Hi

I am a British citizen and resident in Italy. Planning to take my Thai g/f to Italy for a month in the summer. I have looked on the VFS and Embassy websites and they both give conflicting info. The VFS help line just gives a recorded message about them moving to a new address in September, so not much help there !

Has anyone been though the procedure of obtaining a Visa recently and if so was it easy or difficult

Thanks in advance

As the Schengen sticky suggest I would avoid VFS (saving you a service fee and possibly any incompetence from the not-so-well trained VFS staff). Instructions should be and used to be on the Italian's embassy website on how to get a direct appointment at the embassy. The info from the sticky plus instructions from the embassy should be all you need. As you are not married and AFAIK the Italians not having a definition for longterm unmarried couples she'd fall under the standard Schengen rules rather then the free, simplified procedure for spouses of EU nationals.

As the Schengen sticky suggest I would avoid VFS (saving you a service fee and possibly any incompetence from the not-so-well trained VFS staff). Instructions should be and used to be on the Italian's embassy website on how to get a direct appointment at the embassy. The info from the sticky plus instructions from the embassy should be all you need. As you are not married and AFAIK the Italians not having a definition for longterm unmarried couples she'd fall under the standard Schengen rules rather then the free, simplified procedure for spouses of EU nationals.

Thanks for that Donutz.

Looking at the Italian Embassy website again it appears that you have to go though VFS with the paperwork first and then they forward it to the embassy. I've just e-mailed VFS hoping to iron out some points.I will start the formal process when i return in June. Anyway prepared to pay the 60 Euro fee

Cheers

If you read the info on the Italian embassy's website it says that you may either go via VFS Global (costs you a service fee) or directly via the embassy (no service fee).

VISA OFFICE

The Embassy of Italy in Bangkok is pleased to announce that from 5nd of January 2012 will be introduced a new system and new procedures for Visa to Italy. Under this new arrangement, VFS (Thailand) Ltd. Will operate a Joint Visa Application Center at the address indicated hereunder. In order to submit a visa application to the Embassy of Italy in Bangkok, Thai and foreign citizens holder of a Non Immigrant Visa, of those countries for which visa is requested, can apply for a visa in person (possibility accompained by a tour operator), from Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 16:00 at “Joint Visa Application Center” managed by VFS (Thailand), at the following address:

Joint Visa Application Center (JVAC)- 191 Silom Complex Building, 15th Floor, Unit C, Silom Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 – Helpline: +66 22 639100
Email: [email protected]. For further information please contact the Call center +66 (0) 2 118 7000.

VFS is a privately-run service company, authorized by this Embassy to receive visa applications and is bound by the rules of data protection in force in Italy. However, any assessment and decision on visa is taken by the Embassy only.

Visa appointment can be also scheduled directly with the Visa Office of the Embassy by following these procedures.

LONG STAY VISA. The request of any type of National Visa together with proper documentation should be submitted in person directly at the Visa Office of the Embassy as following.

Monday-Friday from 9am to 12pm – Thursday also from 2pm to 4pm 27th Fl. CRC Tower, All Seasons Place,
87 Wireless Road , Lumpini, Phatumwan
Bangkok 10330 Tel 00662/250-4970
Fax 00662/250.4986
Web

VFS is an optional party under the Schengen visa rules so no embassy can force you to use their services (some try to push people to there though!). Luckily the Italians do tell you how to avoid VFS (all Schengen embassies should). If you follow the instructions for direct application at the embassy:

VISA OFFICE – ITALIAN EMBASSY IN BANGKOK

If you choose not to submit your application through the Italy Visa Application Centre, you can lodge it directly at the Visa Section of the Italian Embassy.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling the Call Center Tel +66 (0) 2 2639101. Applicants are required to indicate their general information (name, sex, d.o.b and Number of passport ), the type of visa requested and the prospective date of departure.

Applicants must appear in person at the counter with the required documentation for the type of visa you want to request

The Visa Office is open to the public on Monday –10:00 -12:00 Wednesday 14:00-16:00 – Friday 10:00-12:00.

It is recommended to set the appointment well in advance (at least 3 weeks) compared to the departure date and prestasbilita limited to the days and times established

The office may require a personal interview. In this case, applicants are asked to come up with 15 minutes before the time fixed. In case of impossibility 'to appear, will be necessary to set a new appointment

Each visa application must include all the required documents for the type of visa requested

Applicants can contact our Office by sending an e-mail to the following address: [email protected].

Passports can be picked up on the same days and hours above mentioned.

I wonder if VFS would tell you about the service-free direct option, I'd think not as they are in the game to make money afterall. I'm not a fan of these external parties getting involved in visa matters. Going via an external party (service provider, visa agent etc.) should be entirely optional for those people who prefer to get some extra assistance.

We are going to the UK for 7 weeks and whilst there will take a 3 night break to Rome.

This week my GF was told by VFS:-

a. A boyfriend cannot act as sponsor

b. She needs to show, say, 20,000 Baht in an account of her own (they also said she put herself down as unemployed so that might raise a question?)

c. She needs Euro 30,000 travel insurance for the WHOLE of the planned trip, not just the visit to Rome (maybe VFS think the UK has joined the Schengen group)

d. As a Thai she needs to apply in Bangkok and cannot apply when we get to London (the answer to one of my questions). That surprised because I am sure that if I had decided to visit Rome on the spur of the moment (during our 7 weeks in the UK) it must be possible to arrange the Schengen visa at the Italian embassy in London?

