EEA Family Permit - why am I being asked to pay?

Laura721 · Post by **Laura721** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 7:35 am

Why am I being asked to pay 14 euros?

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Total amount payable: EUR 14.00
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Description EEA/Swiss Family Member - Family Member of an EEA National
Amount EUR 14.00

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Post by **Lucapooka** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:29 am

The EEA family permit is, of course, free. It's not possible to be precise as you have not given much information. The fee itself seems very low so I would guess that you have requested some additional service (although at 14 Euros I can't imagine what that might be).

Laura721 · Post by **Laura721** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:38 am

It is my understanding that the €14 is to pay for the courier to deliver our documents back to us once the decision is made. Why I can't pick these up I don't know.

Post by **Lucapooka** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:44 am

Where are you applying? Courier fees are normally an optional additional service.

You can collect your documents from the visa application centre or you can have your documents couriered to you (fee payable).

Those who can collect in person do not need this. Perhaps the from is badly-worded and you have to tick (or not tick) a box if don't want courier service (or something along those lines)

Laura721 · Post by **Laura721** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:54 am

I am applying from Madrid - I tried to not click this but the application would not let me proceed to next step without selecting the €14 euros.

Post by **Lucapooka** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:58 am

Yes, Spain (surprisingly) does not seem to offer a personal collection service unless in exceptional circumstances..

Laura721 · Post by **Laura721** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:20 am

What a complete con!

keffers · Post by **keffers** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:29 am

Its obviously the preferred way rather than having people call in when there is no need - if you live in another part of Spain there is no real option but to have it delivered, so having this method means everyone is treated equally.

At 14 Euros, is that really prohibitive when travel costs and parking fees are taken into consideration?

Its only those within walking distance who could have a bit of a financial gripe.

Laura721 · Post by **Laura721** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:57 am

The metro costs very little in Madrid so after paying €6000 for my wedding, I would have prefered to collect myself and save every penny possible to be honest!

But of course the world doesn't end for paying €14 euros, it is just the principle.

Post by **ca.funke** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:15 pm

Why apply for an EEA-FP at all?

Do you have a Spanish family-member Residence Card?

Full details on why a visa may not be necessary >>here<<.

Post by **Obie** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:26 pm

ca.funke wrote:Why apply for an EEA-FP at all?

Do you have a Spanish family-member Residence Card?

Full details on why a visa may not be necessary >>here<<.

Airlines tend to refuse boarding in instances were an EEA family permit is not produced.

I believe the OP should simply have applied directly to the Embassy, rather than using an intermediary.

These companies have there rules and part of it is to pay additional few for returning your documents safely.

Laura721 · Post by **Laura721** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:31 pm

Hi ca.funke, thank you for the link.

I am aware of this, and would love to pack up everything and head straight for Calais from here to face the UK border patrol and try and get in.

We do not yet have a family member residence card, I am British and we are applying through Surinder Singh as I have been working here in Spain since September 2010. I understand this makes it more complicated.

What I do not want to do is, give notice at my job and apartment, pack up and leave for Calais and then have problems and nowhere to go from there - that is what worries me the most about trying this way. So I understand if we want to be 100% sure, we really need the permit?

Obie, we have applied directly through http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/ - I did not know any other way to do so...

Post by **ca.funke** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:46 pm

Laura721 wrote:So I understand if we want to be 100% sure, we really need the permit?

unfortunately, to be sure, this is correct.

Laura721 wrote:Obie, we have applied directly through http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/ - I did not know any other way to do so...

From my understanding that´s the official website.

So while the EEA-FP is free, they declare the posting as an "extra-service" for which they want money? I deem this illegal, as the law sais:

2004/38/EC, Article 5, Section 2 wrote:...Member States shall grant such persons every facility to obtain
the necessary visas. Such visas shall be issued free of charge as
soon as possible and on the basis of an accelerated procedure...

So from what I see "every facility" must be granted free of charge, which would include all possible services attached to the application process.

If I were you I´d do the following:

summarise what you experienced in an email and sent it to the Commission on sg-plaintes@ec.europa.eu
Send an email to the Embassy, telling them you want your money back. If they don´t transfer it to you (they won´t pay you back just yet, but give them your account# anyway), tell them that you reported this to the Commission, and once you have word from them you will ask for reimbursement again.

Post by **Obie** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:57 pm

You are correct. That is the only official website. I thought you applied through worldbridge.

I believe you should make complains about this. It is entirely up to you if you choose to pay a fee or not.

I am confident you can get through via Calais, if you have your marriage certificate at hand, and any official documents showing you have been working in Spain, and your Husbands ID too.

Post by **ca.funke** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:08 pm

Go for a complaint to the Commission (sg-plaintes@ec.europa.eu). Just wrote out what I´d send them:

Dear Madam or Sir,

the UK-embassy in Madrid processes UK-EEA family permits for family members of EU-citizens.

