Up-Date On Visit To Spain On A Schengen Visa

[malct]

Just giving you all a up-date on our recent visit to Lanzarote.

You all may remember the pains that we went through getting the Schengen Visa from the Spanish consulate in Edinburgh.

Everything went great and my wife got her passport checked at check-in at manchester and when we arrived in Lanzarote, my wifes passport was checked and stamped at passport control in Lanzarote. (it seemed that she was expected as everyone else was waved through)

on returning back into the UK, My wife had to go through the Non Europeans lane and also had to fill in a landing card and asked a number of questions and finger prints done.

they do not require to see the TB certificate.

Overall, Once you get the Schengen Visa, then thats the hassle over with

Malc

[RAZZELL]

Thanks for that...

In the New Year I'm thinking of getting a Schengen for Mrs Razz so we can go to France, but the consensus seems to be to apply to the German embassy as it's easier to get. However, I just like "playing by the rules" on this type of stuff

I read somewhere that the first time the Schengen is used the Country concerned will stamp it? Which "sort of" validates it? ie you travelled to the country you applied to.

Probably BS though

RAZZ

Edited December 22, 2011 by RAZZELL

[beano2274]

Am off to Switzerland and the UK next year (after a lot of discussion with the missus), she is applying for her Schengen Visa at the Swiss Embassy, then applying for the UK Family Visa. We will be staying next to the Swiss/German border and obviously going into Germany quite often. But our arrival location is Switzerland so applying there.

On the form it asks about the country where you will land and spend the most time, maybe a bit of a white lie here is required for some people.

Just reading my own post made me realise I made a mistake on the visa application, ticked 2 entries, should have done multiple entries, as land in Zurich (1 entry), stay in Zurich fly to Heathrow, stay in the UK for a few days, return to Switzerland (2nd entry), then cannot go to German as no entries left,,,,,,,,dumbo.......

Edited December 22, 2011 by beano2274

[himachal]

Hi all

I, my Thai spouse and two young kids (Thai) are planning to visit Spain next year for 2 weeks. We made the same trip 2 years ago, obtaining a Schengen visa for my spouse by booking accommodation because new (at that time) regs meant doing a 'Carta De Invitacion' was going to take forever and still by no means gauranteed. (Local Policia hadn't a clue how to process all the paperwork and so were not intertested in helping!)

Does anyone know if the Invitacion process has got easier (ie. is it pheasable), or is it still better to get the visa by booking a hotel?

(I'm a Brit, so don't need a visa, and my parents have residencia in Spain, so they could invite us - as they used to before the paperwork got heavy and it really was just a notarised letter.)

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

H

[KamnanT]

Am off to Switzerland and the UK next year (after a lot of discussion with the missus), she is applying for her Schengen Visa at the Swiss Embassy, then applying for the UK Family Visa. We will be staying next to the Swiss/German border and obviously going into Germany quite often. But our arrival location is Switzerland so applying there.

On the form it asks about the country where you will land and spend the most time, maybe a bit of a white lie here is required for some people.

Just reading my own post made me realise I made a mistake on the visa application, ticked 2 entries, should have done multiple entries, as land in Zurich (1 entry), stay in Zurich fly to Heathrow, stay in the UK for a few days, return to Switzerland (2nd entry), then cannot go to German as no entries left,,,,,,,,dumbo.......

Not to worry Beano - Switzerland may not be part of the EU but it is part of the Schengen zone, so there is no passport control between Switzerland and Germany. Your wife will only require two entries - the initial entry from Thailand and then the return from the UK. She can move between Switzerland and the other Schengen zone countries as often as she wishes. Switzerland is one of the tougher Schengen nations to apply to - they have a nasty habit of issuing visas that only barely cover the itinerary you specify (e.g. if you say you're going to be in the Schengen zone for 13 days, they give you a visa valid for 15 days). They assume your plans will not change. France, on the other hand, generally issues visitor visas with the standard 90 day validity regardless of your itinerary.