schengen visa france, do i need air tickets?

[steve2112]

my wife has just applied for a schengen visa at the french embassy. on the list of docs to bring it says flight tickets.

 

i was hoping to wait a while and get the visa first, is it really required to get the tickets now?

 

also, do they check you have accommodation booked for the entire trip? i was hoping to book as i go.

 

also, it looks like they want her to get travel insurance. can that be any travel insurance place in thailand or is there a list of approved ones somewhere?

 

thanks

Edited January 1, 2017 by steve2112

[theoldgit]

What is your nationality, if you are British, or indeed a citizen of any EU country apart from France, then your wife doesn't need to meet most of these requirements, as the wife of an EU national she can be issued with a Schengen Visa free of charge and only needs to satisfy the Consulate that she's your wife and are travelling together.
If she needs to apply for a standard visa then she needs to provide evidence of travel in and out of Schengen, details of accommodation for the duration of her stay and meet the financial requirements.
The TLS Contact website gives details of Thai insurers that are acceptable or she can use an insurer based in the EU, she doesn't need to provide details of insurance if she's applying as the spouse of an EU national, though of course it would be sensible to have.
There is a pinned topic at the top of the forum which gives further information.

[steve2112]

thanks, i had no idea she could get it for free.

 

yes, i'm british and she's had a UK and schengen visa before.

 

i'm a little unclear about the process then. she has an appointment via the TLS website already. are you saying she does not need to bring proof of flight, accommodation and insurance since she's married to a UK citizen?

 

[mgb]

https://fr.tlscontact.com/th/bkk/page.php?pid=Family_EU_less90

[steve2112]

thanks for the link. i don't recall if she had her prints taken for the last schengen visa and that was done at the swiss embassy anyhow. maybe they are still on file from 2009?

 

so i need to get the marriage certificate verified by UK embassy. i wonder how much that costs?

 

also, she has no thai birth certificate, but that didn't seem to be a problem last time so hopefully ok this time.

[Donutz]

The birthcertificate only applies to minors and cases where due to a name change the embassy needs to verify who the applicant is (difference in birthname vs current passport/maritial name), your wife only needs to provide proof of a legal marriage. For a marriage that took place in TH this means the maritial document. They may also ask (and do so by  default) for a legalized translation into a language that the embassy can understand and legalisation of the documents (by the embassy of the EU spouse but technically they French could legalize the document too, they only need to confirm that the document is indeed a genuine one and the French can perfectly legalize the legalisation of the Thai MFA -the MFA confirming that the document is indeed genuine- ).  

 

With the maritial paper +legalisation, translation + legalisation, her passport, your passport copy , a complete form (skipping questions marked with * ) and a supporting letter by  you stating that she will join you (her EU/EEA husband) on a trip should be enough. 

 

As said, the visa itself would be free. If you chose the optional approach of applying via TLS there will be a service fee. Direct applications fee the embassy itself would ofcourse not cost a service fee. 

 

2009 is a while ago so she'd need to have her fingerprints retaken. 

 

Oh and for a regular visa application they embassy could indeed ask to bring an airline ticket but only if the visa would be aproved. The EU doesn't want you to waste money on a ticket for a visa which might be refused. The rules say that a travel reservation are enough for a regular application and that the embassy may ask to show a plane ticket if the visa is granted.  And with insurance, any insurance that meets the requirements would be acceptable. Generally insurance from companies in the EU/EEA are accepted and for local (Thai) companies the Schengen embassies share a list of companies from which they confirmed that the meet all the rules.  Your wife won't need to show insurance, travel reservation or airline ticket though I would ofcourse make sure that you and she both have proper insurance anyway. 

 

As ToG wrote, check the Schengen sticky topic:

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

 

 

The EU has some more detailed info on Schengen visas, including a chapter on EU family applications under Freedom of  Movement (part III):

https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/policies/borders/docs/c_2010_1620_en.pdf

 

The requirements as shown by TLS (the are optional paperpushers for the embassy) seems to meet the official rules of the Visa Code and Freedom of Movement directive. Some embassies ask for a bit more then they should in which case it's best to comply if that's not too much hassle or costly. If my memory serves me right they french used to demand an airline reservation (and hotel booking?) for eligable family members of a visa under Freedom of Movement. This was incorrect but the website now states " written letter or flight reservation. " , and indeed a letter from you stating that your wife will join you etc. is perfectly acceptable. Perhaps some people filed complaints over (minor) violations of the rules and the French now apply the rules more properly compared to a few years ago. Asking for previous passports is a bit silly and a minor violation of the rules but hey. 

Edited January 1, 2017 by Donutz

[steve2112]

thanks again, so you said ' If you chose the optional approach of applying via TLS there will be a service fee. Direct applications fee the embassy itself would ofcourse not cost a service fee.  ' but i don't see how that is possible? according to the french and swiss embassy websites, you have to go through TLS

 

 

[theoldgit]

The applicants who do not wish to use the services of TLScontact have the opportunity to submit their application in person at the Embassy of France in Bangkok, only by appointment, made by calling 02 696 3888 Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and after recording on the TLScontact website.

https://fr.tlscontact.com/th/bkk/index.php

[OJAS]

18 hours ago, steve2112 said:

so i need to get the marriage certificate verified by UK embassy. i wonder how much that costs?

 

The Embassy no longer verify marriage certificates - see their downloadable information note at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/457078/information_note-Recognition_or_Validity_of_Marriage.pdf

 

Furthermore, if you and your wife got married in the UK, you MAY need to go through the complex legalisation process described at:

https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised

[Donutz]

Thanks ToG, that's clear enough to meet the requirements of explaining direct access (see last quote in the second post of the Schengen sticky). Could it be made even more clear? Sure, but embassies prefer that you use the service provider. 

 

Ojas I must admit that I don't know if the UK embassy legalizes documents or not. I know they won't confirm a foreign marriage in some written form anymore but a legalisation stamp would be sufficient. If the UK does not do that either anymore a stamp from the Thai MFA should be enough as the French can legalize Thai MFA legalisations aswell. Though if the French are as crazy as the Spaniards in illegally insisting on some sorr of confirmation from the EU citizens home country, I do nit kniw. They shouldn't, which doesn't mean they won't.

[steve2112]

On 1/2/2017 at 10:26 AM, theoldgit said:

 

 

https://fr.tlscontact.com/th/bkk/index.php

ah, this bit

"

TLScontact procedure is not compulsory, applicants can also go directly to the Embassy’s Visa Sector to submit their application in person. Applicants must set Embassy appointments through our call center: +66 (0)2696 3888. Submission time at the French Embassy, Monday morning only

"

[7by7]

On ‎01‎/‎01‎/‎2017 at 10:10 AM, steve2112 said:

i don't recall if she had her prints taken for the last schengen visa and that was done at the swiss embassy anyhow. maybe they are still on file from 2009?

 

On ‎01‎/‎01‎/‎2017 at 7:00 PM, Donutz said:

2009 is a while ago so she'd need to have her fingerprints retaken. 

 

If fingerprints are required, then I imagine that the procedure is the same as for a UK visa; fingerprints are taken not just with the first application but every subsequent one as well. 

 

One reason being to prevent fraud by confirming it is the same person as that who applied previously.

 

Thai's also have their fingerprints taken when applying for or renewing their passport. But I don't know if the visa section at a foreign embassy would have access to this.