The law clearly states that "all facilities" should be granted "free of charge":
2004/38/EC, Article 5, Section 2: wrote:...Member States shall grant such persons every facility to obtain
the necessary visas. Such visas shall be issued free of charge as
soon as possible and on the basis of an accelerated procedure...
In violation of the law, the UK-embassy in Madrid charges EUR 14,00 for forwarding the passport containing the issued visa back to me (postage contribution).

Do you regard this fee lawful?

Thanks and regards,

After this you should probably lean back, enjoy the non-substantial crappy answers that the Commission will send you (please post them here!), forget about the EUR 14 and enjoy your new life in the UK!

keffers · Post by **keffers** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:26 pm

Nothing is actually free. Other people are paying for this service through taxation.

Free to the customer at the point of use is a better expression.

No doubt if it were the procedure to not charge but send documents through the normal post, people would be offering to pay for a more secure postal method.

Folk should be grateful for the fact that the procedure is subsidised by the tax payer and is what most reasonable people would regard as a free service. What next? A claim for reimbursement on photo-copying costs and printer ink etc?

Post by **ca.funke** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:34 pm

keffers wrote:Nothing is actually free. Other people are paying for this service through taxation.

Free to the customer at the point of use is a better expression.

If the law sais it should be "free of charge (to the customer at the point of use)", then this should be obeyed. Why make a law and then break it? Do you suggest anarchy?

keffers wrote:No doubt if it were the procedure to not charge but send documents through the normal post, people would be offering to pay for a more secure postal method.

Folk should be grateful for the fact that the procedure is subsidised by the tax payer and is what most reasonable people would regard as a free service. What next? A claim for reimbursement on photo-copying costs and printer ink etc?

I would be grateful if the law was abided altogether, and qualified people would be allowed to travel without the illegal EEA-FP. In this case the costs would also be minimised to zero...

Post by **Obie** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:51 pm

I am inclined to agree with you Ca.funke.

In light of the fact that the UK Tribunal has ruled in the case of CO (EEA Regulations: family permit) Nigeria [2007] UKAIT 00070 that the EEA family permit has no basis under the directive or community law, and it is purely a national law thing, i believe it is unfair for Keffer to blame the OP or anyone else on this thread for the unnecessary cost the UK government has imposed on its taxpayers, due to their failure in implementing community law according to its letter and spirit.

Laura721 · Post by **Laura721** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:13 pm

I am seriously considering just getting a lift by car to the french border at the end of this month and taking the train up to calais and trying at the end of this month - should we go for it? I need someone to egg us on!

Post by **ca.funke** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:18 pm

Although not very practical, this should be feasible: You can "try" to go. If you manage to bring your partner to the island, you can go back to Spain to fix your matters alone. Otherwise you go back the two of you, and fix everything including the EEA FP.

But surely you don´t want to do all this "just" because of the EUR 14 postage?

PS - please do send the email as per above and post feedback! Would love to know what the Commission has to say! You´ve got nothing to lose from it!

Post by **Jambo** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:24 pm

See MelC - Surninder Singh @ Calais.

Laura721 · Post by **Laura721** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:24 pm

ca.funke wrote:Although not very practical, this should be feasible: You can "try" to go. If you manage to bring your partner to the island, you can go back to Spain to fix your matters alone. Otherwise you go back the two of you, and fix everything including the EEA FP.

But surely you don´t want to do all this "just" because of the EUR 14 postage?

PS - please do send the email as per above and post feedback! Would love to know what the Commission has to say! You´ve got nothing to lose from it!

Thanks ca.funke, oh no this is not all because of the 14 euros! Just reckon we should go for it - will send the email now and report back.

Post by **Jambo** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:42 pm

Bump - just in case you missed my post as we did post at the same minute.

Laura721 · Post by **Laura721** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:02 pm

Jambo wrote:Bump - just in case you missed my post as we did post at the same minute.

Thanks so much Jambo, just had a look at that link - wow things went smoothly for them. First thing I need is to find a lift to France - I am not too confident about going by bus or train as I know they ask for documents and would prefer not to have an argument with a guard/bus driver regarding this...thoughts?

MelC · Post by **MelC** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 4:20 pm

isnt the fee, the 14 euro's covered in the section where embassies can outsource the application and use premium rate services?

its double that and more for people applying for a "free" visa to the Schengen area from the UK.

head for calais why not? i did 5 weeks ago!

here is a tip, do not head for dieppe, the ferry company there will refuse you exit!!!

which was annoying for us as we had to pass dieppe to get to calais

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EEA Family Permit - why am I being asked to pay?

EEA Family Permit - why am I being asked to pay?