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By: - 6th May 2010 at 21:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
What's a Schengen visa? :confused:
The simple answer to your question has to be that you don't need one. As far as I'm aware you only need your current UK passport to travel anywhere within the EU without any restrictions whatsoever. And then you'll only really need it at the airport and to get back into the UK; within the EU land borders simply don't seem to exist anymore.
By: - 6th May 2010 at 21:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Been a while since I went over regularly so stand to be corrected on this.
My understanding is that as a member of the EU you had free access across borders but still needed to show ID such as an ID card or passport.
However if you are travelling between schenegen countries and hold citizenship of that country then you could cross using that channel without being asked to show ID. All about open borders without an interference. The UK did not sign up to this as we still wanted to check the ID's of people passing across our borders.
Nothing fancy. Personally I'd rather stand in a queue for a few minutes and know ID's are subject to some sort of check on a border.
By: - 7th May 2010 at 06:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Never heard of a Schengen Visa. Any EU citizen can travel freely with ID throughout the EU.It is no more complicated than that.
By: - 7th May 2010 at 07:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Schengen visas only really apply to non-EU passport holders (as my Russian ex-wife found out to her cost when we went to Ireland once and discovered her permanent UK residency rights didn't allow her access without an Irish/Schengen visa).
What it means for EU citizens within the Schengen zone is that they can cross borders without having passport checks at borders. This is why at various EU airports traffic to the UK and outside the Schengen zone are hived off into a separate area.
However, for non-EU passport holders a Schengen visa will allow them to travel within the Schengen area rather than needing single visas for each country
By: - 7th May 2010 at 07:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
it is quite a handy thing for us non-Europe folk, i always have a 2 year valid Schengen on my passport ready for any sudden Europe trips. :)
By: - 7th May 2010 at 09:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Just a UK passport suffices for entry into any EU country, This as far as I am concerned is the best thing about being in the European Union.
As to the Schengen visa this as others have written is really for non Eu citizens, My wife is from Belarus so we had some fun times with Schengen visas in the past.
By: - 7th May 2010 at 21:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
My wife is from Belarus so we had some fun times with Schengen visas in the past.
My wife is Thai, so we will need a Schengen visa for her. The form I've downloaded from the Italian embassy says that it's free to the spouses of EU citizens, but you need to prove the relationship. Doesn't say exactly how, so I guess you have to send the marriage certificate, or hopefully just copies of same? Thanks again for any advice.
By: - 8th May 2010 at 20:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
You will need to send original docs which will get returned and dont forget to have your marriage certificate certified on the back as a true document!
Christian
By: - 9th May 2010 at 13:17 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
My wife is Thai, so we will need a Schengen visa for her. The form I've downloaded from the Italian embassy says that it's free to the spouses of EU citizens, but you need to prove the relationship. Doesn't say exactly how, so I guess you have to send the marriage certificate, or hopefully just copies of same? Thanks again for any advice.
They will definitely want a copy of the marriage certificate, They will did ask us for photographs of us both together too and proof we were together like bank statements etc.
We often invite my wives friends or family over and have to supply all of the above to get them an English visa, But in these cases they want the statements to see we can pay for the visitor if needs be.
By: - 11th May 2010 at 21:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for all the replies, but that wouldn't actually be a Schengen visa to get into the UK though, would it? I know what you mean though, we had to jump through the same kind of hoops when Mrs Creosote came here, first for a holiday then after we were married. Sometimes wondered if we shouldn't have just bought a one way ticket to the UK and let her claim political asylum or something. :D
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By: Mr Creosote - 6th May 2010 at 21:36
Seem to have my confused head on tonight, so can anyone sort me out please? Am I correct in thinking that even though the UK didn't sign up to the Schengen Agreement, I still wouldn't need a Schengen Visa to visit Italy as a tourist, just a valid UK passport? As I understand it, the Schengen Visa is intended to simplify travel between those countries that signed up, but if merely being an EU citizen gets you in anyway, what's the point? No doubt I'm overlooking something obvious... Thanks very much for any advice.