"Multiple Entry" Schengen visa

[Bluebirdjones]

Question:
Many on here have applied for, and received, a multiple entry Schengen visa.

However, how many have used it to enter another Schengen country at a later date,
and were there problems ?

(ie If you get a "multi" from the French Embassy, it does state that France should be your
"entry" point into the Schengen area, and France should be the principal area of travel).

..... so, has anyone used a "multi" issued by France, to fly DIRECT to eg Spain.... and how /
what was the reaction of Spanish immigration ?

Thanks in advance

[johncar54]

I have no direct knowledge but Schengen is in effect one country as far as entry is concerned.

When my wife came to Spain she was shown as 'entering' in Germany, as it was the first Schengen country she entered (at the airport, air side) and then she flew to Spain, where of course there was no passport control.

[pennybarry]

I got my first Schengen visa from Dutch Embassy Manila.
My airport destination is Frankfurt Germany and not Amsterdam Holland. The embassy hold my visa and undergone my interview first. They said it must be Holland airport, but I give them honest answer and after few hours, they gave me my passport with visa.

Next application was the same, they didn't ask anymore question and I can apply for multiple the next time.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

We got one issued for my wife from Holland and few directly to Prague without any issues but technically you should enter by the country that issued it.

[darren-b]

We got one issued for my wife from Holland and few directly to Prague without any issues but technically you should enter by the country that issued it.

Not sure if I should really disagree with an immigration expert but... Technically you don't have to enter by the country that issued it, though the country that issued it should be your main destination.

First destination only needs to be considered if you are visiting multiple countries but don't have a main destination.

[Arthur Little]

... my wife was granted a Multiple-Entry Schengen Visa by the French Embassy last November, and we duly went for a short break to Paris in early March. The validity of the visa was for six months, and it eventually expired two days ago. At some point in the not too distant future, we'd like to travel overland to Rome ... as opposed to getting there by plane. I'm not sure if Eurostar goes all the way through to Italy; if not, then the trip would involve a stopover in France ... in which case, I imagine we'd need to revisit the French Embassy in Edinburgh. Am I correct in this assumption?

[johncar54]

Arthur, if your wife only has a Filipino passport she will need a Schengen Visa to enter any Schengen Country (France, Italy etc.). Having done so, she can then travel throughout the Schengen area.

As said above, one should apply for the Schengen visa from the country where one intends to visit. However, then may entry the Schengen Area through any Schengen country.



In fact if one is going to apply for Residencia in a Schengen Country, they must get the entry stamp at the first arrival country, otherwise they will have problems when they apply for Residencia.

My wife arrived in Germany, on way to Spain, but we did not get the stamp. We had problems when in Spain we applied for Residencia.

[darren-b]

As the spouse of a UK citizen it doesn't matter which country you get your schengen visa from but... As the visa is free but obviously costs them they request that you apply for a visa from the country which is your main destination. So at least they then get some money off you assuming you will spend money whilst you are there....

So Arthur you should apply at the Italian embassy, but if the French embassy is easier to deal with there is nothing to stop you applying there. And not that it actually matters but if you apply at the French embassy again they won't even suspect that France wasn't your main destination of your previous trip as the passport will actually be stamped by the French immigration in the UK...

[Arthur Little]

, gentlemen ... for your respective replies. WE'RE fortunate, in having BOTH French & Italian Embassies relatively close at hand, in Edinburgh.