Schengen visa Spain

[MaprangHolmes]

My mother in law has just got her passport back from the Spanish embassy in BKK we applied to a visa to cover the dates 23/06/17 - 01/07/17 and 15/07/17 - 22/07/17 they issued the visa but it is only covered from the 23/06/17 to 16/07/17 and says they visa is for 9 days. They never put any letter to explain why it does not cover the dates that where requested, does anyone have any ideas as to why they have not issued the visa to cover both trips?

 

Thank you

[MaprangHolmes]

Bit of an update when my mother in law applied for her visa I told her not to let BLS take out any documents but she got intimidated by them and allowed them to remove some documents, they removed her flight tickets showing that she would be traveling with her daughter to Spain on the 15/07/17 so I am summing that is why they never granted the visa to cover the 15/07 to 22/07? the other thing that seems odd is the embassy never put a letter in with the passport to explain why the visa did not cover this period.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

[Donutz]

Could be because of the worthless BLS 'service' (555) that suggestes to remove documents. Could also be because Spain isn't the most flexible and user friendly embassy who may just have a policy of very limited visa validity for first time Schengen visa travellers.

 

I would contact the embassy via mail and phone. You can officially object against the type of visa just like with a refusal but you probably do not have such time. See if you like the answer the Spaniards give if you contact them on the why and if it was not just an error due to glorious BLS involvement.. .

[MaprangHolmes]

1 hour ago, Donutz said:

Could be because of the worthless BLS 'service' (555) that suggestes to remove documents. Could also be because Spain isn't the most flexible and user friendly embassy who may just have a policy of very limited visa validity for first time Schengen visa travellers.

 

I would contact the embassy via mail and phone. You can officially object against the type of visa just like with a refusal but you probably do not have such time. See if you like the answer the Spaniards give if you contact them on the why and if it was not just an error due to glorious BLS involvement.. .

What seems stupid is that we provided an inventory showing both trips to Spain and also in the sponsors letter it explained that there was going to be two trips to Spain. which are within a short time of each other and why give a visa for the fist trip but not for the second one which is only a couple weeks after the first one. It really does not make any sense to me, If they where going to refuse a visa for the second trip surely they should of included a letter explaining why they have refused it? 

 

From what I understand they took out the flight ticket because they saw another one which looked the same which is not surprising considering that both trips she is using the same airline. What she never bothered to look at was the dates, if she had she would of seen that they are different dates.

 

The real problem now is my mother in law is flying to the UK on Sunday and they wont let her apply in the UK so now it looks like losing money and causing upset with her not being able to go because they have mucked her visa up.

Edited April 25, 2017 by MaprangHolmes

[mgb]

Which dates were written to field 29 and 30 at the schengen application form? 
 

[MaprangHolmes]

9 minutes ago, mgb said:

Which dates were written to field 29 and 30 at the schengen application form? 
 

29. Intended date of arrival in the Schengen area:

23/06/17

15/07/17

 

30. Intended date of departure from the Schengen area

01/07/17

22/07/17

 

It make absolutely no sense to give someone a visa to cover one trip when you have 2 trips planned, it makes far more sense to of just refused the application. If they had written a letter to explain why they have done this it would be something but they haven't even done that

[mgb]

The normal way would be 23/06/17 in field 29 and 22/07/17 in field 30.
In field 24 two entries and 17 in field 25.
It looks like the embassy didn't understand the travel plan.
 

[MaprangHolmes]

they had an inventory to refer to it was also in the sponsors letter about the travel plans, they had the different hotels, they should of had different flight tickets to see. Also it does say the date you arrive and date you will leave so that is what has been done. They really do not have any reason for not understanding, a 5 year would understand this so it really should of been done as asked or refused

Edited April 25, 2017 by MaprangHolmes

[mgb]

A 5 year old would understand it if there is enough time to think about it. Your mother-in-law was not the onliest visa applicant.
I guess the papers weren't fully read and the dates at the application form were misunderstood.
Now the embassy could only cancel the visa and issue a new one with the correct data.

[MaprangHolmes]

23 minutes ago, mgb said:

A 5 year old would understand it if there is enough time to think about it. Your mother-in-law was not the onliest visa applicant.
I guess the papers weren't fully read and the dates at the application form were misunderstood.
Now the embassy could only cancel the visa and issue a new one with the correct data.

considering that the application went through BLS who where meant to check the application (The person made a point of surposdly checking everything because my mother in law is old and she also new she was traverling to the UK and wanted it all done without any problems) (LOL) they never said a word about it, they asked for more documents that really had nothing to do with the application (They wanted my mother in laws flight ticket to the UK which has nothing to do with her application) and took out documents that did have something to do with the application (They took out her flight ticket to Spain).

 

One can only hope now they are happy to take the passport back Tomorrow and send it back by Friday which I really wont hold my breath. Shame really when they are the ones that have screwed up but knowing how awkward the Spanish can be I dout that are going to be of much help. 

