How many appointments for a Schengen-Visa?

[ca.funke]

Hi all,

when applying for any Schengen Visa, how many appointments do you have to attend?

Reason for asking: When applying for a Schengen-Visa with the French Embassy in Beirut/Lebanon, it seems obligatory to attend two separate appointments:

• One with "TLScontact", a private contractor collecting the applicants paperwork, AND
• on the next business day with the French Embassy, which collects applicants biometric data

Attention, following an update of the Consulate General of France in Beirut computer systems, all visa applications submitted to TLScontact center must be followed, the next working day after, by an appointment at the French Consulate for the capture of biometric data. In case of missing this appointment at the Consulate General of France in Beirut, applicants will have to make a new registration with TLScontact.

Problem with this procedure: it is plainly illegal (unless a personal interview is required).

Without prejudice to the right to call the applicant for a personal interview, as provided for in Article 21(8), the selection of a form of organisation shall not lead to the applicant being required to appear in person at more than one location in order to lodge an application.

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Good spot!

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

Good spot indeed, not being affected by this, I won't be making a complaint of course.

I did briefly consider applying for a shengen visa when I was abroad with my spouse, but gave up once I reaslised that hoops had to jumped. It would be simply easier to apply for residence card and become except.

[ca.funke]

Reply from Commission:

...I am pleased to inform you that the complaint you sent to the Commission has been registered under reference number CHAP(2011)03488...

As expected, no reply from the French Ministry of Foreign affairs.

Should something develop from this, I´ll post here.

[ca.funke]

New reply from the Commission (received February 17th 2012):

...The Commission services are of the view that even if the "personal appearance" is not required when lodging the application at the TLScontact centre, the practice applied by the Consulate General of France in Beirut does not comply with the provisions of the Visa Code, Article 40 (4)...

No word as to what they plan to do about it, or what will happen next... I´m tempted to ask exactly that, but then again this won´t change anything, as usual...

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

New reply from the Commission (received February 17th 2012):

...The Commission services are of the view that even if the "personal appearance" is not required when lodging the application at the TLScontact centre, the practice applied by the Consulate General of France in Beirut does not comply with the provisions of the Visa Code, Article 40 (4)...

No word as to what they plan to do about it, or what will happen next... I´m tempted to ask exactly that, but then again this won´t change anything, as usual...

I admire your complaint and follow up. No complaint, no change.

[ca.funke]

Having complained on 21 November 2011, I received an admittedly unexpected reply today (23 July 2013):

>>pdf<<

Rgds, Christian

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

Interesting!

[ukforever]

well,i can confirm that at the agency tlscontacts in algeria(north africa) u don't need to come 2 times,the same day u deposit your application,the same day they take the biometrics,then they will transfer the whole thing to the consulate and if u don't want to attend the appointment at the agency,u could send an email to tlscontacts just to let them know u wish to lodge an application directly at the consulate,then they will contact u to let u know when and what time to go deposit the visa application.