Chances of getting a 12 month Schengen from French Embassy?

[scrudu]

Hi there,

Can anyone comment on their experience of getting a Schengen Visa from the French Embassy and the duration that was given?

My husband (Indonesian) and I (Irish), both living in Ireland, plan to travel together in May to France and then in June to Germany. My husband has a Stamp 4 (Spouse of Irish, Perm Residence) for Ireland. Since we moved to Ireland, he's been issued with 4 Schengen Visas (DE x 3, SWE x1), 1x Swiss Visa, a UK Visa & a US Visa. He has kept to the dates of all visas issued.

The pain is that for each visa app, he has to take a half day off work, and "present" himself to the Embassies (no postal applications) with the Application along with the long list of doc's required by each Embassy. Each time the visa has been given for exactly the dates of travel (1 exception was the Swedish Visa which was granted for 6 months).

The French Embassy have advised that he should come along with the following documentation and wait 3 weeks for processing:

• Both passports, Marriage Cert, Flight Bookings for both of us, Details of Accom, Travel Insurance, Photos, Garda Card, App Form and the same details for our trip to Germany.

What do you think the chances are that this time he would be issued with a longer visa (e.g. 12 month multi entry)? Slim and none? Anyone have a good experience with the French Embassy in this regard? I have no hopes for the Germany Embassy who would be the other option to apply for. They are so pedantic and are very unlikely to grant him a visa for outside the dates of flight bookings.

Advice appreciated.

[86ti]

The French Embassy have advised that he should come along with the following documentation and wait 3 weeks for processing:

• Both passports, Marriage Cert, Flight Bookings for both of us, Details of Accom, Travel Insurance, Photos, Garda Card, App Form and the same details for our trip to Germany.

Intersting list. The French embassy in London asks for much less.

[scrudu]

Yeah, I've never understood why there are different procedures between different Embassies. The German Embassy for Ireland also has a different list of requirements than the German Embassy in the UK.

* Application form, completed by the applicant and signed in the presence of the visa officer
* Recent passport sized photograph
* Passport or Travel Document
* Irish re-entry visa
* Irish Certificate of Registration (GNIB card)
* Proof of current address in Ireland (ESB bill, telephone bill, gas bill, bank
* Return Ticket: confirmed and non-transferable return ticket (plane/ferry/rail/bus). You have to present your AND the EU citizen’s tickets
* marriage - or birth certificate
* your spouse’s passport or your parent(s) or children(s) passport(s) as proof of your relation to an EU citizen.
* Informal letter of invitation written and signed by your host including your host’s address and your travel dates. In that case the host’s signature must be certified at local Amt.
--or--
* Proof of Accomodation: confirmed hotel/hostel/B&B & Confirmation of full payment or credit card guarantee.

Documents required for spouses of EU nationals:

* spouse's passport + copy
* applicant's passport + copy
* marriage certificate + copy
* address in Germany
* visa application form with one passport picture

[SDB]

I have actually been issued a year Schengen Visa from the Spanish Embassy, as I used to live in Gibraltar. Living in GIB without being able to go into Spain is a disaster. I am a South African passport holder and the visa was issued in South Africa – so there is a chance.

[86ti]

I have actually been issued a year Schengen Visa from the Spanish Embassy, as I used to live in Gibraltar. Living in GIB without being able to go into Spain is a disaster. I am a South African passport holder and the visa was issued in South Africa – so there is a chance.

Are they as "friendly" as their colleagues in London?

[SDB]

I have never used the London one, but after reading some of the posts I think the London guys are in a league of their own. The Pretoria Spanish Embassy is fine. I am looking at moving back to GIB in the next few months and I am going to try ask for a year again using the Dublin one.

[scrudu]

OK, so fingers crossed it'll be a positive experience this time. It's a real waste of time and money having to prepare for a Visa application each time at an Embassy each time we wish to visit the EU.

It's such a pity that Directive/2004/38/EC does not apply to non-EU spouses of Irish citizens living in Ireland, and then my husband could have freedom to travel within the EU without visas as do non-EU spouses of other EU citizens

[Shan12]

I have in the past been issued an 18 month multi trip schengen, through the embassy in London. I planned 2 trips to France and presented booking arrangements. The key is that the two trips were 13 months apart.

