Same here ladies! I've not yet had the pleasure of trying to go to Greece with my Albanian husband, but I'm sure it wouldn't be easy! Our Albanian friend who is married to a German girl told us that when he recently went to Greece, he was detained by 15 Greek immigration officers who suggested that ...
A lot of EU spouses manage to get 12 month multiple entry schengan visas from the French / German embassies but I really think this is down to the nationality of the person applying MarieB, I don't think any embassy issue schengan visa for more than 3months and maximum of 6months validity for a EU ...
Upadate - my husband's cousin had a phonecall from the embassy last Tuesday, and was told to come to the embassy on the Friday. He was interviewed (again), and then told to come back at 1pm, when he was given his visa! Bit late for the New Year visit they were planning, but better than a poke in the...
As the spouses of EU citizens are SUPPOSED to have the same freedom of movement as the EU citizen they are married to, does the fee not create a barrier?
Dawie, would it be worth reporting them to the Ombudsman perhaps? I realise these are only secondhand versions of events, but as the Ombudsman can't investigate an individual case, perhaps that's a good thing? I just feel they shouldn't be allowed to get away with behaviour like this.
Good luck - I hope you get a positive decision quickly.
An awful lot seemed to change at that embassy when the new Ambassador took over last year, and not for the better.
A friend of mine got talking to an English girl who is married to an Albanian guy at Tirana airport recently, and my friend was told the following: The lady at the airport's Albanian husband had been refused a UK spouse visa twice, but was successful on the third attempt. She said he was told in his...
Yep, British embassy in Tirana will only accept original documents or certified copies now. The refusal rate there seems to have sky-rocketed since the appointment of the new Ambassador. We don't hold much hope of getting visitors visas for my in-laws anymore, and for all the money we'd have to spen...
Xhesika, I really feel for you. Try not to stress too much as it won't help your health problems. It's a good thing you're getting legal advice. Interesting that they should refuse you on the financial side. I know quite a few Albanians now who have been refused visas now because ECOs have decided t...
Xhesika, I'm sorry to hear that. I know how important these events are in Albanian society. I don't know what to say about the woman at the embassy either. Some people in embassies can be very rude. I hope you get your husband's visa sorted out very soon.
faleminderit shume clairey well we have been living and working in greece so we have savings in our joint bank account which are sufficient for us to live for a few months before work. but whether or not its possible for us to stay in my mums two bed house in uk(only her living there) i dont know,w...
Hi Xhesika - ç'kemi? I'm married to an Albanian too, and we applied for my husband's (then my fiance) visa in Tirana in 2004. I don't know what it's like at the British embassy in Athens, but yes, it can take some time for applications to be considered. When we submitted our documents, they didn't ...
Visa info services in Tirana are now dealt with by a company called World Bridge, https://www.visainfoservices.com/ who are part of the CSC company (we use them for IT support in our company, and they're shocking!). Taken from their website: You can get information about how to obtain a visa by call...
I know, it's ridiculous calling themselves customer services. "I'd like to return this visa please; it's the wrong size". My aunt used to work for the Foreign Office, and was posted in Sofia and Lagos. I explained everything to her, and she was horrified. In her day, they would have been out on thei...
Scorpiolady, I asked my MP on 5th October to investigate my husband's cousin's VV refusal from Tirana (refused on the basis of the ECO not believing he has a business over there, and doubting his intent to return, despite him having previously been to the UK), and last night when I got home from wor...
I doubt it I'm afraid. Is he from Albania or is he an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo? There wasn't a war in Albania in 1999, only "civil unrest". There was of course the conflict in Kosovo in 1999. Albania is a safe country, so he wouldn't stand much chance of claming asylum. If he is from Kosovo, that...
That's really awful. I'm so thankful my husband's case got through before all of these changes - we'd have fallen down on this and the fact that when we applied for his fiance visa I was living with my Mum and Dad. I really feel for the people affected by this.
Because I'm guessing the OP's husband will be applying from the UK.