Travelling in Schengen zone with non-EU partner

rubberduck

rubberduck

rubberduck

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Hi

My wife (non-EU citizen) is currently in the UK under a category-C visitors visa. We want to go on a holiday (Europe) in the next couple of months but are unsure if she needs a Schengen visa. Unfortunately, the embassies of the countries we want to visit (Greece, Italy, France) will not provide her with a Schengen visa as she is only in the UK on a visitors visa and does not hold a UK 'residency permit'. To obtain a Schengen visa from these countries she would have to return to her home country (China) and visit the relevant embassy there.

Some European countries (Brussels, Holland) will process her a Schengen visa from within the UK, however the advice states you should always apply for a Schengen visa from the country where you intend to spend the majority of your stay. While I wouldn't be adverse to spending a couple of days in Brussels, by no stretch would I want to spend the majority of my holiday there. Is this something that is strictly enforced?

To further muddy the waters I have also heard from a colleague that if my wife is travelling with me (which she will be) then because I am an EU citizen she will not require a Schengen visa... I haven't been able to confirm this though so suspect it is probably untrue.

Can anyone offer any advice?
 
Can she not just go through normal non-EU immigration?

Edit: just realised China isn't visa exempt unlike Korea, Japan etc. who are exempt and can travel freely.
 
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She will need a visa.

i have several friends from outside the EU who lived in Switzerland and the UK and they always had to apply for visas when going outside the country, even although Switzerland is part of the Schengen agreement a visa for residence within a country doesn't give automatic Schengen visa rights.
 
neil3k said:
What website ddi you get her from ? :p
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We met a University, but thanks for your humour :)

The trouble we are facing is that the embassies of the countries we want to visit in the UK only offer Schengen visas to those with 'UK residency permits'... Seems like the only way for her to get a Schengen visa is to fly back to China, get a visa there from the corresponding embassy, then come back here.... Not really feasible unfortunately.
 
rubberduck said:
We met a University, but thanks for your humour :)

The trouble we are facing is that the embassies of the countries we want to visit in the UK only offer Schengen visas to those with 'UK residency permits'... Seems like the only way for her to get a Schengen visa is to fly back to China, get a visa there from the corresponding embassy, then come back here.... Not really feasible unfortunately.
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Which is odd as if she had a residency permit the she wouldn't need a visa.
 
RDM said:
Which is odd as if she had a residency permit the she wouldn't need a visa.
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Even as a permanent resident she would need a visa since the UK is not part of the Schengen agreement.

I have several friends who a UK residence with appropriate permits but they need to apply for a visa just to hop across to France.
 
D.P. said:
Even as a permanent resident she would need a visa since the UK is not part of the Schengen agreement.

I have several friends who a UK residence with appropriate permits but they need to apply for a visa just to hop across to France.
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As the spouse of a UK resident she could get a visa waiver. However not all countries follow the rules.
 
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