Spanish Schengen?

[KhunDave]

Hello folks, not posted for a while - amazing how much there is to do when you move across continents - but here's a question for those in the know.

We moved to UK last year, and my wife is presently here on a settlement visa with leave to remain until early 2014. This December we'd like to take a short holiday in Spain, and from what I've read on the forum she seems to need a Schengen visa. We are living in the north of England, but the Spanish consulate in Manchester has been closed down and its' workload transfered to Edinburgh, which requires all applications to be made in person. As we are both working a visit to Edinburgh would be neither cheap nor convenient, and we are inclined to write the whole thing off and do something in the UK instead. However it would be nice to escape the winter weather for a while. Do we have any other options open to allow my wife to visit Spain?

Thanks for all replies

[bobrussell]

Try an on-line application for a German or French visa.

As far as I know (unless things have changed) Germany allows on-line visa applications and France will (or did) allow on-line applications if you live in certain counties a long way from London!

Once issued you are allowed to change your mind as to the country you visit and for a married partner much of the form does not need to be completed anyway.

[theoldgit]

Unfortunately the French, Italian and German Embassies, via their outsource contractors, now require personal submissions as biometric details are taken at the time of application.

[Hawkinschris]

Unfortunately the French, Italian and German Embassies, via their outsource contractors, now require personal submissions as biometric details are taken at the time of application.

VFS now have the contract for German Schengen, but postal application can still be done and are sent to Manchester with a £18 service charge. However, if you live in the North of England (North Yorks upwards) you can send your application to The German Embassy in Edinburgh with no service charge.

http://www.london.diplo.de/contentblob/3401148/Daten/975627/Consular_district_map.pdf

http://www.vfsglobal.com/germany/uk/allaboutvisas.html

Postal Applications

Spouses of EU and German nationals and certain categories of travellers can also apply by post. Please note that from 31 August 2012 postal applications need to be sent to Manchester:

Edited September 5, 2012 by Hawkinschris

[bobrussell]

I said on-line but really meant postal!

Forms are downloaded then posted. (Slapped wrist for being imprecise!).

Thanks for the update on French applications. We live in Hampshire and that meant a trip to London but those next door in Dorset were able to do it by post!

Hopefully my wife will have her British passport through before she plans to travel again!

[bobrussell]

Sorry I said on-line but meant postal. Forms downloaded then posted!

Interesting about France. We (in Hampshire) had to go in person to London but those in next door Dorset could post theirs!

[theoldgit]

Certainly postal applications are a good option, but they seem to have tightened up on it http://www.vfsglobal.com/germany/uk/news.html, but whilst plans can and do change, Khun Dave needs to be aware that when applying for a Schengen Visa a little more proof of the proposed visit is required, they ask for travel tickets in and out of the Schengen Area as well as accommodation arrangements, I suspect there would be no problem but I would hate for Dave to fall foul of the system.

http://www.edinburgh.diplo.de/contentblob/3128554/Daten/1253390/VisaTerminVergMerkbl.pdf

[Eff1n2ret]

How long do you want to go for? If it's only a few days, Gibraltar's not bad (longer than that boredom could set in). The attraction in your situation is that because your wife has LTR in the UK for more than 12 months, she can visit Gib without a visa.

[KhunDave]

Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions. In the end going to Edinburgh for the Spanish consulate seems to be the only viable option. As theoldgit said, there is a firm requirement to show booked plans for France or Germany to use their embassies.

On the upside though the staff at Edinburgh are very helpful and flexible in terms of schedulling the appointment, and the visa itself seems to be something of a formality once you demonstrate flights, accomodation, insurance and cash to cover the trip.

[abrahamzvi]

Try an on-line application for a German or French visa.

As far as I know (unless things have changed) Germany allows on-line visa applications and France will (or did) allow on-line applications if you live in certain counties a long way from London!

Once issued you are allowed to change your mind as to the country you visit and for a married partner much of the form does not need to be completed anyway.

