hi guys, I just migrated last January in UK, been through tough visa application lol but finally I am here already hehe! I just have a quick question my husband and I would be sailing in Greece this coming September , so I need schengen visa? And do I really need an apostille marriage certificate from Philippines?? Because that is a big hassle! Like another painful visa! I would appreciate any response xx
If you are travelling to a Schengen country then you will need a Schengen Visa. I am not sure what an apostle marriage certificate is but we (my wife) have never had one and never needed one and we successfully applied for two Schengen visas, one in 2014 and one in 2013. If your married name is in your passport you wont even need to take your marriage certificate. The Schengen visa should be free. Just the cost of getting to the respective embassy or consulate.
It was a matter of 4 or 5 days in both cases. You have to give them a stamped addressed registered envelope and they post it to you.
I doubt you would need a Apostille marriage certificate, if your marriage certificate was accepted by the UKVI then it should be accepted anywhere. I have not heard anyone here at British Filipino having to have their marriage certificate certified, your original marriage certificate is as official as it gets
If a country you are applying to visit does require a Apostille certificate then there are plenty of places you could get it done; http://www.apostille.org.uk/marriage-certificate
i know it's just weird to put apostille marriage certificate on the greece website!. why does visas are stressful ??
I sympathise with you TheChops, expect obstacles like this until you secure your British passport, this is the very reason that puts me off travelling to Europe with my wife.
Oh my! Me and the rest of my husband family members are going to sail to the islands majority around Greece x I didn't know the visa is another hassle when will filipina have hassle free eu holidays !
If its any consolation Greece is a lovely place and will be worth the extra hassle of obtaining the visa
As you will see from my message, I haven't even got to the start of my partner applying either for a fiance visa or a spouse visa. Not sure which is better in terms of successful outcome. As you will see from my message, I have still to get through the process of my divorce. Could I ask you a few questions about your own experience with the visa application? How long did the whole process take? Were you successful the first time? Was it a costly business? I mean - thinking in terms of about £5,000 to £10,000? Thanks in advance. Bill.
You have come to the right place! It is becoming more expensive all the time. I recall a couple of the chaps have costed it up. But the important thing is that it is still very do-able. On the pros and cons of Spouse and Fiance visas it is just a matter of what suits the individual couple. Perhaps as you are already in the Philippines then a Philippine wedding would be a winner for you. After that it will be easier in terms of outlay and in terms of number of applications to go for the Spouse visa. In terms of which is more likely to be awarded, I am not sure you can squeeze a fag paper between them. The visa processing time can be anything up to 3 months. But gathering everything together to make the application can also take a couple of months. Have you looked at the financial prerequisite for a successful application?
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my query. As it so happens, I am going to the Dumaguete office of Enhance Visa for an initial consultation tomorrow. I discussed things on the phone with a lady called Lindsey, who told me that we could start the process of applying for a tourist visa for my partner and then when my divorce was through the application could be converted to a fiance visa, although I am thinking that if we could get married in Manila, we could apply for a spouse visa. Thanks again.
Thank you very much for your welcome. Looking forward to making progress towards our goal. By the way, I'm sure you can say the same, but I honestly believe that my partner is one in a million!!
Ok, and I suppose it saves expense as well. I'm not good at filling in forms at the best of times, but this looks like a maze to get through. Did you find it hard? I realize that we have to be careful not to make a single mistake, otherwise it is back to square one again. Anyway, we have to wait until my divorce comes through, so we have a bit of time. Thanks again for your encouragement.
