Schengen Visa application for Italy?

[cheeky_monkey]

Hi everyone,
I would appreciate if anyone can give me some advice based on any current Schengen visa application, especially traveling to Italy.

Here are our circumstances. I am married to my husband who is a British national. We married in the Philippines, we are living together now in UK for more than 2 1/2years and are thinking of traveling as a family to Italy by October 2015. We have two children, one of is his stepchild (my child from a previous relationship, age 6 years) and another his biological child (age 2 years).

I would like to clarify as to what type of Schengen visa application should me and my 6-year old daughter apply for in vfs Italy? We have our UK residence permit already valid until Oct 2017. It does not bear the exact words "family of an eea"....it says: "dependent/leave to remain" in my daughter's and "spouse/leave to remain" in mine. We will also be traveling with my husband all the time and we will be traveling only in Italy and not in other areas of Europe.


Should we apply for the tourist visa or can we apply under the EEA/EU family visa?
Here is a link to vfs italy eea/eu family. I have read it but we just want to make sure before we do the paperwork!
http://it.vfsglobal.co.uk/eea_eu_family.html

Thanks in advance!

[Donutz]

Yep, since you are married to a British person (EU national) traveling to an other EU/EEA country you are entitled to a free, minimum hassle, swiftly issued visa.

It should be very simply since family members of an EU/EEA national who travel to any other EU/EEA country fall under Directive 2004/38 (freedom of movement). Which means a visa should be processed ASAP, with minimum hassle and documentation.
- apply for a visa (appointment must be granted within 2 weeks)
- processing time of no more then 15 calendar days.
- submit evidence of family relation (marital papers), preferably legalized by the Phil. Min. of Foreign Affairs (to confirm authenticity) and an official translation into a language that the embassy can read. If you have legalization stamps from the UK aswell that's even better.
- IDs (your passport, copy of your spouse his passport)
- Confirmation from the EU national that the non-EU national will join him to other EU country (In your case Italy). Could be something as simple as a written and signed letter from the EU national. Embassies tend to be even more happy if you include more evidence such as reservation for transport or accommodation though legally they are optional.
- Completed Schengen application form, skipping questions marked with a * ( evidence of funds, insurance, accomodation, transport etc. are not required). Plus ofcourse 2 photo's for the visa.
- Application is entirely free. If you go via the optional party VFS ( optional for ALL Schengen embassies) you must pay a service fee though. Applications at the embassy are without any costs what so ever.

- Be sure to check the website of the Italian embassy aswell (it should tell you how you can apply directly at the embassy).
- See the sticky and recent topics for practical experience others had regarding their Schengen visa application.

Also see:
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-family/index_en.htm
At the bottom of that website you can contact the EU Ombudsman Solvit in ase the Italians give you any trouble.


If all would fail you could get a visa at the border if you take the marital papers with you and can reach the border (read: travel via Dover-Calais as an airliner would not let you board without visa).