Article 10 card holder admission at the airport

[hamxa111]

Hi Everyone,
I have been reading this forum for quite long and would like to ask a question about non-EU EEA family member right of admission at the airport in UK without having a visa. I am a non-EU registered partner with A Spanish National living in Spain having an Article 10 card which says Family member of a Union Citizen. Me and my partner have booked our tickets for UK on 22nd of October and I do not have a EEA Family Permit as I have read that it’s taking very long for Home Office to process the EEA Family Permits. Anyone has similar experience? Can I be refused entry if we have our partnership Certificate. Is it wise to go without visa or we should apply for one? Many Thanks

[Beth1812]

My partner entered the UK on the same card, shouldn't have a problem as long as you have valid passport. There is a small section on the gov.uk website about entering the UK on Article 10 & Article 20 cards, and what evidence you should bring.

[vinny]

See also Entering the UK as the holder of an Article 10 or 20 residence card.

[Zerubbabel]

You're fine and you will be admitted.

Sometimes you get issues at the check-in where the airline representative asks you for a British visa. Just stand your grounds and ask to talk to a manager or a senior person. With my wife, we have to do this 30% of the flights we take.

[hamxa111]

See also Entering the UK as the holder of an Article 10 or 20 residence card.

Thank you for you reply. I am a bit confused. On the website of UK Gov it say
“ You’ll have been issued an Article 10 or 20 residence card if:

you’re the non-EEA national family member of an EEA citizen
your EEA citizen family member is exercising free movement rights in an EEA state of which they are not a national”

The card I hold is called “Community Residence Card” but it also says on the card the “Family Member of a Union Citizen” and my partner is a Spanish citizen and the card was issued under Spanish Law. Does this means that my card is not an article 10 or 20 card?

[Zerubbabel]

See also Entering the UK as the holder of an Article 10 or 20 residence card.

Thank you for you reply. I am a bit confused. On the website of UK Gov it say
“ You’ll have been issued an Article 10 or 20 residence card if:

you’re the non-EEA national family member of an EEA citizen
your EEA citizen family member is exercising free movement rights in an EEA state of which they are not a national”

The card I hold is called “Community Residence Card” but it also says on the card the “Family Member of a Union Citizen” and my partner is a Spanish citizen and the card was issued under Spanish Law. Does this means that my card is not an article 10 or 20 card?

That's right.

If for instance you are Spanish, your partner probably got his card under Spanish law not EU law. So the card will be delivered under local laws and doesn't count as Article 10 or 20.

These cards, under local law, don't allow visa-free travel in Europe.

[kamoe]

I have read that it’s taking very long for Home Office to process the EEA Family Permits.

Can you please point exactly to where you have read this? It's important, thank you.

[hamxa111]

Hi, sorry for late reply. I read it in this forum in Sheffield Visa section post

[kamoe]

Hi, sorry for late reply. I read it in this forum in Sheffield Visa section post

With the purpose of giving everyone the most informed picture, I'd like to add what is just a personal impression on Family Permits. I welcome anyone with first-hand knowledge to complement or correct the below, if I am mistaken.

My general understanding is that, Family Permits are usually issued within days or weeks (mine was issued within three days in Colombia, back in 2016), which means it is a quick turnaround that is not long enough for people to even have the need to post and follow other people's timelines (people would not bother posting and following if they did not have an issue / got theirs within days). Of course, do consider covid-19 into it, it is likely that everything takes longer than usual.

From what I can see there, looks like the Sheffield Visa section post is mostly used by people with non-straightforward applications, and might not constitute a representative sample of EEA FP applications throughout the world (e.g. most posts I have read are from Pakistan-based applications; I have not seen any post from anyone applying from European or South American countries, which leads me to think applications there might be processed rather quickly in comparison???).

[saddleback]

See also Entering the UK as the holder of an Article 10 or 20 residence card.

Thank you for you reply. I am a bit confused. On the website of UK Gov it say
“ You’ll have been issued an Article 10 or 20 residence card if:

you’re the non-EEA national family member of an EEA citizen
your EEA citizen family member is exercising free movement rights in an EEA state of which they are not a national”

The card I hold is called “Community Residence Card” but it also says on the card the “Family Member of a Union Citizen” and my partner is a Spanish citizen and the card was issued under Spanish Law. Does this means that my card is not an article 10 or 20 card?

That's right.

If for instance you are Spanish, your partner probably got his card under Spanish law not EU law. So the card will be delivered under local laws and doesn't count as Article 10 or 20.

These cards, under local law, don't allow visa-free travel in Europe.

This is incorrect. Some countries (including Spain, but I think, Germany and Poland) treat their citizens as EU citizens primarily. This is an added bonus by some governments, but not others (UK is clearly not the one to dispense any favours to its own citizens)

[hamxa111]

See also Entering the UK as the holder of an Article 10 or 20 residence card.

Thank you for you reply. I am a bit confused. On the website of UK Gov it say
“ You’ll have been issued an Article 10 or 20 residence card if:

you’re the non-EEA national family member of an EEA citizen
your EEA citizen family member is exercising free movement rights in an EEA state of which they are not a national”

The card I hold is called “Community Residence Card” but it also says on the card the “Family Member of a Union Citizen” and my partner is a Spanish citizen and the card was issued under Spanish Law. Does this means that my card is not an article 10 or 20 card?

That's right.

If for instance you are Spanish, your partner probably got his card under Spanish law not EU law. So the card will be delivered under local laws and doesn't count as Article 10 or 20.

These cards, under local law, don't allow visa-free travel in Europe.

This is incorrect. Some countries (including Spain, but I think, Germany and Poland) treat their citizens as EU citizens primarily. This is an added bonus by some governments, but not others (UK is clearly not the one to dispense any favours to its own citizens)

Thank you very much adding this valuable information to the post. Kindly please could you share the source of this information? Where have you read this that Spain treat their citizens as EU? Many Thanks