French Schengen Visa Processing

[Mrs.Smith]

Hi Guys,

I would like to know how long is the processing of Schengen visa for France.
I just got my BRP (FLR) card, the earliest appointment I can get from TLSContact to apply schengen visa is August 17. Our problem is we need to travel on August 22 to attend hubby's aunt birthday party, we will be back the next day. So basically we will just stay in France overnight.

Do you think we can get the visa in time to the travel date.

Your help will be very much appreciated.

[marksroomspain]

mmm that's cutting it really fine as it normally takes about a week to receive it back as in the case of my wife.

The positive side is your application is on a Monday and you travel on the following Saturday, so they are all weekdays to sanction it but the only advice I can give you is to stipulate your situation to TLSCONTACT and maybe just maybe they can notify the embassy of the urgency in your case, its worth a try...Good Luck...:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[stevewool]

If you have all the proper paperwork when you are there you may be ok, just state to the person who is dealing with your case how urgent it is, good luck

[Mrs.Smith]

thanks guys, I just have to crossed my fingers then.

[Arthur Little]

thanks guys, I just have to crossed my fingers then.

................................... :anerikke: ... 'fraid so! :icon_rolleyes: ... but, good luck. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Donutz]

Hi Guys,

I would like to know how long is the processing of Schengen visa for France.
I just got my BRP (FLR) card, the earliest appointment I can get from TLSContact to apply schengen visa is August 17. Our problem is we need to travel on August 22 to attend hubby's aunt birthday party, we will be back the next day. So basically we will just stay in France overnight.

Do you think we can get the visa in time to the travel date.

Your help will be very much appreciated.
That is a bit long, since EU/EEA spouse applicants need to be given an appointment ASAP. But at the most within 2 weeks of the request. So perhaps the embassy can be of better assistance if you contact them directly (bypass the entirely optional service providers, no person, especially not EU/EAA applicants, can be required to use them) and see what is possible.



- An appointment MUST be given within 2 weeks of the request being made (unless ofcourse you desire an other date, you can apply up to 3 months in advance of the intended travel date).
- If you are an family member (spouse) of an EU/EEA national the apointment should be given ASAP (max 2 weeks but preferably sooner,since should be ASAP
- TLS and VFS are entirely optional for all applicants, especially EU/EEA applicants, a direct application via the embassy must be possible (avoiding the optional external party and thus their service fee)

- The embassy is required by the visa code to provide all this information clearly (the French don't give a damn though I think). Complaints can be sent to Solvit and EU Home Affairs.

See:
- http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-family/index_en.htm (Solvit under "more help" at the bottom).

- http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy/index_en.htm (see contact page for well... contact..).


-------


3.1. Visa Fee
No visa fee can be charged.

3.2. Service fee in case of outsourcing of the collection of applications
As family members should not pay any fee when submitting the application, they cannot be
obliged to obtain an appointment via a premium call line or via an external provider whose
services are charged to the applicant. Family members must be allowed to lodge their
application directly at the consulate without any costs. However, if family members decide
not to make use of their right to lodge their application directly at the consulate but to use the
extra services, they should pay for these services.
If an appointment system is nevertheless in place, separate call lines (at ordinary local tariff)
to the consulate should be put at the disposal of family members respecting comparable
standards to those of "premium lines", i.e. the availability of such lines should be of standards
comparable to those in place for other categories of applicants and an appointment must be
allocated without delay.

3.3. Granting every facility
Member States shall grant third country family members of EU citizens falling under the
Directive every facility to obtain the necessary visa. This notion must be interpreted as
ensuring that Member States take all appropriate measures to ensure fulfilment of the
obligations arising out of the right of free movement and afford to such visa applicants the
best conditions to obtain the entry visa.

3.4. Processing time
The visas must be issued as soon as possible and on the basis of an accelerated procedure and
the procedures put in place by Member States (with or without outsourcing) must allow to
distinguish between the rights of a third country national who is a family member of an EU
citizen and other third country nationals. The former must be treated more favourably than the
latter.


CHAPTER II

Application

Article 9

Practical modalities for lodging an application

1. Applications shall be lodged no more than three months before the start of the intended visit. Holders of a multiple-entry visa may lodge the application before the expiry of the visa valid for a period of at least six months.

2. Applicants may be required to obtain an appointment for the lodging of an application. The appointment shall, as a rule, take place within a period of two weeks from the date when the appointment was requested.http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32009R0810


And:


"4.4. Direct access
Maintaining the possibility for visa applicants to lodge their applications directly at the consulate instead of via an external service provider implies that there should be a genuine choice between these two possibilities.

Even if direct access does not have to be organised under identical or similar conditions to those for access to the service provider, the conditions should not make direct access impossible in practice. Even if it is acceptable to have a different waiting time for obtaining an appointment in the case of direct access, the waiting time should not be so long that it would render direct access impossible in practice.

