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Schengen visa to Portugal.

Immigration to European countries, don't post UK or Ireland related topics!

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hmm
Member
Posts: 178
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:49 pm

Schengen visa to Portugal.

Post by hmm » Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:04 am

I'm british and my husband is an Indian passport holder and has ILR in UK. We'd like to visit Portugal this summer.

*Does my husband needs a Schengen visa? Is it true that if he travels with me he wouldn't need a visa as he has ILR and am British?
* Where do we apply for the visa andwhat documents needed?
* how long the visa is valid for?
* what's the waiting time? I'm trying to workout when to apply.
* Does he needs to get a travel and medical insurance to apply for the visa?
* How much does it cost?

Please advise.

86ti
Diamond Member
Posts: 2760
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:07 am

Re: Schengen visa to Portugal.

Post by 86ti » Sun Apr 19, 2009 11:25 am

He will need a visa but it should be for free.

ca.funke
Moderator
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Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:05 am
Location: Zürich, CH (Schengen)
Belgium

Re: Schengen visa to Portugal.

Post by ca.funke » Sun Apr 19, 2009 11:47 am

Hi hmm,

if you are a little adventurous - you can try to travel without applying for a visa :!:

>>This<< thread explains how and why you should usually be allowed to travel with a residence card for family-members of EU nationals (In Ireland this is called 4EUFam, but the same applies for the UK). As you are a UK national your Indian partner cannot get a corresponding UK-card for EU-family members. :(

However, Article 5, Section 4 of 2004/38/EC reads as follows:
Where a Union citizen, or a family member who is not a national of a Member State, does not have the necessary travel documents or, if required, the necessary visas, the Member State concerned shall, before turning them back, give such persons every reasonable opportunity to obtain the necessary documents or have them brought to them within a reasonable period of time or to corroborate or prove by other means that they are covered by the right of free movement and residence.
Why shouldn't this work? Bring your passports, your marriage-certificate, a copy of >>2004/38/EC<< in English and >>Portugese<< with the relevant parts highlighted (in the Portugese Version simply highlight the same paragraphs...) and lots of stamina for talking in some border guard's office on arrival. :) From what I heard so far the Portugese are usually pretty relaxed, my one and only journey there went pretty smooth (with 4EUFam).

I assume you're travelling from the UK? As far as I remember there are no UK-exit checks. Thus, if you check-in online and only have hand-baggage (at least for your husband), he will not face any airline staff and thus can avoid being denied boarding. If he was denied boarding this would be illegal and you would be entitled to compensation (for which you'd have to go through the courts and it'd be some hassle).

Make sure you read most of the link I gave above, and especially take as many papers as you can from >>this<< list.

Yes, it may be a bit bumpy, but I think it should work.

Should you attempt to travel this way, please let us know of the outcome.
Last edited by ca.funke on Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

Directive/2004/38/EC
Respected Guru
Posts: 7121
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:09 am
Location: does not matter if you are with your EEA family member

Re: Schengen visa to Portugal.

Post by Directive/2004/38/EC » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:30 pm

hmm wrote:I'm british and my husband is an Indian passport holder and has ILR in UK. We'd like to visit Portugal this summer.

*Does my husband needs a Schengen visa? Is it true that if he travels with me he wouldn't need a visa as he has ILR and am British?
* Where do we apply for the visa andwhat documents needed?
* how long the visa is valid for?
* what's the waiting time? I'm trying to workout when to apply.
* Does he needs to get a travel and medical insurance to apply for the visa?
* How much does it cost?

Please advise.
Technically your husband does need a visa. See http://eumovement.wordpress.com/2007/04 ... u-citizen/ for suggestions about applying.

You can also try to travel without a visa. It makes for more hassle and anxiety, but can usually be done.

hmm
Member
Posts: 178
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:49 pm

Post by hmm » Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:55 pm

Thanks everyone for your replies. We'll apply for a visa as it is the first time. Will try to fly without a vis a next time though.

This is madness, found this portuguese embassy london website,http://www.secomunidades.pt/web/londres, it's all in Potuguese. Anyway managed to download the Schengen Visa application form on it in English. It doesn't say how much it'd cost or how to submit the application form (Propably say in Portugese in their main website). Looks like We'll need to book the flight and accomodation before applying for the visa. What if it was rejected??
Need to get a health insurance as well. Shouldn't that be up to us whether to get one or not?

ca.funke
Moderator
Posts: 1414
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:05 am
Location: Zürich, CH (Schengen)
Belgium

Post by ca.funke » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:42 am

hmm wrote:...Need to get a health insurance as well. Shouldn't that be up to us whether to get one or not?
While the embassy is not allowed to check if you have insurance, and also I think you're not legally obliged to have one, it is IMHO strongly advisable to have one.
  • As far as I know, in the UK the NHS covers you simply because you are present in the UK... Meaning you get basic coverage "free"/ it's "included" in the tax you pay.
  • In most countries of the EU, residents are obliged to have health insurance. This is more/less enforced, depending on country.
  • If you are in Portugal and need medical attention, #1 to know is that you will always be treated. They will not leave you to die outside a hospital "just" because you can't pay. BUT:
  • You will have to bear the costs in hindsight, you may find yourself in major debt.
Therefore, IMHO, health insurance is advisable in any case, weather it's checked or not.

As far as the visa is concerned: They may only check if you are indeed the family-member of a Union citizen. Thus: Both passports and the marriage certificate, nothing more.

Njoy Portugal :)

Directive/2004/38/EC
Respected Guru
Posts: 7121
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:09 am
Location: does not matter if you are with your EEA family member

Post by Directive/2004/38/EC » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:35 am

hmm wrote:Thanks everyone for your replies. We'll apply for a visa as it is the first time. Will try to fly without a vis a next time though.

This is madness, found this portuguese embassy london website,http://www.secomunidades.pt/web/londres, it's all in Potuguese. Anyway managed to download the Schengen Visa application form on it in English. It doesn't say how much it'd cost or how to submit the application form (Propably say in Portugese in their main website). Looks like We'll need to book the flight and accomodation before applying for the visa. What if it was rejected??
Need to get a health insurance as well. Shouldn't that be up to us whether to get one or not?
They are very unlikely to reject the visa application. Be sure you submit your UK passport, the marriage certificate and your husband's passport. Do not fill out the entries on the visa application questions which are marked with a star. And do not include flight or insurance information.

You should in any case apply for an EHIC for each of you (free).

Plum70
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Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 12:07 pm

Post by Plum70 » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:14 am


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