Get multi-entry Schengen visa
Replies: 14 - Last Post: May 29, 2011 2:34 PM Last Post By: Voyager_2002
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Get multi-entry Schengen visa
Hi my wife and I are going to London at the end of the month and as we want to travel to Europe later in the year, and she is Indian, I need to get her a Schengen visa. A multi-entry visa would be ideal since we could go abroad in summer, and then also during Christmas, without having to reapply at the Embassies.My questions are:
1. Which embassy provides multi-entry Schengen visas?
2. We are going to London at the end of May so do we have enough time to apply and arrange an appointment? I still have to check to see if the embassy we require will be open or not...
Thanks for any help,
1
1) Any country that's in Schengen.2) Why not get an appointment for one of the embassies in London once you get here? They (Schengen countries) all have embassies in London.
2
Ok thanks,1) I thought only certain countries provided multi-entry Schengens, but it's better if they all do obviously,
2) I thought the appointment has to be pre-booked so I don't think we can just go up to London and then get an appointment...
3
I still need some extra advice on this: my wife is here on a marriage visa so does that affect her chances of getting a Schengen visa? Also are there any companies who provide services on behalf of us rather than having to go to London?4
Firstly, the embassies in London will not accept applications from visitors. So your wife must be in the UK on a UK visa valid for a stay of more than six months. Otherwise, she should get her Schengen visa in her country of permament residence.Secondly, the visa process is much simpler for the spouse of an EU citizen than it is for other people, and there is no fee. Check to see which embassies accept postal applications, since the cost of postage will be less than agency fees, and visa agencies are unlikely to handle visas for EU spouses. Last time I checked, Austria provided the fastest processing of postal visa applications, but of course you would have to visit the country that issued your Schengen visa.
Note that most embassies have an on-line system for booking visa appointments, and you often have to book ahead by as much as three months.
5
Ok thanks for that: my wife is indeed here on a marriage visa so that's for 2 years til we can apply for indefinite leave.I know the visa process is easier for spouses of EU citizens so, as I am one, I will look around and hopefully there will be someplace where we can apply via post.
Aside from Austria, do you know of any other? We really are looking to go to Italy rather than Austria, so... just wondered if there is one real site I can look at, like the 'official' Schengen site?
6
You could re-organise your holiday so that it includes Austria as well as Italy. Or consider Switzerland.I suspect that the Italian embassy would just lose your application, complete with passport.
Check out the discussion on this issue at ImmigrationBoards.com
7
I'll check that out thanks for the link;I would really like to go to Switzerland - are the visas easier to apply for there?
8
Just a word about applying for a multi-entry Schengen visa (i.e. 90-in-180 days for 1 year or longer).Schengen countries issue those visas only to those who can legitimately show a need for it, such as frequent business travellers, those with family or assets in Schengen etc. If all you want it for is to make holiday stays easier, you may not get one and only be issued with a single-entry visa. It's at the discretion of the consulate.
9
Yes, #8 confirms my own limited experience. Anyway, the process by which a spouse applies for a visa is painless and free, so long as the embassy offers a postal service within a reasonable time frame.Anyway, the rules are the same for all countries, but some apply them more efficiently than others. I suspect that Switzerland is quick and efficient in issuing visas (no evidence, just impressions of the country) while Italy would be the reverse. Anyway, the website will say whether or not they issue visas by post.
Did you know that there is a delightful, Italian-speaking region of Switzerland that is close to Milan? Ticino is where the Swiss themselves go on holiday, but is little-known to the English. The train ride between (say) Locarno and Milan is both short and pleasant, and a visit to Ticino could be combined with a tour of northern Italy, using a visa from Switzerland.
10
Switzerland, one of the newest members of Schengen Accord, is known as a stickler and enforces every detail of Schengen rules, so I don't expect them to be an easy country to get a visa from. Usually the smaller countries like Luxembourg isn't overwhelmed by volume of applications so can process one swiftly, but you must meet the conditions for getting a visa from them - i.e. main or first destination (if your stays are of equal length) in Schengen.11
In response to #10: when I last checked, Luxembourg did not offer a postal visa service. And from what the OP posts, his wife is likely to meet all the conditions for a Swiss visa. Efficiency in rapid processing, and respect for the rules that favour the spouses of EU citizens, are likely to Swiss characteristics that will help these applicants.12
Hi, thanks for the replies - my wife has always wanted to go to Switzerland so we'll try to visit there and as Italy is close we'll try to visit there for a day or two as well.I've taken a look at the requirements for a visa and the only thing which I don't fully get is her having to show accomodation and flight arrangements. I can easily book a ticket and hotel for the two of us, but what if the visa is rejected - I may have cancellation fees or whatever else. So what am I supposed to do here? It's clearly not enough to provide just a letter showing a provisional booking.
Any advice here or should I just book up and then apply for the visa,
13
Swiss visa postal applications no longer accepted after May 1st:http://ch.vfsglobal.co.uk/news.html
