Schengen

[3crown]

Hubby on Spouse Visa until may 2010, I'm UK Citizen. We would like to travel to France - can we risk buying tickets b4 being granted the Schengen; do the French Embassy want to see reservations, tickets etc when you apply and if there's a risk of refusal, it's a bit of a waste of money? any advice please.

[republique]

Hubby on Spouse Visa until may 2010, I'm UK Citizen. We would like to travel to France - can we risk buying tickets b4 being granted the Schengen; do the French Embassy want to see reservations, tickets etc when you apply and if there's a risk of refusal, it's a bit of a waste of money? any advice please.

many people have done that and have been caught up. suggest you do a search on the board and see their stories.

[Enquirer77]

My wife is here in the UK on a Spouse visa and she recently applied for and received a Schengen visa to go to France. Getting the appointment at the French Embassy in London took some time (3 months waiting for a spare slot!) but as soon as we received an appointment date we booked our tickets and hotel in France. You don't need to show the Embassy any tickets and my wife received her Schengen visa free of charge within a couple of hours.

Be prepared to queue outside the visa office (opposite the Natural History Museum) for sometime, even if you have a pre-agreed appointment time. You will also wait a long time in the visa office but there are lots of seats, some drink and snack machines and toilets. Be careful not to leave the office while you're waiting or they wont let you back in again.

Good luck!

[3crown]

thank you very much Enquirer' that's so helpful.

My wife is here in the UK on a Spouse visa and she recently applied for and received a Schengen visa to go to France. Getting the appointment at the French Embassy in London took some time (3 months waiting for a spare slot!) but as soon as we received an appointment date we booked our tickets and hotel in France. You don't need to show the Embassy any tickets and my wife received her Schengen visa free of charge within a couple of hours.

Be prepared to queue outside the visa office (opposite the Natural History Museum) for sometime, even if you have a pre-agreed appointment time. You will also wait a long time in the visa office but there are lots of seats, some drink and snack machines and toilets. Be careful not to leave the office while you're waiting or they wont let you back in again.

Good luck!

[3crown]

We're still trying to get a Schengen from French Embassy. I've been trying to five days to get through on their 'phone sysem @ £1/minute, they go through a gr8 diatribe of the process and then right at the end tell you "sorry - no appointments available at the moment" .. is that usual?

My wife is here in the UK on a Spouse visa and she recently applied for and received a Schengen visa to go to France. Getting the appointment at the French Embassy in London took some time (3 months waiting for a spare slot!) but as soon as we received an appointment date we booked our tickets and hotel in France. You don't need to show the Embassy any tickets and my wife received her Schengen visa free of charge within a couple of hours.

Be prepared to queue outside the visa office (opposite the Natural History Museum) for sometime, even if you have a pre-agreed appointment time. You will also wait a long time in the visa office but there are lots of seats, some drink and snack machines and toilets. Be careful not to leave the office while you're waiting or they wont let you back in again.

Good luck!

[Wanderer]

Where are you located? You can apply by post at the French Consulate if you live outside London, but bear in mind the French consider almost all of the South, Midlands and East Anglia as 'London'....

[bdb303]

Tried the phone as as well several times, even after midnight when the system supposedly resets itself for new appointments, but no luck.

Wait until the first of the month - or even midnight on the first of the month. You will then see that the online appointment booking service actually has some appointments for that month. So you'll probably be able to get an August appointment if you book via the website on the first of August.

Forget about the phone, it is a complete rip-off - especially given that you have to hang on for 6 minutes before they tell you there are no appointments.

[3crown]

Thanks Wanderer - we're in East Midlands - which is regarded as 'London'!! ....bdb303 - thanks - I can't get any 'live' links on the dates given on the website, when I try to click on a date there's no response.. - is there a specific day i should try do you think?

Where are you located? You can apply by post at the French Consulate if you live outside London, but bear in mind the French consider almost all of the South, Midlands and East Anglia as 'London'....

[bdb303]

Like I said, a new month with live links will be published when that month starts. Now they're showing July which is completely full, but if you wait until 12 AM on August 1, you will see that appointments will be available for August.

[3crown]

AHH thanks - I was beginning to think it was my web browser - thank you. I'll try again at 12.01 a.m. 1 August

Like I said, a new month with live links will be published when that month starts. Now they're showing July which is completely full, but if you wait until 12 AM on August 1, you will see that appointments will be available for August.