Next month I'm moving back to the UK with my Thai wife, she's on a UK tourist visa for the first 6 months as I couldn't meet the financial requirements for the spouse visa. My UK family will be going on holiday to France in September and we'd like to go as well, but my wife will need a tourist visa for France. Can a Thai person on a UK tourist Visa apply for a French tourist visa from the UK or does she need to apply from Thailand before we go?

She should be resident in the UK to apply for a visa whilst she's there, a Tourist Visa isn't enough.

http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/How-and-where-to-apply-for-a-visa

In theory she should be able to apply directly to the Consulate as the wife of a British Citizen and the visa should be free, if you have time I would be applying here in Bangkok to avoid any issues, the visa should still be issued free of charge, Family - EU

Next month I'm moving back to the UK with my Thai wife, she's on a UK tourist visa for the first 6 months as I couldn't meet the financial requirements for the spouse visa. My UK family will be going on holiday to France in September and we'd like to go as well, but my wife will need a tourist visa for France. Can a Thai person on a UK tourist Visa apply for a French tourist visa from the UK or does she need to apply from Thailand before we go?

Did you have any issues getting a Visitor visa instead of the Settlement visa? Did you say that she would be staying in the UK for the full 6 months?

Next month I'm moving back to the UK with my Thai wife, she's on a UK tourist visa for the first 6 months as I couldn't meet the financial requirements for the spouse visa. My UK family will be going on holiday to France in September and we'd like to go as well, but my wife will need a tourist visa for France. Can a Thai person on a UK tourist Visa apply for a French tourist visa from the UK or does she need to apply from Thailand before we go?

Did you have any issues getting a Visitor visa instead of the Settlement visa? Did you say that she would be staying in the UK for the full 6 months?

No issues, we applied as it being a family visit visa and I wrote a supporting document to explain I was moving permanently but at this stage couldn't meet the requirements for a settlement visa, so she'll stay 6 months then return to Thailand and re-apply once I can meet the requirements.

She should be resident in the UK to apply for a visa whilst she's there, a Tourist Visa isn't enough.

http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/How-and-where-to-apply-for-a-visa

In theory she should be able to apply directly to the Consulate as the wife of a British Citizen and the visa should be free, if you have time I would be applying here in Bangkok to avoid any issues, the visa should still be issued free of charge, Family - EU

umm, I had a feeling that would be the case. I'm not sure I can take the stress of another visa application so soon after the UK one. Thankyou for the information.

If we apply here, then I guess they'll send off her passport. We go to England on the 30th of this month, so it's unlikely we'll get it back in time, I think the only option is to try and apply whilst in the UK. It's only for Holiday, it would be nice but not a big problem if we can't get it.

I'm no expert, but...

If your wife has a UK visitor visa covering the period that she wishes to visit France, she can apply to the French embassy in Bangkok for a Schengen Visa. According to this "sticky" http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724180-schengen-visa-faq-when-applying-from-thailand/ the process takes around 15 days (there may be a fast track option).

Somewhere in the back of my mind I recall that holders of UK visas can get the Schengen visa at no cost.

Maybe someone with recent knowledge can advise.

Edit to add this link which may be useful https://eumovement.wordpress.com/2007/04/15/requirements-for-a-short-stay-visa-family-of-eu-citizen/

And this one...https://www.tlscontact.com/th2fr/login.php

which advises processing times of up to 10 days.

Edited June 7, 201610 yr by chickenslegs

You may find the Schengen sticky useful, especially the second post with more details on the free, accelerated, simplified procedure for spouses of EU nationals:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724180-schengen-visa-faq-when-applying-from-thailand/

If covered by directive 2004/38 (freedom of movement) -which is the case if she is your spouse and you a are a UK national traveling to France with her- you can apply from any embassy in the world. So either a BKK or London application should be perfecly okay.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I recall that holders of UK visas can get the Schengen visa at no cost.

No.

Holding a UK visit visa has no bearing on whether or not one qualifies for a free Schengen visa.

Only qualifying family members of an EEA national, in this case spouse, qualify for a free Schengen visa; providing they are travelling with or to join their EEA national family member and are not applying to the member state of which that family member is a citizen.

Just an idea,

as Donutz says above; because you are an EEA national (British) and your wife will be travelling with you she can apply either in Thailand or the UK; or anywhere else for that matter.

Of course, that may very well change should the UK leave the EU.