Travel to Schengen zone, without visa, for family member of BC

[chinkyjoana]

Hello everyone..

I would just like to share my experience.. I am a non-eu waiting for my residence card married to EU national (Portuguese).. I have traveled to Poland last Friday without schengen visa and just with Marriage Certificate and COA. We flew from Gatwick with Easyjet..when we arrived in the boarding gate the guy wasn't sure about it as he said it appears in the screen I need visa..my husband told him that we are married and have our marriage certificate..he disappeared for 2 minutes to ask his manager and then let us pass. When we arrived in Kraków Poland the immigration officer was puzzled as I didn't have the schengen visa..he then called his supervisor..they asked for my our marriage certificate and COA..they were just staring at the paper for like 10 mins..then the supervisor told my husband that i cannot enter as I still don't have residence card..my husband said that we didn't have time to get it but I'm his wife and it is our right. He disappeared for another 5 minutes and then when he returned he had a photocopy of my passport and asked for our return ticket..he said ok you can pass but next time I must get a schengen visa or have the residence card..I think we also just got lucky cause we were the last flight of the night and it looked like they just really wanted to go home..we went home yesterday and the immigration officer by then was puzzled how I got in..asked what time we arrived last Friday..then 5 minted passed and she saw my name and stamped my passport..I don't understand why immigration officers didn't know the law but I think it's always just safe to get the proper visa to avoid complications..

[CR001]

Hello everyone..

I would just like to share my experience.. I am a non-eu waiting for my residence card married to EU national (Portuguese).. I have traveled to Poland last Friday without schengen visa and just with Marriage Certificate and COA. We flew from Gatwick with Easyjet..when we arrived in the boarding gate the guy wasn't sure about it as he said it appears in the screen I need visa..my husband told him that we are married and have our marriage certificate..he disappeared for 2 minutes to ask his manager and then let us pass. When we arrived in Kraków Poland the immigration officer was puzzled as I didn't have the schengen visa..he then called his supervisor..they asked for my our marriage certificate and COA..they were just staring at the paper for like 10 mins..then the supervisor told my husband that i cannot enter as I still don't have residence card..my husband said that we didn't have time to get it but I'm his wife and it is our right. He disappeared for another 5 minutes and then when he returned he had a photocopy of my passport and asked for our return ticket..he said ok you can pass but next time I must get a schengen visa or have the residence card..I think we also just got lucky cause we were the last flight of the night and it looked like they just really wanted to go home..we went home yesterday and the immigration officer by then was puzzled how I got in..asked what time we arrived last Friday..then 5 minted passed and she saw my name and stamped my passport..I don't understand why immigration officers didn't know the law but I think it's always just safe to get the proper visa to avoid complications..

Thank you for sharing.

The difference is that you are married to an EU national. The poster asking about the Schengen visa is British and his South African spouse has followed the UK Immigration Rules route with a UK BRP card which is not the same a an EEA Residence Car. A British Citizen living and working in the UK is not considered an EU citizen for the purposes of the directives etc.

[Mercyknight]

Managed to get an appointment at the consulate for this Thursday.

Trusting she'll get a visa, not sure how it'll work with it getting into the Schengen system before we fly on Sunday. Apparently, that can take a few days?

We fly at the weekend!

[Mercyknight]

Slight headache still,

As we still don't have our supporting documents (Marriage Cert, my passport, her passport!) back from the British Passport office that we actually need for the appointment!

Grrrrrrrrrrrr

[Casa]

In which case the lack of a Schengen visa may be the least of your problems! How will you travel without your passports if they don't arrive in the next few days?
Would you shoot me if I said the British Isles are very nice at this time of the year?

[Mercyknight]

In which case the lack of a Schengen visa may be the least of your problems! How will you travel without your passports if they don't arrive in the next few days?
Would you shoot me if I said the British Isles are very nice at this time of the year?

No!! Lol.

Passport office are being super helpful. I might even be able to go collect them if they're with the examiner still.

[noajthan]

To avoid confusion & jumbled responses, I have moved your question to its own thread (this one).

[Mercyknight]

Thank you, and cheers for all your help guys. If you're a praying person please say one for us and our family! Been a difficult year, we need the holiday!

[chinkyjoana]

Thank you, and cheers for all your help guys. If you're a praying person please say one for us and our family! Been a difficult year, we need the holiday!

Hi Mercyknight,

I'd like to as if you were able to get the visa in time for your flight?i am as we in the same boat. I will have an appointment on Thursday in Portuguese embassy and our flight will be on Sunday.

Anyone can confirm if the embassy of Portugal can release a visa within a day?as I am a wife of Portuguese national.

Thanks!

[Mercyknight]

Thank you, and cheers for all your help guys. If you're a praying person please say one for us and our family! Been a difficult year, we need the holiday!

Hi Mercyknight,

I'd like to as if you were able to get the visa in time for your flight?i am as we in the same boat. I will have an appointment on Thursday in Portuguese embassy and our flight will be on Sunday.

Anyone can confirm if the embassy of Portugal can release a visa within a day?as I am a wife of Portuguese national.

Thanks!

I'm in Portugal right now! They saw us on Thursday and told us to come back in the afternoon for the visa, we wandered around Manchester. You'll get it the same day if they know you're travelling.

Just make sure that you go overboard with documentation. I took insurance, flight info, reservation info. They checked all of it.

[noajthan]

I'm in Portugal right now! They saw us on Thursday and told us to come back in the afternoon for the visa, we wandered around Manchester. You'll get it the same day if they know you're travelling.

Just make sure that you go overboard with documentation. I took insurance, flight info, reservation info. They checked all of it.

Suggest check out a Fado evening. A wonderful cultural experience.
They sing about anguish, heartbreak and pain. Maybe there's even a song about getting travel visas.

[chinkyjoana]

Thank you, and cheers for all your help guys. If you're a praying person please say one for us and our family! Been a difficult year, we need the holiday!

Hi Mercyknight,

I'd like to as if you were able to get the visa in time for your flight?i am as we in the same boat. I will have an appointment on Thursday in Portuguese embassy and our flight will be on Sunday.

Anyone can confirm if the embassy of Portugal can release a visa within a day?as I am a wife of Portuguese national.

Thanks!

I'm in Portugal right now! They saw us on Thursday and told us to come back in the afternoon for the visa, we wandered around Manchester. You'll get it the same day if they know you're travelling.

Just make sure that you go overboard with documentation. I took insurance, flight info, reservation info. They checked all of it.

Hi Mercyknight,

Thank you so much for taking time to reply! I am happy to hear that you were able to get the visa at the same day! Hopefully they'll be the same here in London. I have the flight details and marriage certificate as my husband is Portuguese national. Enjoy Portugal

[kayzee83]

Managed to get an appointment at the consulate for this Thursday.

Trusting she'll get a visa, not sure how it'll work with it getting into the Schengen system before we fly on Sunday. Apparently, that can take a few days?

We fly at the weekend!

Hi Mercyknight

Good to hear your outcome which has given me some hope. I have about 2 weeks to the holiday however the visa appointment link doesn't work. When I last searched I was getting appointments for dates after my holiday. And now, the website is down it appears.

Did you keep trying till you got the appointment on the Portugal Consulate website or did you use any external agency? Also, would they see you at the Portugal Embassy without any appointment.

Regards
Kay