My husband (Indonesian) has a stamp 4 (spouse of Irish) permit to live in Ireland since 2006. He's had 8 Schengen Visas in the last 4 years, each requiring 2 visits to the relevant Embassy (drop off app and pick up passport). Each time he's applied to the German Embassy (3 times now) he's only been granted a permit for the exact duration of the visit (as per flight details) despite requesting a multiple entry visa each time. Obviously this whole process is pretty onerous and time consuming and results in us taking less trips to Europe due to the fact we have to foreplan everything (book flights & accom before applying for visa 1 mth before). It's a pain in the b**t also as it requires a lot of time off work.
From what I've read in new EU Visa Code rules, if you can show that you travel often to EU and have complied with visa conditions in the past, then you should be granted a longer Schengen Visa. How that will be implemented I have no idea.
Chaper 4, Article 24 states:* Third-country nationals holding a long-stay visa issued by a Member State are allowed to move freely in the territory of Member States under the same conditions as the holder of a residence permit.
The Visa Code will abolish the "D+C" visa (i.e. a long stay visa allowing the holder to circulate in the territory of Member States the first 3 months of his stay on the basis of the national long stay visa).
Because of the abolishment of the D+C visa a new Regulation amending the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement and Regulation (EC) No 562/2006 as regards movement of persons with a long-stay visa has been drawn up and is to apply at the same date as the Visa Code.
The Regulation will allow third-country nationals holding a long-stay "D" visa issued by a Member State to move freely in the territory of Member States for 90 days in any 180-day period, under the same conditions as the holder of a residence permit.
This will put an end to the difficulties third-country nationals had to face when legally staying in a Member State on the basis of a D visa and would restore the basic philosophy underlying the area without internal borders, i.e. that a person can travel within that area for short stays with the document on the basis of which he or she is legally present in a Member State.
Has anyone applied since the new Visa Rules came into force? Were you granted a lengthier visa as a result. Do people agree that I'm reading this correctly?Without prejudice to Article 12(a), multiple-entry visas shall be issued with a period of validity between six months and five years, where the following conditions are met:
(a) the applicant proves the need or justifies the intention to travel frequently and/or regularly, in particular due to his occupational or family status, such as business persons, civil
servants engaged in regular official contacts with Member States and EU institutions, representatives of civil society organisations travelling for the purpose of educational training, seminars and conferences, family members of citizens of the Union, family members of third-country
nationals legally residing in Member States and seafarers; and 15.9.2009 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 243/13
(b) the applicant proves his integrity and reliability, in particular the lawful use of previous uniform visas or visas with limited territorial validity, his economic situation in the country of origin and his genuine intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa applied for.