Moving to Malta - Options for Thai Girlfriend

[Marcoose]

Hi all, I am en-route to Malta where and am hoping to have residency sorted here within 2 months. Problem - I'm leaving my long term girlfriend behind.

We are basically married without the certificate - have been together and lived with each other for five years. I can show money going into her bank the whole time, provide photos, etc.

I was wondering what options we have with regard to maximising the time we spend together, without marriage. I was thinking:

1. Schengen visa and UK visa at the same time. I am British so was thinking we could stay in Europe for 90 days and the Uk for 90 days, repeat. A pain in the ass for sure, but was wondering whether this was an option. Can she apply for both at the same time with one starting 3 months after the other?

2. Is it possible for her to get residency without us being married? I am sure this changes from country-to-country but if anyone knows how this generally works in Europe, or specifically Malta, that would be great.

Cheers!

[lostinisaan]

I've checked with a friend who had troubles to get his gf into the UK. Your plan to apply for a Schengen visa and one for the UK is something very complicated.

I don't think that a Thai can apply for a Schengen and a UK visa at the same time.

I've found some useful information here:http://www.thaivisa-express.com/thai-schengen-visa/

And here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13194723

P.S. Considering that you aren't married they'll do all to make it impossible. Might be better to ask guys who're dealing with such problems on daily basis.

Here's a part of the Thaivisa express page:

Contacting Our Schengen Visa Specialist

Founded in 2005, Thai Visa Express has helped many clients apply for a Schengen tourist or Schengen Settlement visa. With a proven success rate, our company has become one of the leading immigration consultancy firms in the country. Our agency offers personalized in depth visa consultations 24 hours a day. As our consultants speak Thai and English proficiently, you do not have to worry about the language barrier. Thai Visa Express offers a no-visa-no fee service with all Thai schengen visa applications. We only require an initial deposit. We have our clients’ convenience in mind, as Thai Visa Express has an office in Pattaya that you can visit any time.

I wish you best of luck to find the easiest way without a headache.

Edited May 1, 2016 by lostinisaan

[mgb]

As far as I know Malta accept durable partnership after 2 years. A visa for the family member of a EU/EEA citizen should be possible.

In Malta than a residence card for a family member.

Edited May 1, 2016 by mgb

[WaywardWind]

We lived in Malta (Gozo) for 10 years before moving to Thailand. We (US husband and Australian wife) worked in international development and kept a flat there for the time between contracts.

We had every intention of retiring there in 2010, but Malta changed their residency requirements for non-EU citizens after joining the EU. Long story made short - the financial requirements which needed to be met were incredibly onerous, and well beyond our means, so we changed plans and retired to Thailand.

Your situation differs from ours in that you are a EU citizen, and have not formally married your non-EU citizen spouse, but I would caution you to check into the requirements for her to stay there very carefully before committing to a move.

[khunPer]

I've checked with a friend who had troubles to get his gf into the UK. Your plan to apply for a Schengen visa and one for the UK is something very complicated.

I don't think that a Thai can apply for a Schengen and a UK visa at the same time.

I've found some useful information here:http://www.thaivisa-express.com/thai-schengen-visa/

And here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13194723

P.S. Considering that you aren't married they'll do all to make it impossible. Might be better to ask guys who're dealing with such problems on daily basis.

Here's a part of the Thaivisa express page:

Contacting Our Schengen Visa Specialist

Founded in 2005, Thai Visa Express has helped many clients apply for a Schengen tourist or Schengen Settlement visa. With a proven success rate, our company has become one of the leading immigration consultancy firms in the country. Our agency offers personalized in depth visa consultations 24 hours a day. As our consultants speak Thai and English proficiently, you do not have to worry about the language barrier. Thai Visa Express offers a no-visa-no fee service with all Thai schengen visa applications. We only require an initial deposit. We have our clients’ convenience in mind, as Thai Visa Express has an office in Pattaya that you can visit any time.

I wish you best of luck to find the easiest way without a headache.

My Thai girlfriend applied for both Schengen multiple-entry Visa (90 days) and UK Tourist Visa, the last for just 2 weeks. Schengen Visa has always been difficult and seem to get more complicated each year – that was her third time – whilst the UK Visa, which shall be applied for in Bangkok, was an easy process and after a week a Visa was ready, allowing up to six month stay. UK is not member of Schengen, so I presume there is no co-ordination; however you need to give your passport together with Visa application, so you need to plan in advance when applying for both.

