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UK via EU

Discussion in 'Europe Wide Visa Discussions' started by DavidAlma, Apr 19, 2017.

  1. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    Probably but you'd need to check. You may find it more difficult to be self-employed there.
  2. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member

    No - I got the visa type wrong - as Markam said it's the type 4 family reunification one that you need - And as I remember your problem was the Spanish Embassy in Manila wanted a UK version of your Filipino marriage certificate... no longer available - so bit of a problem :)

    In relation to Spain and SSR for me, apart from the above, not a good option for me - but I actually found this site (again) which may have been useful to you or others having problems with EU rights etc:

    http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/eu-rights-clinic/about-us/
  3. CampelloChris
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    CampelloChris Well-Known Member

    I wrote to them asking for assistance but they never replied. :(

    I would follow @Markham and go to Malta. It's quite pricey though compared to my part of Spain, certainly property rental prices. Being an island as well, I suspect that groceries might also be expensive.

    You must also consider that my problems stem from the Spanish incompetence (Nobody expects the Spanish Incompetence!!) in Manila, which appears to make it up as it goes along because it's easier than actually studying and learning the law. Once Melody arrived, we met with nothing but friendliness and helpfulness. You might find that the same friendly attitude extends to the Dubai Consulate/Embassy. You can ask. It costs nothing. emb.abudhabi@maec.es - They even speak English!


    • ADDRESS
    • Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

      Al Saman Towers, 8th floor
      Hamdam Street corner with Lulu Street
      P.O. Box 46474
      Abu Dhabi
      United Arab Emirates
    • TELEPHONE
    • (+971) 2 407 90 00
    • FAX
    • (+971) 2 627 49 78
    • EMAIL
    • emb.abudhabi@maec.es
    • WEBSITE
    • www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/abudhabi
    • OFFICE HOURS
    • Mon-Thu: 09.00-13.00
    • HEAD OF MISSION
    • Mr José Eugenio Salarich Fernández Valderrama, Ambassador
    • Informative Informative x 1
  4. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    Thank you, Chris, I'd like to pick-up on a couple of points you made. Firstly property rentals: this depends entirely on (a) whether you must live on the main island (Malta) or not and (b) whether you live on the coast or inland. In terms of cheapest to most expensive:
    1. Malta inland, especially around Luqa
    2. St Pauls Bay area (Malta)
    3. Inland Gozo excluding Victoria
    4. South coast (Malta)
    5. Victoria (Gozo)
    6. Coastal Gozo
    7. Coastal Malta except Sliema/St Julians/Gzira/Valletta
    8. Sliema/St Julians/Gzira/Valletta
    A 3 bed apartment in Sliema can be as much as €2,500 per month whilst a 3 bed house with swimming pool in Kercem (a suburb of Victoria, Gozo) goes for around €700 whilst a 3 bed flat in central Victoria costs €300-400.

    Gozo is much greener than Malta and almost always has a cooling breeze. Last summer temperatures were often higher than in the Philippines! But it is considerably less humid.

    Food prices are not at all horrible. Fresh fruit and veg are cheap and plentiful - I bought a generous sized punnet of Gozo strawberries the other day for €0.90 and they were better than any I've had in the UK including from Herefordshire. A bunch of bananas typically costs a Euro and new potatoes (similar to Jersey Royals or Pembrokeshire Earlies) are available year round; older spuds are imported from Italy. Miracle Foods is Malta's equivalent of Iceland whilst some of Iceland's products are stocked by Tower Supermarkets. Arkadia stores on both islands stock a range of Waitrose products and M&S carry a very limited range including, rather surprisingly, its sandwiches. And there are a few Lidl supermarkets as well as small local independent stores. Fresh fish is in abundance, inexpensive and all locally caught. Fresh milk is around 60 cents or €2.50-3.50 if you want French long-life.

    Electricity prices are on a par with those in the Philippines: quite expensive.

