samrn1 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 28, 2019 1:12 pm
Hi
I am British and my wife has 2.5 extended visa with BRP.
we had Schengen ones from Greece last year and we travel to Greece for 1 week.
traveling to London to apply for visa for each trip is painful
I heard we can apply for 3- or 5-years visa.
My Q:
Can we get type of visa so we can enter any Schengen country?
if so which country is best to apply from?
what doc we need provide to get 3- or 5-years visa.
do we need provide 3- or 5-years holiday plan such as booking flight / hotel which I think it's impossible?
any more info would help
appricated.
Hi,
It is really on consulate's discretion and sometimes depends on how many times you visit the Schengen area per year though there is no specific directive. As far as I know you should provide some cover letter alongside your visa application plus other documents like itinerary etc. It is not necessary to have a plan for the whole year. Your cover letter should specifically request a longer multi entry visa and give reasons for such request. You might have a vacation home in Schengen area, or relatives with residences in the Schengen area. Moreover based on the relevant circumstances you may get a 1 to 3 year visa. Steady job with good income, company ownership, property ownership, and having visited Schengen area more than once without overstaying can help a lot.
Normally (it is not a rule) you would get a three month visa if you had, previously, been given a one month visa. Then come 6 months and then 1 year to 3 years. For family members of EU/EEA citizens getting a 1 to 5 year multi entry visa is not very hard if you proper documentation.
Some consulates are known to be highly likely to issue longer visas (emphasis on "highly likely"). France, Spain and Greece are pretty much high on the likelihood of such long term visas. Just remember to request in writing and give some valid reasons or just be honest and say you are tired of asking for the same visa every year (at least 2 years in a row).
As per my own experience, I have a 5 year Schengen multi entry visa issued by a French consulate. I am non-EU family member.
