Spanish Holiday For Fiancee With Uk Visa

[yorkieb]

Dear Forum

This being my first post. any advise would be most grateful.

Ok so the background to my question is:

a) My fiancee has a 6 month fiancee visa valid Nov 2006 - April 2007 for the UK.

We will marry within this peroid and apply to extend her visa for another 2 years.

c) In June 2007 we would like to holiday in Spain for 2 weeks.

My question is:

a) does she need a tourist visa to visit Spain?.

if so will she have to apply in BKK?.

c) my guess is that she will need to show travel tickets, hotel booking, bank balance and medical cover. But will she need anything more complicated eg sponser etc, which she obviously doesnt have in Spain?.

d) is it possible to get a 2 week holiday visa for an EEC country in the UK?.

e) having a uk visa already does this afford her any special benifits with other EEC countries in terms of access.

Many thanks in advance

Yorkieb

[vinny]

a) Yes.

b ) No, she can apply at the Spanish Consulate General in London.

c) If she is married to an EU/EEA national, then she will not have to fill in questions marked with * on the Schengen visa application form. Also:

There will be no charge for the spouse and/or dependants of an EU citizen. However, proof of the relationship must be submitted at the time of application. This proof should be an original EU full national passport or national ID card and an original marriage certificate, (birth certificate in the case of children or dependants). Those married to Spanish nationals must present the original Libro de Familia. Photocopies are not acceptable. In some cases a translation and legalisation may be required. Non EU certificates should be legalised according to the 1961 Hague Convention.

d) Yes.

e) No, but see also Right of Union citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States.

Edited October 26, 2006 by vinny

[yorkieb]

Cheers Vinny

Thanks for the informative advice mate.

Yorkieb

[GuestHouse]

Before you book any tickets I would double check what I Vinny is saying with the Spannish Embassy.

As you are aware your fiancee wil require a Schengen Visa to visit Spain. When my wife and I visited spain two years ago I called the Spannish embassy in London to check some applicaiton details, they asked several times if my wife was resident in the UK and clearly stated that unless she had a Settlement Visa or a Permenant Leave to Remain in the UK she would not be able to apply for a Schengen Visa in the UK.

OK the question of Fiancee Visa did not arrise, but I would double check that the Spannish Embassy wil accept the Fiancee visa before you book tickets.

Just to give you an idea of how sticky some of the Embassies can be over this. The British High Commission in Singapore will not accept applications for visas to the UK from non Signaporeans unless they have a full 12 months legal residence in Singapore. My wife nearly got caught with the 'You've applied but don't meet the rules, so we keep all your application fee' trick, because she was less than two weeks short of 12 months.

Check with the Embassy, they can be a real pain about time periods.

Edited October 26, 2006 by GuestHouse

[vinny]

Once married, yorkieb's wife may apply for her further leave to remain (marriage) or FLR(M) immediately.

I was assuming that by the time yorkieb's wife will be applying for the Schengen visa, near June 2007, she would already be married and have the 2 years' FLR(M) in hand. This should be equivalant to a 2-year spouse settlement visa issued in Bangkok.

However, Guesthouse's advice is sound. Don't pay for any tickets or package before obtaining the visa. On the Schengen visa application form, family members of EU/EEA nationals do not have to answer questions marked with "*". Unfortunately, fiancés or fiancées are not recognised under EC law and would have to answer all questions.

Edited October 27, 2006 by vinny