Spanish Schengen

[sketcher]

Does anyone have a definitive list of what documents are needed when applying for the above. We both live in Thailand and will be applying in Bangok. Will hopefully have a UK family visiting visa for her already before we apply for the schengen but will be going to spain before the UK. I see that less information is required on the application form as she is married to an EU citizen, does that also mean the documentation required is less?

[robbiecia]

I am going through this process right now.

The Spanish embassy doesn't provide very much info on their requirements.

You will need along with the obvious documentation,

a. Proof of income from either you or the wife.

b. Full itinerary, ie air tickets

c. Proof of accomadation during the stay (hotel booking is ok) This is very important

d. If staying with friends or family an "official invitation letter" available from their local police dept in Spain. I asked about this yesterday

e. Travel insurance for the wife (this is important too) they must be insured for 30000 euros

Again its a bit sketchy about the application process, but i believe you have to email the embassy requesting a date to apply for the visa.

They will issue the visa to cover only the exact travel dates, ie if you will be in Spain for 10 days, the visa will be only valid for those 10 days

If you are a UK national the schengen visa will be free for the wife.

Edited January 13, 2011 by robbiecia

[sketcher]

Thanks robbiecia, just what I was after. Good luck with the app!

[a99az]

It is simple, you only need to show you are married and that you are a Schengen member and NOT Spanish.

She only has to fill in the first part of the visa form. It should be easy and you should get the visa back in a couple of weeks. If you wanted to stay and take up employment in Spain your wife should apply for her Spanish ID card, the Spanish must issue her with the ID card within 90 days under European law. This would then invalidate her Spanish visa (she must stay in Spain until she gets her ID card 90 days) then she can stay in Spain, for 5 years. She can travel all over Europe with her ID Card, my wife has one and we visited many places, the only place she can not go to is England and Gibraltar, and England is not on my list of places that I would ever want to go to, and Gibraltar is too small, and a rip off.

The ID Card lasts for 5 years. When she renews it she gets a permanent Spanish residents ID Card.

Now that could help many who would like to return to Europe.

[a99az]

It is simple, you only need to show you are married and that you are a Schengen member and NOT Spanish.

She only has to fill in the first part of the visa form. It should be easy and you should get the visa back in a couple of weeks. If you wanted to stay and take up employment in Spain your wife should apply for her Spanish ID card, the Spanish must issue her with the ID card within 90 days under European law. This would then invalidate her Spanish visa (she must stay in Spain until she gets her ID card 90 days) then she can stay in Spain, for 5 years. She can travel all over Europe with her ID Card, my wife has one and we visited many places, the only place she can not go to is England and Gibraltar, and England is not on my list of places that I would ever want to go to, and Gibraltar is too small, and a rip off.

The ID Card lasts for 5 years. When she renews it she gets a permanent Spanish residents ID Card.

Now that could help many who would like to return to Europe.

I forgot to add, IT IS ALL FREE

[Arkady]

I am going through this process right now.

The Spanish embassy doesn't provide very much info on their requirements.

You will need along with the obvious documentation,

a. Proof of income from either you or the wife.

b. Full itinerary, ie air tickets

c. Proof of accomadation during the stay (hotel booking is ok) This is very important

d. If staying with friends or family an "official invitation letter" available from their local police dept in Spain. I asked about this yesterday

e. Travel insurance for the wife (this is important too) they must be insured for 30000 euros

Again its a bit sketchy about the application process, but i believe you have to email the embassy requesting a date to apply for the visa.

They will issue the visa to cover only the exact travel dates, ie if you will be in Spain for 10 days, the visa will be only valid for those 10 days

If you are a UK national the schengen visa will be free for the wife.

If there is not much information from the Spanish Embassy, it is worth looking on the website of a more efficient Schengen country, since the rules are the same for all of them. I seem to remember the Norwegian Embassy had a lot of information on it website.

I am not sure if evidence of hotel reservations or an invitation letter from a hosted are needed for legal spouses of EU nationals accompanying their spouse exercising his or her right to freedom of movement within the EU. The invitation letter is a real pain, if you need one, because it has to be notarised. I got one for my wife for Spain before we were married and had to reimburse my host Euros 150 for the Spanish public notary's fee for 15 minutes work. If anyone needs this to stay with friends or relatives in Schengenland, I would strongly recommend making a hotel reservation online that can be cancelled at no cost. It does the job and is much easier and cheaper than the notarised invitation letter. They are never going to check where you stay. Anyway check the application form. I believe it mentions a waiver on detailed evidence of accomodation for spouses of EU nationals, although the itinerary and air tickets are certainly required. When we went to Norway the immigration officer had details of the itinerary on her computer and quizzed my wife about it but the Southern European countries have never asked any questions, except a Greek immigration officer who was curiously about my wife's Buddhist religion in her passport.

My wife went for an interview at the Spanish Embassy and they only asked her pointless questions that were already answered on her application form. Then the male officer pretended he thought that my father, whose passport copy was included in the application as our host, was her fiance when the old boy was in his mid 80s and she was 24 at the time! He seemed to be having a holiday in Thailand at taxpayers' expense and obviously enjoyed a joke. On the other hand, I went there again a couple of years ago for some notarial work and nearly all the consular of the work was being done by a ruthlessly efficient Spanish lady, while the local staff didn't seem to have a clue.

[sketcher]

Arkady, your right the official invitation letter is not required if travelling with a EU citizen spouse, The Spanish embassy have asked for a letter from my hosts and proof that they live there and copies of their passports.

Even though they don't provide much information on their website they do seem to be very quick and informative in replying to any e-mailed questions about visas, you do of course need to know which questions to ask first!!

[thaimiller]

Ive travelled to Spain twice with my wife before we were married and I always got a notorised letter from my parennts local mayor's office as they live in spain. It has always been a good isea as I got the visa with out problems. Ive just been reading the thread and can someone clarify that becuase I am now married, my wife's visa will be free the next time we apply? Im from the UK by the way.

[7by7]

As you are an EU national then yes, it will be free.