[scrudu]

Aha! Interesting idea

I guess I could book a flight for next year and try that way. Considering the cheap flight prices at the moment, it would be a lot cheaper than taking time off work to visit Embassies multiple times. Cheers Shan12!
BTW: Did you have to show flight bookings for your spouse for both journeys?

[bubblegum]

Dear All,

I've been trying to find the answer to a similar predicament - so this thread is manna from heaven.

In the experience of forum members, is there a rule of thumb followed by Schengen embassies in granting a long term tourist visa? What special requirements need to be met for a general visitor - who is not the spouse of an EEA national?

I am a Tier 1 migrant in the UK (resident in the UK for 4+ years), with several previous multiple-entry Schengen visas, and a substantial travel history to continental Europe. However, I've never been issued with visas longer than 6 months. I have traveled to France 4 or 5 times already, and even if traveling elsewhere, I generally go through Paris - but don't know whether this is sufficient to obtain a long-term visa, even if I present two trip bookings.

I am very far away from London, so the only practical option is the postal application. I'd rather not waste a bundle of cash and risk a refusal if the application appears shifty - so any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers,
~ Bubblegum.

[magsi23]

I got Schengen Visa for 1 year from French embassy in London 3 days ago, so yeh you can get one.

I dont think by booking multiple trips you would get visa any longer really. I am only traveling to Paris next week for 4 days and yet they gave me 1 year. I had done Multiple booking only 6 months apart to go to Italy and they only gave me 1 month Visa asking me to re apply nearer the 2nd visit time.

I have been to europe many times and used many Schengen Embassies in London namely, Italian, German Belgian etc but i have alsways found French to be the best.

[bubblegum]

Thanks for the update magsi23. Would you be mind sharing some more information?

1. Did you apply in-person?
2. On the application form, what did you mention for '25. Duration of Stay'? 365 days or some other duration?
3. If you would not mind me asking, until what time is your current leave to remain in the UK? I only ask from the point of view of whether this makes a difference to the term the Schengen visa is granted for.

Thanks in Advance.

Cheers,
~ Bubblegum.

[scrudu]

An update on my husbands experience with the French Embassy. (Recap: Prior to French app. he had been issued 4 other Schengen visas, and Swiss, UK & US Visas)

He applied in person (no postal app's) for a Visa from the French Embassy in Dublin in March, allowing for the 6-8 weeks they said it would take to process the application as they classify him as being from a "high risk" country. He submitted all the required information (Health Insurance, Letter from Employer, Bank Statements, Marriage cert, Accom details, PP photos, Garda Card, Copies of PP's etc.) along evidence of our flight bookings and accommodation details for a trip to France in May, trip to Germany in June and a trip to Spain in late Dec. He applied for a 12 month multi entry visa. When he was at the Embassy the clerk asked about his Health Insurance Policy and the End Date on it. We have an annual policy with BUPA which expires on Dec 2nd. The clerk asked if he could extend it further. My husband explained that we extend each year but that it wasn't possible to pay for longer than 1 year in advance, so he couldn't show evidence of Health Insurance for later than that date. He offered to submit evidence of previous years policies and submit his new policy when it came up for renewal.

When he went to pick the passport up (No postal delivery option!!), he was issued a visa with a Start Date of the flight to France and an End Date of December 2nd (end of Health Insurance Policy). So this means that when we travel to Spain in Dec, he'll have to go through the same drama again of going to the Spanish Embassy and appy for a visa there and pickup (again more work Annual Leave days wasted). They obviously decided that they wouldn't issue the visa for a date after the policy elapsed.

I really don't understand this. How can anyone get a 12+ month Schengen Visa if this were the case? I don't know of anyone who has a Health Insurance policy of longer than 12 months. How did anyone else get around this?

I wonder if the French Embassy in Dublin is handling applications differently to the Embassy in London. Or does it perhaps depend on the nationality of the applicant?

[86ti]

I really don't understand this. How can anyone get a 12+ month Schengen Visa if this were the case? I don't know of anyone who has a Health Insurance policy of longer than 12 months. How did anyone else get around this?

Doesn't help you but the Austrian embassy in Tokyo followed the exact same policy, i.e. visa valid only within the validness of the travel insurance.

I wonder if the French Embassy in Dublin is handling applications differently to the Embassy in London. Or does it perhaps depend on the nationality of the applicant?

