Schengen Visa Question - Non-EU Spouse

[benthejawa]

Hello,

We're moving to America and are going to be living there on a J1 visa. I'm just in the process of booking flights and the cheapest routes take us via Iceland.

My wife is South African with ILR in the UK. I am British.

Does she need a Schengen Visa? It's a 22hr layover so I ideally it'd be great to check out the city. If we were just to stay in the airport would she still require a transit visa?

She's had multiple schengen visas over the years. So fingerprints have been taken a few times.

Denmark deal with Iceland's visas, and the embassy push you to VFS. Can I go to Manchester rather than London, or are you still required to go to the actually embassy, even when using VFS?

Thanks in advance!

[Caravel88]

To enter Iceland, your spouse would need a visa.
To transit through Iceland, your spouse does not need a visa.
Have her ILR with you and make sure it is valid at least 3 months from the planned trip.

You (your wife) can apply for a Schengen visa at any VFS location OR at any one of the embassies in charge of issuing visas for Iceland under the EU directive 2004/38 free of charge as the spouse of an EU national (you).

Hello,

We're moving to America and are going to be living there on a J1 visa. I'm just in the process of booking flights and the cheapest routes take us via Iceland.

My wife is South African with ILR in the UK. I am British.

Does she need a Schengen Visa? It's a 22hr layover so I ideally it'd be great to check out the city. If we were just to stay in the airport would she still require a transit visa?

She's had multiple schengen visas over the years. So fingerprints have been taken a few times.

Denmark deal with Iceland's visas, and the embassy push you to VFS. Can I go to Manchester rather than London, or are you still required to go to the actually embassy, even when using VFS?

Thanks in advance!

[Casa]

A passport with a 6 month validity is required for transiting in Reykjavik.

As reykjavik doesn't have an International Transit procedure, you will have to pass through Immigration Control and customs due to the extended period of the stop-over, and will therefore enter the Schengen zone. Your wife will require a Schengen visa.

[benthejawa]

Thank you so much, do you know if this rule applies to us:

Every visa applicant, including children/infants, has to come and submit his/her visa application in the visa application centre by appointment only.

Visa applicants applying for other short stay visas (Business or EEA/EU national family member category) or any other long stay visa (see Residence and Work permits) can use walk-in service (see Addresses here), i.e. no prior appointment is required, from Monday till Friday between 08.30 and 12.00 noon, except on Public Holidays/Closures.

[Caravel88]

You will be applying as EEA/EU national family member.
Therefore, yes.

You can also get in touch with the embassy and directly make your application there, avoiding 3rd parties & fees.

Thank you so much, do you know if this rule applies to us:

Every visa applicant, including children/infants, has to come and submit his/her visa application in the visa application centre by appointment only.

Visa applicants applying for other short stay visas (Business or EEA/EU national family member category) or any other long stay visa (see Residence and Work permits) can use walk-in service (see Addresses here), i.e. no prior appointment is required, from Monday till Friday between 08.30 and 12.00 noon, except on Public Holidays/Closures.