Hi, My wife lives in Spain with me. She has Spanish residency with a 5 year EEA Family residency card - all written in Spanish. We want to visit the UK for a holiday (4 weeks max) and reading the guidance it appears she can arrive in the UK and just show her residency card and they will stamp her passport with a holiday visa valid for 6 months. https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...as-the-holder-of-an-article-10-residence-card All good so far BUT will they accept a Spanish residency card which is all in Spanish? Do I need to get a court approved translator to provide an English transcript of the residency card? Maybe I'm paranoid but I'd rather check than have her refused at the UK airport. I assume someone on here has done this before and can advise. Thanks, Mike
Yes she can It is an Article 10 card and will say (in Spanish) its a family member card https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...as-the-holder-of-an-article-10-residence-card
Hi, Thanks for the reply. I know the card is good, my worry is that it's all in Spanish and will be rejected because nothing is in English - hence the question: should I get it translated? I doubt UK border can read Spanish, French, German, Slovakian, etc so how do they know it is a genuine EEA family residency card?
It's not quite so simple. Be sure to take your wedding certificate with you to prove the family link. From: This 2. What you are allowed to do with a residence card A valid, genuine Article 10 (or Article 20) residence card allows the non-EEA national family member of an EEA national to travel to the UK without the requirement to obtain an EEA family permit. However, in order to be admitted to the UK you will need to demonstrate that you have a right of admission under EU law. Without evidence that you have a right of admission, you will not be allowed to enter to the UK on the basis of your residence card. 3. Evidence you need to bring in addition to your residence card In order to be admitted to the UK, we would expect to see the following in addition to your valid residence card: your valid passport evidence that you are the family member of an EEA national (for example, your marriage certificate or birth certificate)
Yeah, bringing the marriage certificate - which, it says, must be in English or translated. I'm surprised they don't request that the residence card also be translated. Maybe they know Spanish but there are many more languages in Europe so how does border control handle a residence card that they can't read? Sounds like nobody has done this, or nobody has had a problem entering the UK with a EEA residence card - either way it would appear we will find out in August when we visit the UK. Thanks for the responses. Mike
The residence card is of a standard design, acceptable all over Europe and doesn't need to be translated. It must have Miembro Familiar de Cuidadano Comunitario written on the back - Family member of an EU citizen. It also will have YOUR NIE number, not your wife's. It would be a good idea if you had something, for example your own residence card which also has your NIE number on it, and proves the link between her card and your identity. Anyway, you're worrying a little too much about the UKBA. The big problem is convincing the check-in staff at the airport, who haven't had the level of training that Border Control officials have undergone. I would take the following: 1) Your passports 2) Your residence cards 3) Your wedding certificate. I presume you already have a translation into Spanish. 4) The relevant extract from 2004/38/EC in both Spanish and English. 5) **optional** FYI, the relevant law in Spanish is RD240/2007, just in case you come across a Spaniard who is more obtuse than the rest.
Hmm, On the back it says "ASPECTOS LABORALAS O MOTIVO DE CONCESION FAMILIAR CIUDADANO DE LA UNION OBSERVACIONES RESIDENTE" and then my NIE number Her NIE number is on the front. Perhaps "FAMILIAR CIUDADANO DE LA UNION" is the new wording they put on the back. She will travel with hand luggage only with a boarding pass on her mobile phone so we won't be approaching any check-in desks unless I discover it is a requirement for a non European to check-in. Dunno, never done this before. We will carry all the paperwork - she's used to doing that. Thanks, Mike
Thanks Chris. I appear to have got her in a holiday mood, lol, she's very excited to visit the UK. Changing the destination but still in holiday theme do you know what complications the Filipinos create should she visit the Philippines? She would travel with a return ticket originating from Spain. I think there's no problem getting to Manila and no problem when arriving back in Spain BUT I can see potential problems when trying to leave Manila. She was asked lots of questions by immigration on departing Manila when she came here and, of course, she had paperwork then that will no longer be valid: no Schengen visa being the biggest I can think of. She would, of course, show her EEA residency card and marriage certificate and should be fine to travel - I guess I am wondering what experience people have had and how much trouble Manila immigration like to create.
With her residence card, she is free to travel without a Schengen visa. I imagine she got the CFO sticker before she left in which case they have no reason to prevent her from leaving.
I don't think she got her CFO sticker. She attended the seminar and at the end was told to come back once she had her visa. She did return and was told they won't give her the sticker because she only has a 90 day tourist visa (for family reunion). I suppose she could go back and request the sticker again. I know the residence card entitles her to travel without a Schengen visa - I worry whether immigration at Manila also know that. I think, given the struggles we have all experienced getting our wives over here, I worry because I want to be sure it all goes well. No doubt I worry unnecessarily but I worry all the same.
We had the same issue Mikeno sticker wasnt a problem when she renewed her passport in the UK 3 years ago though name change as well
She wants to go and visit her family. While there she will go to CFO and get the sticker. Then we know we're ok - not going to worry about something when it's easy to get the sticker. Thanks for the comments guys.
