Schengen Visa processing times for Spouse of EEA national

[ryanb741]

I am due to be flying to the Netherlands on holiday with my wife (Thai, with UK ILR) and son (UK passport). I have a UK passport. We fly on friday.

The VFS appointment is tomorrow and having just checked the website it quotes a 15 calendar day turnaround. I recall doing this a couple of years ago for a French visa and it was granted same day as Schengen visas for spouses of EEA nationals were apparently granted special consideration and were fast-tracked.

The 15 calendar day time I am assuming is for standard Schengen applications and not for spouses of EEA nationals -would be a pain if it didn't come through in time as the flights and hotel are non-refundable.

Can anybody set me straight here please?

[liksah]

Skip VFS and apply directly at the embassy. You should get it in 24 hours or around that much for sure.

[Donutz]

Indeed it's best to skip VFS or TLS if that is practical for the Schengen visa applicants since they are entirely optional for all applications anyway. Only means further delay and costs so why go there unless it has some benefit to the applicant?