EEA family permit or Tourist Visa to the UK?

[rigibigidancewithme]

Hello Guru's and Experts,

I am non-EU national (India) spouse of a Swiss national. We live in Switzerland and I have a Swiss spouse dependent residence permit here.

I would like to visit the UK & R.O. Ireland for holidays and I need to know if I have to apply a tourist visa to both these countries or can I simply travel with a Swiss residence permit ( spouse of a Swiss national)?

History (don't think its relevant but still): I was a UK resident on Tier 2 skilled workers visa between 2010 and 2014, I left the UK for good to join my OH in Switzerland.

As I was an ex-resident, I have made a lot of friends there and would want to visit them all year round I.e. long bank holidays etc., the only flip side being that the UK tourist visa costs approx.200 euros for 6 months and I am finding it to be expensive .

Is there any alternative way to reduce visa costs for my case? Is the EEA family permit an option at all? I read the below link that its free to apply but I don't know if my case is relevant or not to apply this.

It says its free to apply here,
https://www.gov.uk/family-permit/overview

I remember reading that one can use the UK short stay visa to enter R.O.Ireland in the below site

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/mo ... tml#l0aabc

Visa waiver and reciprocal visa arrangement

The Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme allows nationals of a number of Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries who have a short-term UK visa, to come to Ireland without the need for a separate Irish visa. The Programme will end on 31 October 2016.

Since 28 October 2014, under a new British Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS), visitors from China can travel freely within the Common Travel Area, (that is, Ireland and the UK, but not the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), using either an Irish or UK short-stay visa endorsed with 'BIVS'. Since 9 February 2015 the Scheme has been extended to visitors from India. The Scheme operates through a reciprocal visa arrangement, whereby Ireland and the UK recognise short-stay visas issued by the other for travel to their jurisdiction. The British Irish Visa Scheme will replace the Irish Visa Waiver Programme.


Your suggestions are much welcome.

[vinny]

Are you travelling with, or joining, spouse?

[rigibigidancewithme]

Are you travelling with, or joining, spouse?

Hi Vinny, thanks for your reply. I'm always travelling with Spouse. I have no intension to live in the UK, just want to visit the UK for tourism purpose.

[vinny]

EEA family permit for UK possible.