The different options available for lodging a visa application should be presented plainly to the public, including clear information both on the choice and the cost of the additional services of the external service provider (see Part I, point 4.1)."
See: http://filipinaroses.com/showthread.php/56658-Schengen-visa-for-Spain?p=538023&viewfull=1#post538023

I added a new post to the very useful Schengen sticky thread:
http://filipinaroses.com/showthread.php/734-Schengen-Visa-for-the-Filipina-wife/page4

[Mrs.Smith]

Update on this thread..

I'm really really annoyed right now.
I went to London yesterday to submit my application in TLSContact. I brought all the documents they can possibly ask (even according to the document list is not needed) I wanted to make sure I have all the documents, because I live in Norfolk and I travelled 3 hrs by train to get to the TLSContact office, and since we need the visa so badly, I wanted to get it right.

To cut the story short, the TLSContact staff checked ,verified my documents and gave my the checklist of the documents I submitted.

The following are the documents I submitted.

1. my passport (original and copy)
2. marriage contract(they just get the copy)
3. hotel bookings and air ticket (they just get the copy)
4. copy of my BRP card
5. husbands passport( they just get the copy, they gave the original back)

Today I received a message from TLSContact.

Below is the exact message

Instructions from the Consulate General of France in London
Message for the attention of:

SMITH
Passport number: xXXXXXXX

Instruction date: 2015-08-18
We have received the following instructions from the Consulate General of France in London:

Dear applicant, In order to complete your visa application, Consulate General of France in London requires you to provide the following documents to TLScontact: * For information security reason, TLScontact will not accept any additional document sent by email, fax or post. Sorry for the inconvenience.
- Spouse’s passport copy stamped by TLS – Please show Spouse's original passport to TLS


I don't understand why they are asking again the same document I submitted.
I emailed the TLSContact,they just copy and pasted this message in their reply.

[marksroomspain]

Some knobhead obviously who hasn't done their job properly...:NoNo: makes me now sure never to use these tos__s in the future good post Donutz...:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Donutz]

@Mark: Thanks.
@Mrs.Smith: Like Mark said, sounds like some t*ss*r lost a document. TLS's only job is to take the documents, put then in an envelop and forward them to the embassy. Even that is sometimes too much to ask. Them messing up application or giving wrong advice plus wasting a service fee is why I'd prefer not to use the external party (TLS or VFS depending on which embassy you are dealing with). It was wise to include documents that strictly are not required under EU law (the travel reservation and hotel reservation should not be required). Complying with reasonably instructions (that do not waste you considerable time or money), is a practical approach, even if these instructions are not entirely in line with how things should be done according to regulations.

After it's all done you may wish to share your experience with the EU Home Affairs just so they have more documentation on embassies and extrernal parties messing up the rules or handling of an application.
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/who-we-are/contact-us/index_en.htm

They are currently discussing new Schengen rules and I suppose any feedback that can help the EU with establishing better rules and instructions so applications are processsed with less hassle would be very much welcome. Even if the e-mail would end up collecting dust in the archives, nothing ventured is nothing gained so I'd gladly spent 10-20 minutes on writing a short mail sharing my experience with the EU Commission (Home Affairs).

[Mrs.Smith]

@Mark: Thanks.
@Mrs.Smith: Like Mark said, sounds like some t*ss*r lost a document. TLS's only job is to take the documents, put then in an envelop and forward them to the embassy. Even that is sometimes too much to ask. Them messing up application or giving wrong advice plus wasting a service fee is why I'd prefer not to use the external party (TLS or VFS depending on which embassy you are dealing with). It was wise to include documents that strictly are not required under EU law (the travel reservation and hotel reservation should not be required). Complying with reasonably instructions (that do not waste you considerable time or money), is a practical approach, even if these instructions are not entirely in line with how things should be done according to regulations.

After it's all done you may wish to share your experience with the EU Home Affairs just so they have more documentation on embassies and extrernal parties messing up the rules or handling of an application.
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/who-we-are/contact-us/index_en.htm

They are currently discussing new Schengen rules and I suppose any feedback that can help the EU with establishing better rules and instructions so applications are processsed with less hassle would be very much welcome. Even if the e-mail would end up collecting dust in the archives, nothing ventured is nothing gained so I'd gladly spent 10-20 minutes on writing a short mail sharing my experience with the EU Commission (Home Affairs).


I will definitely do that. Them people from TLS are really rude, I regret that I didn't go directly to the french embassy. Lesson learned

[Julie-Tom]

Hi Everyone, I am trying to search what is the "offcial translation of the marriage certificate" on the list of the documents needed.

:dohI cannot seem to find it anywhere, or Im just confused :cwm25:

Please help

Thank you!

Julie

[Julie-Tom]

:Wave: can anyone help please?

:) Julie

[Terpe]

:Wave: can anyone help please?

:) Julie

Do you have a link ?

It's not clear why you need a translation, what language is your marriage certificate ?

[Julie-Tom]

Hi Terpe,

We got the visa, thank you. We only submitted passport, travel and accommodation, marriage certificate. I think I only got confuse on the list at it mentioned official translation. I received my passport yesterday and in the next few hours the news about the terror attack came out, so everything on our plans has been on hold.

Praying for victims and their families.