I have a Filipina wife in Thailand. We are planning a trip to the UK soon (I am a citizen) and also to France and Belgium. I know about the Shengen visa, but I see there is a "European Economic Area family" visa and I wondered if this way round applying for a Shengen visa together with an application for a UK visa. I gather that I can apply for my Filipina wife in Thailand without having to return to her country.

The EEA Family Permit (not visa) is issued by the UK government to non-EEA citizen family members of EEA citizens; it is not available to family members of UK citizens.

It is issued under EU regulations regarding the freedom of movement of EU citizens. Other EU states have to follow these regulations, of course, but each can have their own method of doing so. As I understand it, for France this is first obtaining a Schengen visa; don't know about Belgium.

A Schengen visa will allow your wife to enter any Schengen state, although she should apply to the embassy of the country she intends to enter first. As you can see from the preceding link, the UK is not a Schengen state, and as the EU regulations cannot be used to enter the state of which one's family member is a citizen, in your case the UK, she will need a separate visa to enter the UK.

A Schengen visa has to be applied for in one's country of residence, so she will need to obtain it before traveling to the UK. As she is the spouse of an EU citizen, most of the questions on the form wont apply and it should be issued free of charge.

Thanks for that. The trouble with the Schengen visa is that I would have to go back to the Philippines to apply. She's will be on the back of my Thai retirement extension soon, but even then I don't suppose that makes her "resident" in Thailand. I suppose we will just have to make it UK only then as I previously looked at applying for a French visa for a Thai national whilst I was in the UK some years ago, but the waiting list was very long. It might be easier to just apply for a French visa only instead of a Schengen one, as I assume I can do that in Bangkok and that should be easier than to get a Schengen one. I see that some people say that Spain is easiest of all, so that could also work.

Thanks gain for your help.

The EEA Family Permit (not visa) is issued by the UK government to non-EEA citizen family members of EEA citizens; it is not available to family members of UK citizens.

It is issued under EU regulations regarding the freedom of movement of EU citizens. Other EU states have to follow these regulations, of course, but each can have their own method of doing so. As I understand it, for France this is first obtaining a Schengen visa; don't know about Belgium.

A Schengen visa will allow your wife to enter any Schengen state, although she should apply to the embassy of the country she intends to enter first. As you can see from the preceding link, the UK is not a Schengen state, and as the EU regulations cannot be used to enter the state of which one's family member is a citizen, in your case the UK, she will need a separate visa to enter the UK.

A Schengen visa has to be applied for in one's country of residence, so she will need to obtain it before traveling to the UK. As she is the spouse of an EU citizen, most of the questions on the form wont apply and it should be issued free of charge.

She cannot apply for a French visit visa, as these have been replaced by Schengen visas. If she is legally resident in Thailand then she can apply in Thailand. If she is not legally resident in Thailand, then she can't.

Ditto if she applies to Spain, or any other Schengen state.

One used to be able to apply for a Schengen visa in, for example, the UK if there as a visitor, but the rules have been changed and one now has to apply in one's country of residence; which may be different to one's country of nationality.

I don't suppose is anyone knows if you are in Thailand on an retirement extension, if that can be construed as "resident" for the purposes of applying for foreign visas. I am not even sure if I can apply here in Thailand for a UK visitor's visa for my Filipina wife. She is presently on a visitor's visa, but soon will be on my retirement extension. Anyone had experience of this?

She cannot apply for a French visit visa, as these have been replaced by Schengen visas. If she is legally resident in Thailand then she can apply in Thailand. If she is not legally resident in Thailand, then she can't.

Ditto if she applies to Spain, or any other Schengen state.

One used to be able to apply for a Schengen visa in, for example, the UK if there as a visitor, but the rules have been changed and one now has to apply in one's country of residence; which may be different to one's country of nationality.