By the way, we have never used an agent. The important matter is the invitation letter, and to prove that the ties to Thailand are stronger than the possibility of overstaying in Europe; furthermore the financial situation, which for Schengen Visa is important to prove that the Thai have own funds, which can be partly in a shared bank account, just the Thai has unlimited access. Schengen require a return ticket and health-travel-insurance; presume UK require something similar, my GF had both return ticket (from Schengen to UK, and back to Schengen) and insurance – but she could have stayed 3 month in Schengen and then six month in UK without overstaying, just changing the Thai return-ticket to a later date and travel in transit inside Schengen...

[kenny66]

I am dual national british / maltese. I am married to a thai with two children (both kids holding dual citizenship). I am not sure how the requirements are for girlfriend but assume with shengen all that changes is the fee, was then currently free for wives as in the shengen area they wish to show that family matters.

You can apply for both but at different times as the passport is required for both applications. For Malta as in the UK you will need to provide evidence of stay whether with family invitation or hotel. You will need to show plans of travel eg airtickets. and also Evidence of funds for living. There is no Maltese embassy in Thailand as it is shared with the Austrian embassy, all applications are dealt with by an agency.

In my experience the evidence required was and is less then that required by the UK, however you do need to show travel arrangements with an exit ticket and have Must have insurance for shengen, cheapest we found with Axa and covers UK.

One good thing if Married is that after 5 yrs, was 2 yrs, your wife can if so wish to apply automatically for a maltese passport however it is only advisable if planning to leave thailand due to citizenship reuirments.

If you are just visiting and staying with family in Malta, as stated earlier you need letter of invite, proof of persons ownership of home, maltese passport and id card all certified by a notory public.

have done this trip twice to UK, malta and traveled then in the EU, its tedious for sure.

Best wishes

Hope this helps

[Donutz]

My Thai girlfriend applied for both Schengen multiple-entry Visa (90 days) and UK Tourist Visa, the last for just 2 weeks. Schengen Visa has always been difficult and seem to get more complicated each year – that was her third time – whilst the UK Visa, which shall be applied for in Bangkok, was an easy process and after a week a Visa was ready, allowing up to six month stay. UK is not member of Schengen, so I presume there is no co-ordination; however you need to give your passport together with Visa application, so you need to plan in advance when applying for both.

By the way, we have never used an agent. The important matter is the invitation letter, and to prove that the ties to Thailand are stronger than the possibility of overstaying in Europe; furthermore the financial situation, which for Schengen Visa is important to prove that the Thai have own funds, which can be partly in a shared bank account, just the Thai has unlimited access. Schengen require a return ticket and health-travel-insurance; presume UK require something similar, my GF had both return ticket (from Schengen to UK, and back to Schengen) and insurance – but she could have stayed 3 month in Schengen and then six month in UK without overstaying, just changing the Thai return-ticket to a later date and travel in transit inside Schengen...

Mind you that immigration is something different then a visa, memberstates can dictate their own rules when it comes to immigration (the exception being married couples of an EU national and non Eu national moving/traveling to any other EU/EEA nation). The Schengen rules haven't changed since 2010, but perhaps a change in staff or resources/funds makes an embassy more or less strict then previous years. There isn't much room to manouvre with though as the rules have been unchanged for a while, though one officer may judge differently on when a Thai has sufficient ties in the home country (not being an overstay/illegal residency risk). The Schengenrules require a return booking but generally two single flights are accepted, aslong as it's clear that the alien has a flight booked out of the Schengen area before the visa expires. But reading from your post perhaps you experienced differently and had to show return flights, which wuld be an correct but overly strict interpetation of the rules. A booking for BKK/LHR to Malta and out of Malta to LHR/BKK shold be okay to show the intention of leaving the Schengen area in time. But the OP is wondering about immigration, which is a whole set of different rules.

I am dual national british / maltese. I am married to a thai with two children (both kids holding dual citizenship). I am not sure how the requirements are for girlfriend but assume with shengen all that changes is the fee, was then currently free for wives as in the shengen area they wish to show that family matters.

You can apply for both but at different times as the passport is required for both applications. For Malta as in the UK you will need to provide evidence of stay whether with family invitation or hotel. You will need to show plans of travel eg airtickets. and also Evidence of funds for living. There is no Maltese embassy in Thailand as it is shared with the Austrian embassy, all applications are dealt with by an agency.

In my experience the evidence required was and is less then that required by the UK, however you do need to show travel arrangements with an exit ticket and have Must have insurance for shengen, cheapest we found with Axa and covers UK.

One good thing if Married is that after 5 yrs, was 2 yrs, your wife can if so wish to apply automatically for a maltese passport however it is only advisable if planning to leave thailand due to citizenship reuirments.

If you are just visiting and staying with family in Malta, as stated earlier you need letter of invite, proof of persons ownership of home, maltese passport and id card all certified by a notory public.

have done this trip twice to UK, malta and traveled then in the EU, its tedious for sure.