    Internet is excellent here with most areas on Fibre (except for Gozo but they tell me they will start installing the infrastructure later this year). I pay €30 a month which gives me cable TV, landline (free local calls), and 30 megabit downstream, 3 megabit upstream uncapped internet; and I can actually achieve those speeds - or marginally better - almost all of the time.
    • Informative Informative x 2
  5. DavidAlma
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    DavidAlma Well-Known Member

    I made initial check on the VFS site for visa for Portugal. The types of vis available are Tourist, Business or Student. No mention of a Schengen Type 4 Visa, otherwise known as Family Reunification Visa. I have emailed them asking about such a visa.
  6. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    It would appear that you can not apply for a Type 3 (Family Visit) or Type 4 (Family Reunification) Schengen Visa for Portugal in the UAE (VFS) or from the Portuguese Embassy in Manila. Indeed according to a more general web site dealing with Portuguese visas, it would seem that Portugal only issues such Visas to spouses of Portuguese citizens and not to spouses of EEA citizens such as yourself.

    It therefore seems you have the following options:
    1. Forget Portugal and its cracking golf courses and choose another country in the Schengen Area. Or:
    2. Get a Type 4 Visa for a Schengen country such as Holland or Malta and enter the Schengen Area at either Amsterdam or Malta. Clear Customs and stay a night or two in a local hotel before continuing your journey to Portugal. The Portuguese may or may not permit your wife to stay beyond three months (entirely possible since they don't appear to issue Type 3 or Type 4 visas to spouses of non-Portuguese nationals). Or, finally:
    3. Get a Type 4 Visa for a Schengen country such as Holland or Malta and enter the Schengen Area at either Amsterdam or Malta. Apply for Residency within three months of arrival and once obtained, move to Portugal but, again, there may be risks involved as above.
    The foregoing is based on my rather limited research. However there is a member here by the name @KeithAngel who, some four years ago, did take his Filipino wife to Portugal to start their journey on the SS route. I think they had to get the visa from Jakarta.

    He rarely posts here these days but may respond to a PM.
  7. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member

  8. Markham
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    Markham Guest

  9. CampelloChris
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    CampelloChris Well-Known Member

    You were able to deposit your wedding certificate, nothing more. It did not appear on a register. This is what used to be the case:

    You cannot register your wedding abroad at a registry office but you can apply to have an original or a certified copy of your marriage documents sent from the consul of the district where your wedding took place to the General Register Office.

    Note: if your marriage certificate needs to be translated, translations must also be sent along with your certificate.

    In order to do this, one of you must be a British Citizen and the original document cannot be released after it has been deposited.

    Once your documents have been deposited with the General Register Office they can issue you with certified copies of your marriage certificate which will save you from having to contact the overseas authority each time you require a copy.

    This is the service which has been discontinued. Happy to clear up any confusion you might be feeling.

    And no, I'm not an estate agent.

    [​IMG]
  10. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member

    Yes that is what used to be available - as you don't quote a source, I will (obviously out of date):

    http://www.british-consulate.org/marriage-abroad.html

    You can’t register a marriage which occurred overseas at a register office in the UK. You can however apply to have your marriage documents from that country certified and sent then only deposited with the General Register Office (GRO) in the UK. You can then get copies of your marriage or civil partnership record more easily.

    As I think I mentioned to you before: when I was married in 2012 the consulate offered me that service. Had I taken it up presumably I would have then been able to furnish anyone and everyone with a copy of my marriage certificate from the UK GRO.
  11. DavidAlma
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    DavidAlma Well-Known Member

    Yes Portugal does seem to be more problematic than some other EU countries. I only thought of Portugal as I have a few friends there, but it doesn't seem worth the extra difficulties. I will concentrate on Malta. Had a holiday there many years ago. Stayed in Sliema. Very nice it was too, very friendly people. Did visit Gozo, I recall the tour operator pointing out the door keys of the houses hanging by the front doors, a sign of how secure it was there, but that was many years ago........
  12. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    Great stuff! Might I suggest you review this thread I wrote last year about applying for Visas for Malta, it will tell you all you need to know.

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