schengen visa

[stevewool]

right just trying to get a trip over to france to start our holiday into Europe,
Seems we have to apply through a site named TLS CONTRACTS.
You have to register with them and then you fill the forms in all online and you print them off and off you go to the appointment you have made on a day that you can get there, i may just add this is in london too,
All forms filled in and we are right down to printing off but you have to give places that you are staying at so i have put in a hotel in Boulogne and the dates too, that has worked, and i am on the next page, now we have a date and a time to see them in london.
All seems well but they are asking for you to bring bookings/flights. insurance and so on, we have none at all because we are going to book last minute and u want to get the schengen before anything is booked, everything else we can give them.
now here comes the next thing FEES, VISA FEE £50-85P
SERVICE FEE £ 23-73P,
The service fee i dont mind paying but i am not paying the visa fee,
What are my chances of being awarded a visa and will they insist i have to pay, will they see us if we refuse to pay, any help will be welcome
Plus have i gone the right way to get the schengen

[imagine]

are you sure its a legitimate site

[stevewool]

yes it is

[Arthur Little]

Far be it from me to interfere with any plans you've already started, Steve. Personally, though, I feel you SHOULDN'T have to pay "through the nose" for the services of an agency when all you need do is contact the French Consulate in London.

Here is the address & number:

21 Cromwell Road, SW7 2EN

020 7073 1200

Schengen Visas are issued FREE of charge to married partners of British Citizens. Any intermediary who tried to impose a fee would, I'm fairly sure, be doing so unlawfully. Myrna and I have made use of both the French & Italian Consulates ... (in Scotland, most of the overseas consulates have offices in Edinburgh) whereas - from what I've seen on the internet - all English applicants seem to need to travel to London.

[asianeer]

You need to make your travel reservations first then apply for your visa. You will need to present these to the embassy indicating your places of stay and travel arrangements. That is what we are going to have to do when we go to Italy in April.

[stevewool]

Far be it from me to interfere with your plans, Steve. Personally, though, I feel you SHOULD'T have to pay "through the nose" to any agency when all you need do is contact the French Embassy in London.

Here is the address & number:

21 Cromwell Road, SW7 2EN

020 7073 1200

Schengen Visas are issued FREE of charge to married partners of British Citizens. Any intermediary who tried to impose a fee would, I'm fairly sure, be doing so unlawfully. Myrna and I have made use of both the French & Italian Consulates ... (in Scotland, most of the overseas consulates have offices in Edinburgh) whereas - from what I've seen on the internet - all English applicants seem to need to need to travel to London.

thats right Arthur i should not pay at all but try getting in touch with the embassy, indeed any embassy for that matter, most seem to tender all this sort of work out

[Terpe]

You need to make your travel reservations first then apply for your visa. You will need to present these to the embassy indicating your places of stay and travel arrangements. That is what we are going to have to do when we go to Italy in April.

Well technically and legally that's not correct to EU law and directives
But if you voluntarily choose to follow that path that is your own decision.

Steve, I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before but any Embassy/Consulate that will try tricking people into paying an agency for a COMPULSORILY FREE schengen visa for the spouse of an EU citizen is technically breaking EU law, if that spouse is travelling with an EU citizen.

If you will be travelling together there is no fee and the procedure is simple and quick.
The European Commission expects under four weeks.

The questions marked with * on the form (employment,resources,itinerary & Booking, Medical Insurances etc.) do not need to be answered.

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.

Personal appearance is necessary anyway

[stevewool]

again thankyou Peter, with your wise words i shall make that call this coming week

[Arthur Little]

You need to make your travel reservations first then apply for your visa. You will need to present these to the embassy indicating your places of stay and travel arrangements.

's what WE'D also been led to believe prior to visiting Rome in 2010,

Conversely, we weren't required to go through this rigmarole in arranging my wife's visa for France the previous year.

So ... ... we simply thought the rules must've changed in the interim and abided by what the Italian Embassy had *specified.

Having just read Terpe's post, it would appear the Italian Embassy in Edinburgh was, in effect, "guilty of contravening European Directives" by *requesting us to do so.

[Bikramyogi]

Lots of info here planning a trip to Paris in spring

[Arthur Little]

That is what we are going to have to do when we go to Italy in April.

