Visa to Canary islands for Thai Wife

[INCOGNITO146]

Hi,

My wife who is a Thai national is currently living with me in the U.K on a spouse visa.

I am looking at a holiday to the Canary islands in the next few months.

Does anyone know if she needs to get a separate visa for the Canary islands or is she covered with her U.K spouse visa ? I think she can visit chignon countries with her visa but not sure if the Canaries are included .

Thanks in advance for any info.

Rich

[INCOGNITO146]

Sorry i meant shengen countries.

[beano2274]

she would need a visa for schengen countries. And from the Spanish Embassy for the Canary Islands.

Edited January 29, 2016 by beano2274

[macahoom]

Your wife will need a Schengen visa to visit the Canaries.

[MaprangHolmes]

She will need a Schengen visa, but it will be issued free of charge and most of the requirements will not apply to your wife.

[Richard W]

She will need a Schengen visa, but it will be issued free of charge and most of the requirements will not apply to your wife.

Perhaps, but the cost of the visa will depend on what they have in the way of a marriage certificate and possibly on how old it is. It may be possible to travel with just a British marriage certificate, rather than a visa, but I fear a free visa if they have just a Thai marriage certificate and a certified translation would be rather expensive to obtain.

[Richard W]

She will need a Schengen visa, but it will be issued free of charge and most of the requirements will not apply to your wife.

Perhaps, but the cost of the visa will depend on what they have in the way of a marriage certificate and possibly on how old it is. It may be possible to travel with just a British marriage certificate, rather than a visa, but I fear a free visa if they have just a Thai marriage certificate and a certified translation would be rather expensive to obtain.

I've just checked on http://es.vfsglobal.co.uk/london/eea_documentsrequired.html , and there's now none of the nonsense of having documents that are less than one month old. I don't see any mention of legalising non-EU marriage certificates, either. Possibly it's simpler because it relies on a British residence permit to verify the marriage. Of course, I may have misunderstood 'officially translated' as applied to marriage certificates.

(All the above assumes that Incognito146 is an EEA national - it wouldn't apply if he were American.)

Edited January 31, 2016 by Richard W

[MaprangHolmes]

She will need a Schengen visa, but it will be issued free of charge and most of the requirements will not apply to your wife.

Perhaps, but the cost of the visa will depend on what they have in the way of a marriage certificate and possibly on how old it is. It may be possible to travel with just a British marriage certificate, rather than a visa, but I fear a free visa if they have just a Thai marriage certificate and a certified translation would be rather expensive to obtain.

If your partner is here on a settlement visa than a Schengen visa is free. If you have a translated marriage certificate and it has not been certified by the MFA then you can send to the Thai embassy and they will do it for a cost of around £10. You can travel as you say but trying to get an airline to let you board would be your first hurdle after that going through immigration at your destination is going to be your next hurdle.

It is far easier to get a Schengen visa, as the OP is going to a Spanish owned island and depending on what part of the country they live in going to down to the consulate in London (about a 5 minute walk from the sloane square tube station) is very easy and you should get your passport back with visa in around 2 - 3 days.

[Richard W]

If your partner is here on a settlement visa than a Schengen visa is free. If you have a translated marriage certificate and it has not been certified by the MFA then you can send to the Thai embassy and they will do it for a cost of around £10.

So the VFS site is not to be trusted when it says a 'certified translation'?

Is the certification by the Thai embassy in London (Certified Seen Documents) known to be accepted? What are the oldest documents known to have been accepted - marriage certificate, translation, and certification? (This is a request for a bidding competition unless someone finds credible Spanish instructions on what to accept. We have no reason to believe that Spain follows EU directives.)

I'm sorry to harp on about document age, but the Foreign Marriage Recognition Certificate Application Pack says that both a marriage certificate and its legalisation should be less than 3 months old for it to be usable within Spain.

[beano2274]

The OP states Spouse Visa does he mean Settlement Visa, if so then no fee and go to the Spanish Embassy to get a visa however, if he means Family Visitors visa, then she would have to return to Thailand to apply for a visa.

This is why I say first get the Terminology correct, then the right answers will flow in.

[7by7]

Many Schengen embassies in the UK insist that you phone a premium rate number to make an appointment to submit the application.

The Spanish prefer all applications to go through their visa application centre, who will charge an admin fee of £14.60. But qualifying family members of EEA nationals can lodge their application directly with the consulate, but they don't make it simple; Booking an appointment and visa application fee

Applicants who prefer to address their application directly to this Consulate, including spouses, partners, and family dependants of Spanish and EU citizens, should write a letter (phone calls, fax and e-mails will not be accepted) to this Consulate that can be sent by post or delivered in person. The applicant will be given an appointment on the first available date and in strict order of presentation. An appointment will usually be given within 2 weeks after you apply. Please state clearly the purpose of your visit, dates of travel, contact details (full name, address, email and day time telephone number) and enclose only photocopies of your passport, UK residence visa, (marriage certificate, birth certificate, if applicable) and a stamped SAE. Please do not send or hand in any original documents until you asked to do so by the Visa Department.

As far as I am aware, the Spanish embassy in London do not play the stupid game of asking for official confirmation from the UK government that a Thai marriage is legal in the UK that the Spanish embassy in Bangkok indulge in.

The Spanish prefer all applications to go through theirvisa application centre, who will charge a fee

[Donutz]

The OP states Spouse Visa does he mean Settlement Visa, if so then no fee and go to the Spanish Embassy to get a visa however, if he means Family Visitors visa, then she would have to return to Thailand to apply for a visa.

This is why I say first get the Terminology correct, then the right answers will flow in.

A visa for the spouse of an EU/EEA national to any other EU/EEA country will ALWAYS be free, via an accelerated and simplified procedure, regardless of visa/immigration status or lack thereof. Provided that the couple shows that they are genuinly and legally married, proof their IDs and make it evident that the non EU national will travel with or join the EU national on the trip. There is no rule on how old the documents can be, or that they have to be translated or legalized, though an embassy may ask for a translation or legalisation if they require so to confirm autenticity of the mariage.

If so you can apply from anywhere in the world at the embassy/consulate which issues the vida. In this case Spain as the Canary Islands are their main (only) goal.

The Spanish have been known to be a pain in the *** though when it comed to the documents, wrongly demanding that the UK confirms the marriage etc. See various previous topics on Schengen Visa for Spain. If the Spanish do not cooperate contact Solvit.

More info and links in the Schengen FAQ sticky, including links with sources and detailed informstion.

[wilbs]

Sorry for jumping on this thread about Spanish visa but I'm looking at taking wife over to Germany in March for a few days to see some of her old friends regarding applying for visa do you need to show hotel booking and flight confirmation on application also what other docs do they want to see (bank statements, letters with address, travel insurance etc)

She is currently in the UK on a spouse visa she has just had it renewed for her first time and now has a biometric residence permit

Thanks

[beano2274]

Wilbs no need to show, just apply for a Schengen visa at the germany embassy using the EEU National router

[INCOGNITO146]

Thanks for the info. I think i will apply to the spanish embassy to save any possible problems.