EU Spouse NL Schengen Visa - processing time

[angloafrican]

I am a British Citizen living with my wife and children in the UK. My non-EU spouse has ILR, UK BRP and Gambian passport. We have successfully travelled to Germany and Spain multiple times in the past. Our experience with the German embassy via VFS in London has been great. Visas were issued within a few days after submitting the correct application with relevant supporting documentation - passports, marriage certificate, travel tickets, BRP, previous Visas.

On this occasion we are due to travel to The Netherlands by car from the UK, for a holiday. We attended an appointment at VFS in London 15 days before we are due to depart - the earliest appointment available after finalising our plans. We got a last minute deal on family break.

Now it's almost two weeks since the appointment, and the application tracking website still indicates that the visa is being processed in The Netherlands, we are nervous that the visa won't arrive in time for our departure!

Apart from being rather frustrated, I'm also a little confused about exactly how long the visa processing is supposed to take. The instructions on the VFS website state that the minimum processing time is 2 weeks, yet article 23 of EC Regulation 810/2009 states it should normally be processed in less than 15 days! Then there is the slightly vague wording of 2004/58/EC Article 5 section 2, that talks of "visas shall be issued free of charge as soon as possible and on the basis of an accelerated procedure" in the case of EU Spouses, which my wife is.

1. Anyone have an idea, when we are likely to get my wife's passport back?
2. How long exactly *should* it take to issue the visa?
3. Is there anything we can do to speed up the process?
4. Was I daft to expect NL authorities to be as quick to process it as Germany?

Grateful for any advice. Many thanks.

[waqasars]

I am a British Citizen living with my wife and children in the UK. My non-EU spouse has ILR, UK BRP and Gambian passport. We have successfully travelled to Germany and Spain multiple times in the past. Our experience with the German embassy via VFS in London has been great. Visas were issued within a few days after submitting the correct application with relevant supporting documentation - passports, marriage certificate, travel tickets, BRP, previous Visas.

On this occasion we are due to travel to The Netherlands by car from the UK, for a holiday. We attended an appointment at VFS in London 15 days before we are due to depart - the earliest appointment available after finalising our plans. We got a last minute deal on family break.

Now it's almost two weeks since the appointment, and the application tracking website still indicates that the visa is being processed in The Netherlands, we are nervous that the visa won't arrive in time for our departure!

Apart from being rather frustrated, I'm also a little confused about exactly how long the visa processing is supposed to take. The instructions on the VFS website state that the minimum processing time is 2 weeks, yet article 23 of EC Regulation 810/2009 states it should normally be processed in less than 15 days! Then there is the slightly vague wording of 2004/58/EC Article 5 section 2, that talks of "visas shall be issued free of charge as soon as possible and on the basis of an accelerated procedure" in the case of EU Spouses, which my wife is.

1. Anyone have an idea, when we are likely to get my wife's passport back?
2. How long exactly *should* it take to issue the visa?
3. Is there anything we can do to speed up the process?
4. Was I daft to expect NL authorities to be as quick to process it as Germany?

Grateful for any advice. Many thanks.

1. Anyone have an idea, when we are likely to get my wife's passport back?
Normally it takes about 2 to 3 weeks.
2. How long exactly *should* it take to issue the visa?
It should be issued in in 2 weeks but embassy can take more time.
3. Is there anything we can do to speed up the process?
No you cannot do anything, You have to wait.

[Jiji1290]

Hi,
How long did it take you in the end to receive the visa?

Im in the same situation now and worried it wont come on time