Easiest Schengen Visa - Married to a British citizen

[grankboy]

Hello,

This is for my mate at a club we belong too,

British citizen wants to go on holiday traveling with his Thai wife, wanting to visit Holland, Spain and maybe Germany.

After the following information what's the easiest EU country to get a Schengen visa, I see other posts that under EU law they don't need to supply any proofs like bank statements etc but in the real world what EU embassy in Bangkok follows the rules.

Thanks to any advise.

[Jip99]

Your friend's wife should apply, in Thailand,  to the embassy for the country where she will spend most of her time.

 

 

[grankboy]

Does she need to supply bank statements etc or under EU law she does not have too?

[7by7]

She should apply to the embassy of the country which is her main destination, or if touring the country she will enter first. But anecdotal evidence shows the Spanish to be particularly poor in applying the rules concerning family members of EU/EEA citizens correctly.

 

Strictly speaking, all she needs to provide is evidence that she is married to a British citizen; her marriage certificate. If married in Thailand then this should be accompanied by a translation certified as correct by the MFA.

 

She should also provide evidence that she will be travelling with her husband, a simple declaration by him should suffice under the rules, and a copy of his passport to show that he his British.

 

See "I am a family member (spouse, child) of an EU/EEA citizen" in the Schengen visa pinned topic for more details.

[grankboy]

I think there mainly staying in Holland, does anyone know if holland follows the rules here in bkk ?

[Jip99]

10 minutes ago, grankboy said:

I think there mainly staying in Holland, does anyone know if holland follows the rules here in bkk ?

 

 

The Netherlands embassy was a breeze (or rather their agents were....). Our Schengen was issued out of Kuala Lumpur.

[Donutz]

The general experience is indeed that the Dutch abide the EU regulations perfectly fine. Other countries such as Spain (and indeed the UK when it comes to those from the mainland visiting the UK with their non EU/EEA spouse) are known to make more if a hassle: red tape, asking more than required etc. 

 

The NL being the main destination one applies there and you can expect them to do a proper job. Though like many embassies the Dutch too hire an external service provider (VFS), which you have the option of using.. if you do there will be a fee but you may be able to hand in the paperwork faster. Or you apply at the embassy, skipping the fee, after having got an appointment from the Dutch within 2 weeks if the request. The choice is yours. Eventually all applications made in BKK go to the back office in Kuala Lumpur for processing.

 

Jip was incorrect in his first post though..if a Thai wife and  UK spouse are in the UK on either a resident permit or holiday visa (or even illegal) they can apply in the UK for this visa if they are indeed covered by the Directive 2004/38 on freedom of movement. Just as they could apply from any other embassy that is capable of issieung visas for the EU/EEA country that is the main objective (again if meeting the requirements of the directive, for ordinary applicatioms things are less generous). 

[grankboy]

Just saw that somebody flew from bkk to turkey stayed one night then went on to Europe without a Schengen visa, do you think this is possible?

[Jip99]

No.

[Donutz]

That would be next to impossible. One can aquire a visa at the external border (Greece) if the applicant was eligable for a visa under directive 2004/38 (eu spouse etc) but you'd need to make it to the border first. Airliners won't let you travel if you don't have the proper visa or residence permit.

 

So that would leave landing in TR and head overland to a border and see if you can find a willing and knowledable border officer and you meeting the demands of the directive.. or being granted one of the rare exceptions such as a true emergency case and the authorities being generous.

 

Option 2 would be the same as above at the land border but applying at the relevant embassy in Istanbul or Ankara and hoping that if you are indeed covered by directive 2004/38 that the embassy knows that under EU law they should process your application. Or if you are a regular traveler that you fall under the rare exceptions and the embassy wishes to help you out. 

 

A regular applicant? Not a chanche in the world. Specific types of applicants? Probably, but only after (a lot of) hassle. 

 

But in pretty much all cases you would not get anywhere and if one is entitled to a visa according to directive 2004/38 you'd really wish to arrange that well in advance. 

 

Short answer: no, the story you read is fiction. 

[7by7]

1 hour ago, grankboy said:

Just saw that somebody flew from bkk to turkey stayed one night then went on to Europe without a Schengen visa, do you think this is possible?

Saw where, and what was their nationality?

 

1 hour ago, Jip99 said:

No.

 

48 minutes ago, Donutz said:

Short answer: no, the story you read is fiction. 

 To be fair; it depends upon the person's nationality, not where they flew from.

 

If the person is Thai, then they can enter Turkey for up to 30 days as a visitor without a visa; but they would need a Schengen visa to enter the Schengen area.

 

Unless, as Donutz says, they can first convince the airline(s) and then immigration when they enter the Schengen area that they are covered by the directive.