[theoldgit]

Have you tried contacting the Embassy via Twitter, I've often found that Twitter gets a response when other attempts at communication have failed, though admittedly not with the Spanish Consular staff

 

Twitter, I don't if these are local or in Madrid    @MAECgob  @SpainMFA   but this will be local @EmbajadaEspBKK

 

I'm assuming you've tried - [email protected].   Phone:+66 2 661 8284, fat hope of getting through though.

[MaprangHolmes]

We found out the reason for this they have decided not to allow her to have a visa for the second trip, how that can make any sense is beyond me, if they have granted a visa for 9 days what real difference would it of made to grant it for 16. There was another person there he asked for 20 days they gave him 10. To me this is not write and I am not really sure if it is lawful. Really what is the point in giving someone half of what they have asked for when you have all of the travel documents in front of you. You qualified for the visa or they would not have given you anything then they just muck everything up for you.

 

Is it any wonder that the Spanish economy is in such a state when you have people like this making decisions on tourism. 

 

I am certainly going to make a complaint to the EU about this. The person at the embassy really could win an award to being incredibly rude and arrogant her reply was simple, we gave you 9 days we didn't have to give you that so be grateful. Now that is just plain rude.

 

I am not sure if you can do such things but I am going to try and organise a class action complaint about the way and how the Spanish embassy are dealing with people.

[theoldgit]

Sorry to hear that, you really couldn't make it up.

I don't suppose they bothered to justify or even attempted to explain their rather bizarre reasoning did they? I suspect I know the answer to that. 

[MaprangHolmes]

not really all they kept saying you should be grateful you got 9 days, they seemed totally oblivious to the point that by doing what they have the person can not go on holiday. Another person (A Thai Teacher) asked for 20 days but was only given and he tried to explain that everything had been booked and it can not really be changed but they did not give a toot. I am struggling to understand that if you satisfy all of the requirements to be given any sort of visa then why they would not give you what you have asked for and what you have proved you need. To a large point it is cruel what they are doing you don't go out for dinner and expect to be given only half of the meal you ordered.

 

I can not and do not understand any government who should be aloud to treat people like this, OK one person is not going to make too much of a difference in the scheme of things, but I will keep complaining to the European commission until something is done about the way the Spanish are treating people. 

[theoldgit]

@MaprangHolmes - I'm assuming that was somebody in the application centre who gave you the brush off rather than somebody who actually was part of the decision making process, if it was one of the latter then that really would concern me.

Donutz will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that your Mother in Law would be a direct relative in the ascending of your wife, and as such should have been issued with a visa without delay and hindrance and, I'd go stage further and suggest its for them to justify a refusal.

I concede it's all well and good knowing or even believing how they should operate, but they have the power and will abuse it as they see fit.

[MaprangHolmes]

She spoke to someone from the Embassy the staff at BLS took my mother to an office and phoned the Embassy and passed the phone over to my mother in law to speak to them, I can still not understand how you can be given half of a visa and according to the Spanish embassy in Bangkok be grateful that you got that. Without any explanation as to why they came to that decision.

 

This is why I am so hacked off, This never came from the staff at BLS but from a member of staff at the Embassy and if they are going to refuse the visa then that is what they should of done. I find the whole attitude and the manner in which this has been dealt with terrible who on earth can an Embassy treat people like this? and they really should not be aloud to get away with it.

Edited April 26, 2017 by MaprangHolmes

[Donutz]

Spain just isn't very flexible or customer orientated. Even though chances of getting anywhere are small, a complaint to the EU could be a drop in the bucket that eventually makes it still over with complaints from all sorts of people which may just trigger a chance. And nothing ventured is nothing gained.

 

@ToG: we had a topic on this at the start of this year. If a parent (in law) is financially dependant on the EEA national they are covered by directive 2004/38. If they are self sufficient (both financially and with taking care of themselves) they are not covered. But Holmes already ran into stubborn embassies over this: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/961389-schengen-visa/#comment-11478948

[rasg]

A stupid question. Why not try and apply for the second part of the visa or a second visa for the 2nd period of time as another application?

[MaprangHolmes]

1 hour ago, rasg said:

A stupid question. Why not try and apply for the second part of the visa or a second visa for the 2nd period of time as another application?

we would of done that but my mother in law is coming to the UK on Sunday so we don't have the time and they wont let her apply in the UK they keep on insisting on have a settlement visa which again is against the visa rules 

[MaprangHolmes]

I thought that as she would of been traveling with her daughter she would of been covered under the freedom of movement but according to the Spanish embassy she is not, which again I really do not think is correct

[rasg]

That's a real shame.

[MaprangHolmes]

the more cynical person could say that the Spanish are so unhelpful and totally ignore the rules just so that people have to apply again for which they then gain another fee!