Italian Schengen Visa For Uk Based Thai Wife

[Trebilcock]

Hi. Can anyone offer any guidance or experience on getting an Italian Schengen Visa for a Thai living in the UK on ILR, please? Thanks very much for any help.

[Maestro]

Apply at an Italian consulate in the UK. A list of consulates is here:

italy.visahq.com/embassy/United-Kingdom/

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Maestro

[7by7]

Remember that as she is, presumably, the spouse of an EU citizen, most of the questions on the application form and the other requirements wont apply to her; and it's free.

Italian embassy, London.

[Trebilcock]

Many thanks for the advice, folks. Hadn't realised that being married to an EU national would make it easier. Much obliged!

[Trebilcock]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but the Italian Miistry of Foreign Affairs have just emailed this-

I would like to inform you that according to EU Directive 2004/38/CE (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:158:0077:0123:EN:PDF ), family members of EU nationals who do not have the nationality of a Member State, but have the new residence permits issued by the British Home Office bearing the specific following indication:

"RESIDENCE DOCUMENTATION

Type of Document: Residence Card of a Family Member of an EEA National"

will not need a Schengen visa for a SHORT STAY in Italy if accompanied by the EEA National OR if travelling to join them. Bringing a copy of marriage certificate or proof of relationship is advisable.

I also found this on dear old Wiki-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residence_Card

My wife is in the UK on ILR and the stamp in her Thai passport is dated June 2007 and headed "Residence Permit" Slightly different to the "Resident Documentation" on Wiki, so I'm not sure it's the "New" one the Embassy mentions. Can anyone clarify, please? Much obliged for any help at all.

Edited May 15, 2010 by Trebilcock

[7by7]

This has come up before, this topic for example.

As I said there, family members of an EEA national who have permanent residence in an EEA state do not require a visa to enter the Schengen area. There is some confusion as to whether UK ILR would count as 'permanent residence.' I seem to recall reading somewhere that it does, but that some immigration officers at Schengen ports of entry may not realise this! So it is advisable to obtain a visa anyway.