Travelling to Schengen with Mrs K

Lenny and I are attending a company weekend in Spain (we both work for the same company) in late April. The company is paying for our travel, insurance, accommodation, etc and sorting out the visa for Lenny. However, this begs the question... she has a right to travel with me visa free as her EEA national partner. I've read so much about this, but all the info out there is very confusing. Some says you need a Residence Card bearing the exact wording, "Residence Card of a Family Member of an EEA National". Others say we can just turn up at the border and prove our relationship (marriage cert, etc) to get through.

It would be nice to just hop over the channel without having to apply for a visa every trip. What's the true story?

My wife had to get a Schengen Visa for our holiday to Spain at christmas. Do a search. You will see my thread on it.

http://www.british-filipino.com/index.php?threads/spain-schengen-visa.9106/page-3#post-67315

Depends where you live as to where you need to go for the visa.

She'll need a visa. The EEC visa is a Shengen visa. Britain opted out of it, so British residency won't qualify for travel in Europe.

My wife's sister lives in Germany and needed a UK visa to visit here last year too, as it works both ways.

A schengen visa is valid for 6 months, but can be used for any country in Schengen for that period. If te company are getting her a visa, then i'm sure she could use it for travel for 6 months.

I think it's often easier to apply for a visa, but my understanding of European law is that she doesn't need it. See here:

http://www.immigrationboards.com/eu...thout-visa-for-eea-family-members-t95372.html

I'm guessing nobody here has gone through the process of applying for the residence card to allow visa free cross border travel inside the EEA.

Certainly not my wife. Something I wasnt aware of.

I note the poster says it works or it should work but it may be problematic.

From: http://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/hr-se...imited-right-work/eea-family-permitsresidence

Family members of EEA nationals
Note: For the purposes of this guidance, an EEA national does not include a British citizen (unless they are applying through the 'Surinder Singh' route).There are separate rules for British citizens who wish to bring their non-EEA family members to the UK and they must apply for a Family of a settled person visa.

Under European law, EEA nationals can bring their non-EEA family members into the UK to join them. In order to do so, their family members will need to apply for an EEA Family Permit, which will allow them to enter the UK. A ‘family member’, for the purposes of an EEA Family Permit, is defined as follows:

• Husband, wife or civil partner; and
• Children or grandchildren; and
• Parents or grandparents.

I think that's a different case. Lenny already has her Spouse visa and so has a residence permit (just not a residence card). I think after the trip to Spain (for which we will apply for a Schengen visa via VFS in London) we will attempt to apply for the residence card.

I don't think she qualifies for EU travel on one, but will be interesting to see how you get on.

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-family/index_en.htm

'Residence permits issued by countries outside the Schengen area do not allow non-EU family members to travel visa-free to a Schengen area country'

How long will it be before she can apply for a British passport?

Enjoy the trip. Its in a nice canal-side setting. Some good places to eat nearby, just within yards of the place.

VFS are a complete joke and not fit for purpose. We get the whole way through the application only to discover it won't print from Safari. Gaaaaah.

This might be true (the wording on gov.uk is ambiguous) and, if so, is an outrageous case of Brits having fewer rights that the rest of Europe.

Absolutely. And it's the British Government that wanted it that way.

Yes. I cursed them too for other similarly daft aspects to the application. But it worked. And she got the visa and we had the holiday. Applying for citizenship soon, so cross fingers and we will never need to apply for one again.

Interesting thread.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that means that because I am a citizen of Poland my future wife will have a rights to travel visa free to all the EEA countries ?
Very handy feature because my family live in Poland.

Not if she has a UK residence card.

But you just wrote.....

Maybe you can then. No harm in trying.

Good old British citizens getting stitched up again.

Is that means that to do that I have to apply for EEA visa after marriage ? Not British one ?