Travel with EU family card whithout spouse

[Yvouille]

Hello,
Did you know that if you hold a residence card as a family member of the Union, you can travel to ALL EU countries with or without your spouse? If you have a stamp4EU residence card, you can enter the Schengen area without a visa, as well as Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus with or without your spouse. If you have a family member EU residence card from a Schengen country, you can enter Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus with or without your spouse. The information is on the European Union website. They updated the rules at the end of 2023. I would like to know if anyone has recently tried this. Can we get some feedback?

[Vadrar]

Could you please post a link to the official information?

[Yvouille]

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/t ... e-card-yes

There is also the COMMUNICATION FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION C(2023) 8500 final to specify Directive 2004/38.

[Vadrar]

Very interesting, thank you. I haven’t heard of anyone using this yet, but I’m sure it will make things much easier for many that it applies to.

[Angel99]

Hello,
Did you know that if you hold a residence card as a family member of the Union, you can travel to ALL EU countries with or without your spouse? If you have a stamp4EU residence card, you can enter the Schengen area without a visa, as well as Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus with or without your spouse. If you have a family member EU residence card from a Schengen country, you can enter Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus with or without your spouse. The information is on the European Union website. They updated the rules at the end of 2023. I would like to know if anyone has recently tried this. Can we get some feedback?

Hi,

Yes you can travel to other EU countries/some Balkan countries with the EU residence card. Some people did it and had no problems in previous years, it depends on the country you are entrying though. Some entry points scan the card and waive you in even if you are alone (you are not fingerprinted if you hold a visa under EU freemovement directive or/residence card for EU family.

Others can ask you questions.

You should know the EU family must be allowed to enter if the EU spouse will join later.

I know someone who relocated from Germany with his EU spouse to UK, unregistered their address in Germany ,which invalidates any thing given by the government and still travelled with the voided card from UK to Germany alone with no problems.

He was informed his card is voided when he returned a year later with his EU spouse to register their address in Germany at the registration office.

[Angel99]

Now it's in force, EU family members with the residence card under the EU directive can travel alone.

Your non-EU family member does not need a visa if they have a residence card.

With this residence card (or permanent residence card) they can travel visa-free to all EU countries (including the country of your nationality) as well as to Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, also without being accompanied by you. This applies regardless of which EU country issued their residence card and the country they are visiting.

[Raftery93]

Hi all.

Does this only apply to holders of the "Stamp 4 - EUFam" residency card?

I am an Irish citizen and my wife is an Indian citizen. We are currently waiting for her citizenship application to get approved, but we plan to visit France this summer. Does she still need to apply for a visa or will her residency card (Stamp 4, NOT EUFam) suffice?

[Angel99]

Hi all.

Does this only apply to holders of the "Stamp 4 - EUFam" residency card?

I am an Irish citizen and my wife is an Indian citizen. We are currently waiting for her citizenship application to get approved, but we plan to visit France this summer. Does she still need to apply for a visa or will her residency card (Stamp 4, NOT EUFam) suffice?

Hi,

Unfortunately since Ireland has decided not to be part of the Schengen area in order to keep their CTA with UK, all residence permits including those issued to Irish relatives(Stamp 4), are only valid in Ireland.

Stamp 4EUFAM IRP is not a residence permit. It's a Residence card under the EU freemovement Directive to prove right of stay. Ireland just doesn't have a different card format for it like some EU countries.

Hope this help your understanding

[meself2]

Hi all.

Does this only apply to holders of the "Stamp 4 - EUFam" residency card?

I am an Irish citizen and my wife is an Indian citizen. We are currently waiting for her citizenship application to get approved, but we plan to visit France this summer. Does she still need to apply for a visa or will her residency card (Stamp 4, NOT EUFam) suffice?

Irish citizens in Ireland aren't covered under EU free movement directive, so relatives aren't given 4EUFam, just 4. Stamp 4 isn't sufficient.

She can still apply for a Schengen visa as a family member of EU citizen, though.