Maybe NOT! ... perhaps now - armed with the information Terpe has provided - you can [hopefully] be spared the hassle ...

... gotta be worth a try!

[Terpe]

Maybe NOT! ... perhaps now - armed with the information Terpe has provided - you can [hopefully] be spared the hassle ...

... gotta be worth a try!

As Arthur suggests it's definitely worth a contact to the Embassy.

Normally most folks just want to get their hands on a Schenghen Visa, but If anyone has the inclination then it's quite in order to challenge the Embassy concerned and request treatment in line with EU directives.
It's also quite in order, if time is not pressing, to use Solvit to report the Embassy and don't forget to make a formal complaint to the Ambassador by recorded delivery with a threat to sue for recovery of the fee if they force you to to pay it.

Check out the application form. The latest harmonised form is here
Look for the questions marked "*" and read the note at the bottom of page 1

For those readers who want to read the directives and be able to quote 'chapter and verse' then take a look here at the Schengen Visa Handbook

Don't forget the EU treaty rights which intimates that it's legally possible to in fact take your spouse to ANY EU country (that is not the UK) for as long as you like, You could even set up home and work there, if you like, with no permits or visa's at all.

Technically speaking provided that you're exercising treaty rights all you really need is your passports and marriage certificate to be exempt from having to hold a schengen visa.

The practicality of course may be quite different in that most 'carriers' won't transport your spouse without a valid visa.
European law which applies to family members in all EEA countries (other than that of which the EEA national is a citizen) provides that family members should be admitted with the EEA national if both have their passports and can prove the family relationship,( ie. show the original marriage certificate if applicable with a translation.) It doesn't depend where the couple live.

To be honest, although I've known of cases where this has been successful, it's by no means guaranteed or even suggested unless you are fully familiar with EU law and are carrying all necessary evidence, documents and EU law references. Even then you could face lengthy delays.
So all in all not recommended. Better to be flexible and bending and secure the FREE Schengen visa to which there is an entitlement.

Of course everyone is free to follow whichever route is best suited to their own circumstance and priorities, but it's a always a benefit to be aware of our rights and entitlement.

[jlags90]

Far be it from me to interfere with any plans you've already started, Steve. Personally, though, I feel you SHOULDN'T have to pay "through the nose" for the services of an agency when all you need do is contact the French Consulate in London.

Here is the address & number:

21 Cromwell Road, SW7 2EN

020 7073 1200

Schengen Visas are issued FREE of charge to married partners of British Citizens. Any intermediary who tried to impose a fee would, I'm fairly sure, be doing so unlawfully. Myrna and I have made use of both the French & Italian Consulates ... (in Scotland, most of the overseas consulates have offices in Edinburgh) whereas - from what I've seen on the internet - all English applicants seem to need to travel to London.

I called the number above and panicked when I heard a French speaking woman on the other line. I asked for somebody who speaks English, and she spoke English (with a French accent of course). Anyway, I asked how to I book an appointment to submit my visa application without going through TLS (thus avoiding service fee) but she had no idea how to do it and recommended I send an e-mail to the French Embassy in London.

I tried registering with TLS yesterday and when I didn't find the Short Stay-Spouse of an EU Citizen Form, I phoned them. The representative I was talking to immediately changed the heading of the form after I gave my reference number. There was no difference in the actual schengen visa form and I can't find the part which said I do not need to fill in fields marked with an * if I am travelling with my husband. Anyway, to cut the story short, I called again and the rep (the same one) validated the form RIGHT AWAY and told me to BOOK the APPOINTMENT within 24 hours so it doesn't expire.I think he just wanted to sell the service fee to meSo I told him, I do not want to pay the service fee and would like to submit my application directly to the French Consulate in London. He then said goodbye

Quoted from the website http://ambafrance-uk.org/How-and-whe...ply-for-a-visa

"If you do not want to use TLScontact services, you may still apply directly at the French Consulate. Appointments are compulsory and shall also be made through TLScontact by calling 0845 7300 118, Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. The minimum processing time is 24h00."

Looks like I will still need to deal with TLS. Hope they won't try to sell their service to me next time I call...

The number is of TLS