[abrahamzvi]

Germany allows on line applications. Provided all reqired information is submitted, a Schenegen Visa is granted.

Edited September 9, 2012 by abrahamzvi

[ALFREDO]

-Khun Dave-

I would suggest also, to make the trip to the right Consular section,in your case the Spanish. As others mentioned, you would have to fake, bogus some travel documents, to qualify for a German or French Schengen Visa in the first place.

[edcv2007]

K.David, one friend of mine... is traveling to Spain in December too. She is Thai. How many people know try to contact directly with some embassies is a waste of time. I recommend you the same way of my friend: http://www.vfsglobal.com/

I don't know how much money she has to pay but I think she told me not a lot. They will tell you exactly the documents whose you need and they will help you if any problemns happen. Good luck with the Visa and I hope you enjoy Spain. Is a very good choice!

[regn]

K.David, one friend of mine... is traveling to Spain in December too. She is Thai. How many people know try to contact directly with some embassies is a waste of time. I recommend you the same way of my friend: http://www.vfsglobal.com/

Good luck with the Visa and I hope you enjoy Spain. Is a very good choice!

first, VFSglobal will not help you if any problems happen! they have no knowledge about the process! I made this experience when my girlfriend asked for a schengen Visa for Spain, because we wanted to travel in Spain. Although i made all bookings for the whole trip the spanish Embassy denied the visa - they did not believe, what we planned to do. So I cannot recommend to apply at this embassy or VFSglobal

[malct]

I have some posts on here from Last November when we got a schengen Visa, Found that the Edinburgh office was not helpful, Gave us wrong information which caused great stress and then i got told to get out of the office and the guard got a telling off for allowing me in with my wife whose English is not the best and she needed my support.

Make sure you take photo copies of everything, the shop over the road charge £10 for photo copying!!!! Ended up having to go to the HSBC who photo copied my passport for me..

[KhunDave]

Here's an update which may be useful for anyone else looking to apply in Edinburgh.

We arrived for our pre-booked appointment a few minutes before the due time. The consulate is in a small terraced house in central Edinburgh, just off Princes Street. The security guard was helpful and checked that we had got all of the necessary documents, but quite firm in stating that my wife was the only one allowed into the main office. I mooched the streets nervously for 15 minutes.

Once inside, my wife told me that the Spanish staff were pleasant, but not particularly helpful. As her English is near-fluent this wasn't a problem for her, but she did tell me that there was a Chinese lady also applying at the same time who struggled to understand what was being asked of her. This lady was berated by the staff and told that if she couldn't get her documents in order quickly she would have to book another appointment and come back again. This attitude is a bit poor considering that this consulate is the only option for the whole of northern England and some people (such as ourselves) will have traveled hundreds of miles to apply. Anyone with a wife/husband whose English is not too good should make sure they give them a very thorough briefing of what to expect.

Anyway, back to the application. We submitted both our passports, our marriage document (stamped by the Thai ministry of foreign affairs, the application form itself, a recent utility bill for proof of address and our flight and accommodation details. Reading from the list of requirements issued by the consulate, this seemed to be all that was required for a spouse of an EU citizen. I decided to go a little beyond this for safety, so we also submitted bank statements, details of my wife's business in the UK, travel insurance and copies of our children's passports. Also photocopies of every original document. Originals were checked and returned on the day, copies were retained.

The result: passport back in three days. One year Schengen multi-entry. Worth the long trip!

[malct]

We only got the visa for about 3 weeks, Do you have to apply for a year visa? and have holidays booked during that time?

Over the road is a photo copy shop, £10 to photo copy documents, so make sure that you have all your documents done.

[KhunDave]

We only got the visa for about 3 weeks, Do you have to apply for a year visa? and have holidays booked during that time?

Over the road is a photo copy shop, £10 to photo copy documents, so make sure that you have all your documents done.

I suppose it's up to their discretion - the form doesn't give you any options about length of visa duration. We applied giving travel dates for one week in Spain. The visa they granted commences two days before our date of outward travel, but runs for a full year from that date.