I would suspect that both of your assumptions are correct.

[Wanderer]

Re Health insurance my partner used her EHIC card valid for five years, Germans were cool with it.

[scrudu]

Re Health insurance my partner used her EHIC card valid for five years, Germans were cool with it.

Aha, that's an interesting idea but unfortunately it wasn't an option with the Frensch Embassy. Their Dublin Embassy sitesays the following:

* Proof of Medical Insurance Cover :
the Embassy only accepts an individual or group travel insurance covering the following :
o costs for emergency treatment by doctor or in an hospital
o repatriation to your country of residence The insurance must be taken out in the country of residence or by your host in one of the Schengen states. The insurance must be valid in all Schengen states for the duration of your stay and must have a minimum cover of 30,000 € per person. Please provide the insurance certificate and policy as proof.

Please note that the european health insurance card issued by the Irish authorities does not cover costs for the repatriation and is therfore not accepted without additional travel insurance cover. The travel insurance must be valid 15 days after the date of your return.

I remember the same when applying for the Swedish Schengen Visa. Their site states that:

• A valid, personal travel insurance which covers costs for
– emergency treatment by a doctor
– urgent ambulance transportation
– transportation back to applicant's home country if required for medical reasons.
The insurance must cover at least 30,000 Euro and be valid in all Schengen states and cover the total length of stay.

86ti: Thanks for the info on Austria.

It's all quite frustrating as it just seems like repeated challenges each time we wish to travel in Europe. Half day lost to apply, half day lost to pick up visa. Each time having to print out a file of information for the individual Embassies, and yet none of them seeming to be willing to give out a longer visa. I had initially thought that it was just the first one or two Schengen Visas they were suspect about handing out, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The funny thing is that when he applied for a US Visa, they granted him a 3 year visa despite him only requesting a visa for the duration of his stay! The sooner he can get Irish citizenship the better!

I know that Directive/2004/38/EC comes in to this somehow, and is supposed to allow for ease of travel for EU citizens accompanied by their families. This results in free visas for spouses of EU citizens when travelling together with the EU spouse. But it still doesn't seem particularly easy when each Embassy has a different list of requirements and requires different documentation!

[86ti]

Re Health insurance my partner used her EHIC card valid for five years, Germans were cool with it.

Interesting considering that the major concern is usually repatriation.

[magsi23]

Thanks for the update magsi23. Would you be mind sharing some more information?

1. Did you apply in-person?
2. On the application form, what did you mention for '25. Duration of Stay'? 365 days or some other duration?
3. If you would not mind me asking, until what time is your current leave to remain in the UK? I only ask from the point of view of whether this makes a difference to the term the Schengen visa is granted for.

Thanks in Advance.

Cheers,
~ Bubblegum.

1: Yes i applied in person
2: Duration of stay 10 days (but booking of flights+hotels only 4 days)
3: my current leave expires in Jan 2014

I hope this helps.

[Wanderer]

Re Health insurance my partner used her EHIC card valid for five years, Germans were cool with it.

Interesting considering that the major concern is usually repatriation.

Yeah just checked with her, she's used it twice now - first time she was applying for a German Work Permit, which is initially a single entry week long Schengen visa u exchange when u get there.

Maybe she's on some sort of 'pre-approved' list of something? Was a very quick turnaround, appointment on Thursday, visa here via post on Tuesday....

[bubblegum]

Dear All,

Just an update: I got my 12-month multiple-entry Schengen visa through the French Embassy in London. I applied by post and included the usual documentation. My visa is the 'Court Sejour Circulation'.

Scrudu – I usually get my travel insurance from Jan to December each year from www.insureandgo.com. They provide up to two years of insurance (although as two separate policies, as the policy length cannot exceed 1 year). Thus, I now have insurance until Jan 2011. Don’t know if this is available in Ireland, but I am sure something similar can be done by other companies.

The French embassy in London is an absolute revelation, and set the gold standard for service, at least for me. Having applied for French Schengen visas four times before and not ever having sent any copies, I made the mistake of forgetting to send copies of my documents, and was fully expecting the application to be returned at the very least. Of course, that didn't happen, and what I got was a circulation visa for a year, within 7 calendar days flat.

Hope this helps others.

Cheers,
~Bubblegum.