Thai Girlfriend Tour Europe Visa

[Travelmad]

I hold UK and Irish citizenship.

My girlfriend and I want to tour Europe together for two months ie UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy etc.

We have been living together nearly three years in LOS, where she works in a Health Spa and I also pay her a monthly allowance.

She owns property up country and has three children in the care of her ex husbands grandparents.

Should she apply for a UK tourist visa, which I have heard is hard to get and requires lots of documentation.

OR should I apply for a schengen type family visa from Ireland using my UK citizenship as described above with my girlfriend as dependent relative? We are not married to each other.

Or apply to UK for family visa using Irish citizenship?

Does she need more Visas to tour Europe?

Does any b/m know the answers to these questions?

I'll drink a guiness to your good health if you can help me when I get back to the Liffey.

Edited March 6, 2008 by Travelmad

[asanee]

to the best of my knowledge:

Ireland is NOT in the Schengen zone, nor will join soon. And of course the UK is not in either. The use of EURO has nothing to do with that whatsoever (common misunderstanding), as f.e. even Norway and Iceland are In Schengen.

Visa for Schengen is surely needed for her, and can only be issued from a participating Schengen-country-member. Should officially be the first where she enters that zone, but hardly matters as such. As I am not from there, no idea if UK+IE have some common scheme.

BUT I also think there is a separate branch, as about any 2nd Thaivisa-member posts this same Question sooner or later. Find+read that first. cannot be the 1st tone to ask.