[AliWjx]

Hi,
I am holding Stamp 4EUFAM IRP, going to travel to the Netherlands myself at the end of this month. Based on the Netherlands Visa website, I don't need a visa to travel. But you mentioned that "Stamp 4EUFAM IRP is not a residence permit. It's a Residence card under the EU freemovement Directive to prove right of stay."
So, can a stamp4 EU fam IRP holder (non-EU) travel alone to the EU countries without a visa? Thanks a mil.

https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/vis ... a-required



Hi,

Unfortunately since Ireland has decided not to be part of the Schengen area in order to keep their CTA with UK, all residence permits including those issued to Irish relatives(Stamp 4), are only valid in Ireland.

Stamp 4EUFAM IRP is not a residence permit. It's a Residence card under the EU freemovement Directive to prove right of stay. Ireland just doesn't have a different card format for it like some EU countries.

Hope this help your understanding
[/quote]

[Angel99]

Hi,
I am holding Stamp 4EUFAM IRP, going to travel to the Netherlands myself at the end of this month. Based on the Netherlands Visa website, I don't need a visa to travel. But you mentioned that "Stamp 4EUFAM IRP is not a residence permit. It's a Residence card under the EU freemovement Directive to prove right of stay."
So, can a stamp4 EU fam IRP holder (non-EU) travel alone to the EU countries without a visa? Thanks a mil.

https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/vis ... a-required



Hi,

Unfortunately since Ireland has decided not to be part of the Schengen area in order to keep their CTA with UK, all residence permits including those issued to Irish relatives(Stamp 4), are only valid in Ireland.

Stamp 4EUFAM IRP is not a residence permit. It's a Residence card under the EU freemovement Directive to prove right of stay. Ireland just doesn't have a different card format for it like some EU countries.

Hope this help your understanding

Stamp 4EUFam is not a residence permit because the holder is entitled to have it. It's a derived right from an EU citizen.

Stamp 4 EUFAM is the only stamp which allows the holder to travel to all EU without a visa.

[AliWjx]

Thank you so much for your reply, so Stamp 4 EUFAM IRP holders can travel ALONE without their spouses to all EU without a visa, right?

[Angel99]

Thank you so much for your reply, so Stamp 4 EUFAM IRP holders can travel ALONE without their spouses to all EU without a visa, right?

Yes stamp 4EUFAM holder can travel to all EU without a visa unaccompanied.

[AliWjx]

Thank you so much for your reply, so Stamp 4 EUFAM IRP holders can travel ALONE without their spouses to all EU without a visa, right?

Yes stamp 4EUFAM holder can travel to all EU without a visa unaccompanied.

Thanks Angel, much appreciated.

[Bekir]

Hi,
I am holding Stamp 4EUFAM IRP, going to travel to the Netherlands myself at the end of this month. Based on the Netherlands Visa website, I don't need a visa to travel. But you mentioned that "Stamp 4EUFAM IRP is not a residence permit. It's a Residence card under the EU freemovement Directive to prove right of stay."
So, can a stamp4 EU fam IRP holder (non-EU) travel alone to the EU countries without a visa? Thanks a mil.

https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/vis ... a-required



Hi,

Unfortunately since Ireland has decided not to be part of the Schengen area in order to keep their CTA with UK, all residence permits including those issued to Irish relatives(Stamp 4), are only valid in Ireland.

Stamp 4EUFAM IRP is not a residence permit. It's a Residence card under the EU freemovement Directive to prove right of stay. Ireland just doesn't have a different card format for it like some EU countries.

Hope this help your understanding

Stamp 4EUFam is not a residence permit because the holder is entitled to have it. It's a derived right from an EU citizen.

Stamp 4 EUFAM is the only stamp which allows the holder to travel to all EU without a visa.

Hi Angel,

I am in the same situation as you and I would like to visit the Netherlands without a visa with my EUFAM Stamp 4 IRP residence card. Could you visit without a visa and without an EU spouse? Thank you very much.

Thank you.

[Angel99]

Hi @Bekir

Holders of Stamp 4EUFam can travel without a visa to all EU countries and unaccompanied by the EU family.

Except Switzerland (Residence cards for EU family members issued by Ireland and Cyprus are not valid there).