Best wishes

Hope this helps

I'm going to be picky here but it's the Austrians who decide over the application. External agencies are entirely optional (more and more embasseis use VFS Global but using them is an option, not a requirement, you can deal with just the embassy if you want, that is if the embassy applies the rules correctly-). VFS Global and TLS Contact are basically just paperpushers who do not much more then taking in the paperwork and forwarding it for a service fee, under the current rules you are not obligated to go via them.

An return flight reservation is required, upon aproval of the visa the embassy MAY ask to see an actual ticket.

As the OP is going for settlement in Malta, naturalisation may be an option in the future. Don't know abuot the Maltanese side but for Thailand dual nationality is not prohibited. If it's no problem for the Maltanese aswell, dual passports would be no issue. But the OP probably just wants to know about immigration requirements.

[mgb]

I guess the OP need other informations.

Article 3 Beneficiaries (EU-directive 2004/38)

.

.

2. Without prejudice to any right to free movement and residence the persons concerned may have

in their own right, the host Member State shall, in accordance with its national legislation, facilitate entry and residence for the following persons:

.

.

( B ) the partner with whom the Union citizen has a durable relationship, duly attested.

Due the application for residence documentation for a family member from here

https://identitymalta.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CEA-Form-F.pdf

the national legislation in Malta has a durable relationship defined.

5. Supporting documents

.

In the case of partners, documentary proof of the existence of durable relationship for the two years prior to the application.

If the life partner got a residence card for the family member of a eu citizen from Malta this is the visa exemption for the UK.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/entering-the-uk-as-the-holder-of-an-article-10-residence-card/entering-the-uk-as-the-holder-of-an-article-10-residence-card

Edited May 2, 2016 by mgb

[Maestro]

Marcoose, your opening post is a bit confusing. Please be aware that

-- the Schengen area does not cover all of Europe

-- the European Union (EU) does not cover all of Europe

-- the UK is in Europe

Once you get the geographical terms right you will probably find that the post of mgb answers your questions but please do not hesitate to ask for any further information you may need.

[sandyf]

1. Schengen visa and UK visa at the same time. I am British so was thinking we could stay in Europe for 90 days and the Uk for 90 days, repeat. A pain in the ass for sure, but was wondering whether this was an option. Can she apply for both at the same time with one starting 3 months after the other?

You can have both at the same time. The UK visitor visa is issued for 6 months irrespective of the planned visit duration. The Schengen visa is only for 3 months and in a 6 month period. Your first six months should be quite straightforward if you did 3 months Malta and then the UK. You can do both visas at the same time as we did, flying into LHR, night in the Travelodge and out to Malta the following morning for a week then back to the UK for a few weeks. There are other routes but London is the most convenient.

Problem may well arise when you want to repeat the process.

Schengen visas are not automatically 3 months, last year the Germans gave us one for 4 days. To get the 3 months you would need flight reservation, accommodation and travel insurance for that duration. Malta visas are handled by the Austrian desk at the Silom VFS, you can check the website for some info.

My wife submitted application last week for Malta and just waiting on passport.

[Marcoose]

I am now in Malta and getting settled, having found an apartment in the St Julians area. I have to say that it's a breath of fresh air. Most people have good manners and are really friendly which is something I haven't been used to for a long time, especially after spending my final month in Asia, in Macau/HK!

From what I gather it is possible to bring her over as she has been my partner for the minimum two years. Failing that we will look into short-term visas which will be hassle.

Some great responses - thanks to everyone for your input.

[sandyf]

I am now in Malta and getting settled, having found an apartment in the St Julians area. I have to say that it's a breath of fresh air. Most people have good manners and are really friendly which is something I haven't been used to for a long time, especially after spending my final month in Asia, in Macau/HK!

From what I gather it is possible to bring her over as she has been my partner for the minimum two years. Failing that we will look into short-term visas which will be hassle.

Some great responses - thanks to everyone for your input.

Yes, its a great place. I first went in 1975 with the RAF and have been many times since, had a timeshare at Qawra. Seen a few changes and this trip in a few weeks will be the first with Euros.

Enjoy and hope GF gets sorted.

[ianj]

Hi Marcosse,

 

Could I ask how things worked out.  I am currently looking with my thai girlfriend as to where to base ourselves in Europe and have short-listed France, Malta and Cyprus due to good connections to the UK where we visit regularly.

 

We have been together for over 2 years and like the idea of basing ourselves in Malta - but have not looked at the visa situation - your post came up in a google search.  To clarify, I hold a UK passport, she a Thai - we both have residency in the UAE at the moment but are looking to take up residency in Malta - how did things work out for you and do you have any advice?

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

[teddog]

Cost of living Malta to Thailand..50% higher