EEA Family Permit Holder visiting Spain

My partner has a Dutch Passport and I hold a EEA Family Permit, (my partner as my sponsor), we are currently living and working in the UK. My Permit is valid until May 2010. We would like to travel to Spain for a holiday in January 2010 but we want to know if I can travel on my EEA Family Permit or do I need a Shengen Visa?? Please please help!!!!

You will need a visa. WIth a residence card you could travel together without one though the Spanish may expect you to be married.

You are allowed to travel without a visa.

Hi,
I just came back from Spain yesterday but with my Residence card.
Left UK at Heathrow T3 with no one at the passport control desk.
Arrived in Barcelona, officer were not interested. No questions asked.
Leaving Barcelona, officer did look at my multiple visa and asked where we are going. Before we could tell him or show the ticket, he saw "London" and let us go.
Arrived in Heathrow, asked a lady if I could queue in the UK/EU passport. She said I can but I need to fill in the landing form. Got to the desk of a cranky looking man officer and first thing he asked me was 'Why are you in this queue?' Sorely tempted to say ' Because I can?' :p But I kept my mouth shut.
I just said I have Residence Card and this is my husband. He stamped my passport and let us go without further questions.

Hope this helps. Nice to get officers that know their work

ribena wrote:I just came back from Spain yesterday but with my Residence card.
[...]
Arrived in Heathrow, asked a lady if I could queue in the UK/EU passport. She said I can but I need to fill in the landing form. Got to the desk of a cranky looking man officer and first thing he asked me was 'Why are you in this queue?' Sorely tempted to say ' Because I can?' :p But I kept my mouth shut.
I just said I have Residence Card and this is my husband. He stamped my passport and let us go without further questions.

Hope this helps. Nice to get officers that know their work

Neither should they have asked you to fill in a landing card nor should they have stamped your passport. They obviously did not know (PDF) their work.

ribena wrote:He stamped my passport

Then he broke the rules.

[url=http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/borderforce/categoriesofpassenger/eeanationalandtheirfamil.pdf?view=Binary]Border Force Operations Manual, EEA Nationals & their family members (General Guidance)[/url], Section 5.2 wrote:Endorsing the passports of residence card holders - Regulation 11(3)

An immigration officer may not place a stamp in the passport of a person who holds
a residence card when he is admitted to the UK. Regulation 11(3) expressly
prohibits an immigration officer from endorsing the passport of a person who holds a
valid residence card or permanent residence card.

EDIT: Apologies 86ti, crossed posts with you again!

Yea I know I can tell them NOT to stamp my passport. But I don't mind because I like to 'collect' them and they remind me where we have been .(Which my husband keep reminding me to tell them NOT to stamp it). Like wise with the landing card. I don't have to fill one in when I was entering UK from France and Belgium. We came arrived quite late in Heathrow, my husband wasnt feeling well and I just couldnt be bothered to make a fuss abt the landing card.

But thanks again for telling me .

Merry Christmas all

Prawo wrote:You are allowed to travel without a visa.

They do not have a Residence Card. They have only the initial UK visa (EEA family permit). And it looks like they are not married, so it is more difficult (though not impossible) to do an entry with just passports and proof of reationship.