Visa free entry for ILR holders

Brit Chick · Post by **Brit Chick** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:20 pm

Which countries can people with ILR travel to for tourism without having to go through the hassle of obtaining a seperate visa each time?

Every time I've applied for a schengen visa, the relevant embassy has only issued it for the dates of travel despite my requests that they issue one for longer as it's clearly obvious that my husband and I like to go on short city breaks around europe.

I know switzerland didn't require a visa when we visited, although I understand that has now changed too. Are there any other countries that we can travel to without having to get another visa, or any countries where a relevant visa can be obtained upon arrival at the airport?

86ti · Post by **86ti** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:47 am

I am aware only of Bulgaria (under certain circumstances)
http://www.bulgarianembassy-london.org/ ... Itemid=158

Brit Chick · Post by **Brit Chick** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:41 pm

Thank you. It's a shame there aren't any more countries who do the same

Post by **Directive/2004/38/EC** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:33 am

Remind us again of the citizenships of you and your spouse?

Brit Chick · Post by **Brit Chick** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 8:16 pm

^ Sorry, should've mentioned......I'm a UK national, husband is a pakistani national but has recently been granted ILR.

Brit Chick · Post by **Brit Chick** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 7:16 pm

*bump*

86ti · Post by **86ti** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:50 am

This link to the French Embassy (see December 2008) may be of interest though I don't know what they consider to be a 'valid residency permit'.

Brit Chick · Post by **Brit Chick** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:05 pm

That's certainly interesting, would be great if we didn't have to apply for a schengen visa to travel to france - I quite fancy another trip to Paris

Post by **Directive/2004/38/EC** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:59 pm

You can go to Germany. I was advised by border guards in Munich that so long as the non-EU citizen was travelling with their EU partner and they were carrying their marriage certificate, no visa was required.

Brit Chick · Post by **Brit Chick** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:25 am

I didn't know that - I actually applied for a schengen visa from germany last summer. I wonder why the embassy didn't inform me of this.....

Post by **Directive/2004/38/EC** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:57 am

Embassy and Border Guards are two very different organizations. One is responsible for issuing visas. The other is responsible for controlling the border. Much as it would be nice for them to be coordinated...

Air Lingus is offering returns from Â£20 to Munich right now. Go for a dayâ€¦

Mike

Brit Chick · Post by **Brit Chick** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:37 pm

I would go (especially for that price and because I hear Munich is lovely) but am worried that we won't even be able to get past check in let alone actually past immigration controls once in munich without a schengen visa.

I have emailed the embassy to ask them to confirm this but not had any reply yet.

scrudu · Post by **scrudu** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:28 pm

I'm not very familiar with UK residence permits, but from an Irish perspective, Germany treats spouses of EU citizens differently. If the non-EU spouse is in Ireland under Irish Law and has an Irish Residency permit, (e.g. spouse of Irish citizen) they must apply for a Schengen each time they wish to visit Germany. If the non-EU spouse is in Ireland via an EEA Family Permit (EU1 form, e.g. spouse of French citizen), then they can enter Germany without visas when travelling with their spouse. This info is on the German Embassy website for Ireland. I'm sure there's similar info on the UK site?

Brit Chick · Post by **Brit Chick** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:12 am

The info on the website for england indicates that spouses of EU nationals do need to apply for a schengen visa.

86ti · Post by **86ti** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:27 am

scrudu wrote:I'm not very familiar with UK residence permits, but from an Irish perspective, Germany treats spouses of EU citizens differently. If the non-EU spouse is in Ireland under Irish Law and has an Irish Residency permit, (e.g. spouse of Irish citizen) they must apply for a Schengen each time they wish to visit Germany. If the non-EU spouse is in Ireland via an EEA Family Permit (EU1 form, e.g. spouse of French citizen), then they can enter Germany without visas when travelling with their spouse. This info is on the German Embassy website for Ireland. I'm sure there's similar info on the UK site?

It's the same.
http://www.london.diplo.de/Vertretung/l ... seite.html

scrudu · Post by **scrudu** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:31 am

Brit Chick wrote:The info on the website for england indicates that spouses of EU nationals do need to apply for a schengen visa.

From the link 86ti posted it looks the same from the UK as from Ireland. Only non-EU spouses of EU Citizens who hold a residence permit based on Directive/2004/38/EC (i.e. "Residence Card of a Family Member of an EEA National") are eligible for free travel within the Germany without a Schengen Visa. All other non-spouses of other EU citizens must apply for a Schengen Visa.

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Visa free entry for ILR holders

Visa free entry for ILR holders

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