expenses whilst she is abroard.

Question, does anybody had the same experience as i had or is this just an exception??

Thanks

BR

I don't know if France is applying different income requirements, but when applying for a schengen visa to the Netherlands, and you are sponsor, the income or bank statements of the applicant are not even checked, only the sponsor needs to provide proof of sufficent funds (by submitting salary slips).

I took my then girlfriend to France in 2004. She was 'working' on my farm. A letter of sponsorship from me was sufficient. Next year I took her to Greece. They required that she have 30,000 baht in her bank account as well as having a letter of sponsorship.

I took my wife to Paris last year via the UK, I supplied a sponsorship letter and copies of my bank statements together with copies of Eurostar tickets and hotel reservations.

She didn't supply any financial details, she has no money anyway, and the visa was granted.

br37,

yep sounds like you were unlucky. I very recently took my partner to the French Embassy in Bangkok to get a visa for France. He has no job or income but we showed them the reservations for the hotel AND crucially it now seems , travel insurance for the whole trip , and although it took them 5 days to process (years ago it was next day but then again is there anything about visas that wasn't better years ago??) he got it no problems.

Then again we do live permanently in the UK so i guess that makes a difference.

br37,

yep sounds like you were unlucky. I very recently took my partner to the French Embassy in Bangkok to get a visa for France. He has no job or income but we showed them the reservations for the hotel AND crucially it now seems , travel insurance for the whole trip , and although it took them 5 days to process (years ago it was next day but then again is there anything about visas that wasn't better years ago??) he got it no problems.

Then again we do live permanently in the UK so i guess that makes a difference.

If you both live permanently in the Uk can I ask why you approached the French embassy in BKK.

br37,

yep sounds like you were unlucky. I very recently took my partner to the French Embassy in Bangkok to get a visa for France. He has no job or income but we showed them the reservations for the hotel AND crucially it now seems , travel insurance for the whole trip , and although it took them 5 days to process (years ago it was next day but then again is there anything about visas that wasn't better years ago??) he got it no problems.

Then again we do live permanently in the UK so i guess that makes a difference.

If you both live permanently in the Uk can I ask why you approached the French embassy in BKK.

Because we were on holiday in Bangkok and wanted to go to France very soon after returning to the UK.

I took my wife to Paris last year via the UK, I supplied a sponsorship letter and copies of my bank statements together with copies of Eurostar tickets and hotel reservations.

She didn't supply any financial details, she has no money anyway, and the visa was granted.

Yes - very different (and easier) for a wife: she wouldn't actually have needed your sponsorship letter, bank statements or reservations, merely the (translated) marriage certificate plus your passport. More difficult for a GF.