Travel with EU Citizen,residence & work-Directive 2004/3

[ciaramc]

Richard....

Would be great if you can send me those contact details! I will get my friend to write a letter of complaint! I shall also be getting into contact with my embassy and the EU and SOLVIT and finding out my rights!

I seriously think that the embassy think they can push this all under the carpet! As I have many friends effected by this...we are all exercising our treaty rights ...yet noone really knows what they are...when I mentioned to them that you did not nescessarily need a visa once you had a valid "permesso di soggiorno" they couldn't believe it....I have now directed them to all the relevant sites and they are going to get in contact with the embassy!

It can be quite difficult with the english embassy in Rome as they don't recieve people !!!!

[Richard66]

Yes, this is all public information:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/ ... act_en.htm

And is readily available on the Internet.

This is the contact page of the Vice-President of the European Commission (who, by the way, is Italian) responsible for Citizen's rights. He has already brought the UK to the European Court of Justice for partial implementation of EU Directive 2004/38.

You can even call: contrary to what everyone says about distant Brussels bureacrasts, they are quite easy to contact. It is certainly easier to get hold of them than to get hold of the British consul in Rome.

I suggest you write a letter to the Consul at the Rome Embassy protesting about all this nonsense. I did so, quoting all relevant legislation. They didn't really know what to say and when they said it, they got it all wrong, but it did shake them up a bit. I wrote to them again, telling them they are wrong. Let's see what happens now.

Here's the address:

Capo della Sezione Visti
Ambasciata Britannica
via XX Settembre 80a
00187 Roma RM

I'd send it registered (racommandata con avviso di ricevuta), asking for an answer in 5 working days (as they promise). This way they can't say they never got it.

You can also present a complaint to the European Commission (it's free) and, if pertinent, they'll look into it and, if needs be, take it to the ECJ. You can also petition the European Parliament. These things might take a year, but better late than...

I'm also going to write to the Minister for Europe (the British one) to see what he says.

Contact the Italian Solvit. They answer the telephone!

Here's their address:

http://ec.europa.eu/solvit/site/centres ... .htm#italy

I Contacted Mrs. Valente.

[Richard66]

An idea:

Supposing all of us who live in Italy and are married to non-EEA nationals got together and made our voices heard? I mean an association to push for our rights. We could start by writing a collective letter to the Embassy in Rome, with copies to the European Commission and to the FCO in London.

[roshan_asher]

kjo

[Prawo]

Do send a formal complaint to the European Commission in Brussels and to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

My experiences are at London Stansted airport and at Warsaw airport, in May 2007.

Referring to directive 2004/38/EC and its art. 5 par. 2, that states the right of visa free travel when in possession of a card mentioned in art. 10, we were, after some discussion with ignorant border guards, finally let in without a visa.

The delay was 2 hours in London and one and a half hour in Warsaw, before we finally were allowed to enter the respective countries.

Though they did put a stamp in the passports. Illegally, as this is not allowed according to art. 5 par. 3.

This concerned the Iranian parents of a non-Swedish EU national, all living in Sweden.



.

[Richard66]

But, Prawo, maybe this isn't a problem with your family, but my wife is not too happy with the idea of spending hours at an airport wrangling with immigration officers. This sort of strain just makes her cry. All right, my wife has a right to visa-free travel, but do I have a right to make her miserable in the process?

[Prawo]

How much time will it take her to get the visa (she does not need) and is she sure she will get it from that "competent" UK consulate?

If you are well prepared and take the directive, arrive during office hours with the Solvit phone number at hand, she will be let in.
I managed to deal with it without Solvit.
They were given tea and in the end it was more embarrassing for them than for us.

One suggestion, do run for your luggage (they will allow you), as we lost one suitcase during the waiting.

[roshan_asher]

Do send a formal complaint to the European Commission in Brussels and to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

My experiences are at London Stansted airport and at Warsaw airport, in May 2007.

Referring to directive 2004/38/EC and its art. 5 par. 2, that states the right of visa free travel when in possession of a card mentioned in art. 10, we were, after some discussion with ignorant border guards, finally let in without a visa.

The delay was 2 hours in London and one and a half hour in Warsaw, before we finally were allowed to enter the respective countries.

Though they did put a stamp in the passports. Illegally, as this is not allowed according to art. 5 par. 3.

This concerned the Iranian parents of a non-Swedish EU national, all living in Sweden.

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knowing french them will would't care, but i will write to EU commission, and i hurd i could get my money back via small claims court!

.

[Richard66]

At least one week to get the appoitment, then we'd need to go to Rome, lose the whole day (and €140 for train tickets).

Solvit? Which Solvit? British Solvit has sided with UK Visas in telling me my wife needs a visa and a normal one at that, not a family permit.