Edited February 19, 201610 yr by Jip99

5555 that is why I would avoid VFS and only deal with the embassy directly, saving you the service fee and incompetence. Too often they do not seem to any good except the most standard of applications.

A) while the VFS site seems down, I cannot imagen this is true. The Schengen rules accept a sponsor, not specifying what is not allowed. I can imagen that the embassy wants to see a plausible, reliable sponsor: a partner, parents etc and not some random person (who may very well not actually be a sponsor or some other shady construction that raises alarm bells).

if she has no sponsor (but she has, you!), then she would need to comply with whatever the Italians set as a minimum amount per day. Doesn't hurt if she showe she has some money of her own anyway but should be irrelevant if you act as a sponsor.

C) last time I checked the UK was no Schengenmember. The 30.000 euro coverage insurance applies to the Schengen area. For her stay in the UK she would ofcourse only need to comply with the rules UKVI dictates, not what the Schengen rules dictate. So she only need the Schengen insurance for a few days.

D) They are correct, regular applicants must apply from their country of residence. Only EU family members are excepted. The embassy may make an exception though if they find it unreasonable to ask of the applicant to apply from their country of residence. See the Schengen sticky. If applying from BKK is no option, contact the embassy in the UK if they wish to help her but there would be no obligation to do so!

You may wish to share this incompetence by VFS to the embassy, their site says:

"Complaints: Any comment and suggestions on the service provided by our Visa Office and the Visa Application Center are highly appreciated. Please send an email to [email protected] "

Edited February 19, 201610 yr by Donutz

A year or so ago my good lady applied for a visa via the VFS centre to tour Italy, we hadn't been made aware of Donutz advice at that stage.

As well as the inaccurate advice offered to Jip99, my girlfriend was told that the travel insurance she had purchased in London, because it was cheaper and far superior than any cover offered by Thai insurers, was not acceptable and unless she purchased further cover from their list they wouldn't forward the application.

I argued with the operative, and her manager, pointing out that their website confirmed the rules stated that a policy must be purchased in the EU or Thailand. Their response was that "London was not in Schengen", it was at this stage that I realised that they had no idea what they were talking about and that further reasoning would be pointless.

We did purchase a further policy, a mistake I would never make again.

We did complain to the Consulate and received an apology together with confirmation that the original insurance had been compliant.

We used their response to complain to VFS, they did apologise for their mistake, but refused to refund the unnecessary insurance costs, but they did promise that their staff would be retrained. It's now clear to me that any training was ineffective.

A year or so ago my good lady applied for a visa via the VFS centre to tour Italy, we hadn't been made aware of Donutz advice at that stage.

As well as the inaccurate advice offered to Jip99, my girlfriend was told that the travel insurance she had purchased in London, because it was cheaper and far superior than any cover offered by Thai insurers, was not acceptable and unless she purchased further cover from their list they wouldn't forward the application.

I argued with the operative, and her manager, pointing out that their website confirmed the rules stated that a policy must be purchased in the EU or Thailand. Their response was that "London was not in Schengen", it was at this stage that I realised that they had no idea what they were talking about and that further reasoning would be pointless.

We did purchase a further policy, a mistake I would never make again.

We did complain to the Consulate and received an apology together with confirmation that the original insurance had been compliant.

We used their response to complain to VFS, they did apologise for their mistake, but refused to refund the unnecessary insurance costs, but they did promise that their staff would be retrained. It's now clear to me that any training was ineffective.

The Italian embassy website is not particularly user friendly and an earlier phone call with them did not inspire confidence - first (understandably) directing me to VFS then, at my insistence that I apply direct, was told an appointment was not necessary; the website says otherwise.

I allowed myself to be persuaded by my GF (who said she would prefer to submit via VFS) - together with my own positive experience of 20+ UK visas - to go via VFS. Big mistake.

We will now go together (another factor perhaps) next Friday to the embassy. Whilst there were mitigating factors I should have the good sense to follow Donutz sticky to the letter.

If my failure helps others to avoid the retards at this particular VFS office, then the pain/cost was worth it.

Thanks guys for your inputs. Helps a lot. I'll mull over everything over the next couple of months. I'm back in Thailand June so will pick up the baton and run with it. Will let you know the progress or other wise

Cheers

On 2/17/2016 at 7:24 PM, Donutz said:

Monday-Friday from 9am to 12pm – Thursday also from 2pm to 4pm

 

On 2/17/2016 at 7:24 PM, Donutz said:

The Visa Office is open to the public on Monday –10:00 -12:00 Wednesday 14:00-16:00 – Friday 10:00-12:00

Anybody any idea which is correct?

On ‎20‎/‎02‎/‎2016 at 11:25 AM, Jip99 said:

at my insistence that I apply direct, was told an appointment was not necessary; the website says otherwise

When I applied with the wife a few years ago it was walk-in service.

 

They were very helpful and we did not have to show insurance cover but told them we would be purchasing it.

3 hours ago, wgdanson said:

 

Anybody any idea which is correct?

Just spoken with a nice Italian man. Mon - Fri, 9 -12 and also 14.00 - 16.00 Thursdays. Another site however said that you can pick your passport up any afternoon......I'll get ours couriered back, save a 10 hour drive.