Need Advice about Schengen Visa

Hi. I'd greatly appreciate some assistance. My Thai BF is trying for a visa to Belgium where I plan to meet him (from the States) for a 10 day holiday. Why Belgium? We know a Belgian who has agreed to sponsor him. The plan is for us both to to fly into Brussels and spend a few days in Belgium; then we want to head off to say France and the Netherlands. Or maybe the Czech Republic. Are there any restrictions on traveling about on the Schengen visa? If he flies out of Amsterdam or Paris or Prague to return to Thailand, will that be a problem? Also, is a visa to Belgium difficult to obtain? Thanks for any advice/assistance. Thanks!

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Are there any restrictions on traveling about on the Schengen visa?

No, but the Czech Republic is not a Schengen country.

Also, you are required to apply from the visa from the country where you are spending the most time. You might have hassles, for example, if you get the visa from the Greek embassy, then try to fly into Paris without onward bookings to Greece.

Otherwise, there are no passport controls between and among Schengen states.

If he flies out of Amsterdam or Paris or Prague to return to Thailand, will that be a problem?

No. (Except, as noted, a separate visa would be needed for Prague as it is not part of the Schengen group).

Also, is a visa to Belgium difficult to obtain?

Shouldn't be, as long as you have all your ducks in line.

... Why Belgium? We know a Belgian who has agreed to sponsor him....

First time I've heard it called that :blackeye:

[globalwanderer]

Are there any restrictions on traveling about on the Schengen visa?

No, but the Czech Republic is not a Schengen country.

Also, you are required to apply from the visa from the country where you are spending the most time. You might have hassles, for example, if you get the visa from the Greek embassy, then try to fly into Paris without onward bookings to Greece.

Otherwise, there are no passport controls between and among Schengen states.

If he flies out of Amsterdam or Paris or Prague to return to Thailand, will that be a problem?

No. (Except, as noted, a separate visa would be needed for Prague as it is not part of the Schengen group).

Also, is a visa to Belgium difficult to obtain?

Shouldn't be, as long as you have all your ducks in line.

not quite true... the following countries implemented Schengen January 2008

Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta and Slovenia have joined Schengen Space on last December, allowing them to stop border controls.

[lo-so]

the schengen visa needs to be issued from the country of entry - so correctly Belgium.

Useful reading:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement

2. http://www.schengenvisa.cc/

3. One thing many travelers may not know about the Schengen visa application process, however, is that you must provide proof of health insurance to obtain it. As a result, a market for Schengen visa insurance has been born. The insurance (a sound idea even if it were not required) is designed to pay expenses that might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention, and/or emergency hospital treatment. Since June of 2004, travelers who are subject to the visa requirement to stay or transit in one or several Schengen countries must demonstrate, in support of their visa application, that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel insurance. In other words, without travel insurance, the visa will not be issued. http://www.insure.com/articles/travelin ... -visa.html

[thanatorn-old]

Not sure if this is valid as it was with a friend of mine a couple of years ago, but plan your trip well as if you are at any point moving out of a schengen area, then you may need to get a multiple entry visa as opposed to single entry ( i think most / all schengen visas are automatically single entry).

Otherwise as long as you have proof of onward travel or hotel bookings etc you should have no problem at airports in the schengen area - obviously road travel does not require this.

[sjaak327]

There is NO need to get the Schengen visa for the country you are arriving in. For instance, you could apply at the Dutch embassy, but fly into Germany, no problem whatsoever.

You do have to apply for a schengen visa of the main destination (or in other words, the country you will be staying in the longest), but there is no way really to enforce this. And they don't enforce it. Of course when you have a Belgian willing to act as his sponsor, then you will need to get a schengen visa at the Belgian embassy, otherwise his sponsorship is useless. In that case, he would have to show his income as opposed to the sponsor. The sponsor will need to provide proof of income, usually the last three salary slips.

Indeed a travel insurance is needed (and a ticket out), in Thailand easily obtained for a mere 2800 baht, which will have enough coverage. I get mine at AIG, they are located at Siam tower, and they cover a 90 days stay (which happens to be the maximum on a Schengen visa), this insurance is valid for a year, so usually when my bf comes to the Netherlands, we only have to purchase this insurance once, and have two trips covered. Only purchase the ticket and insurance, after you have been awarded the visa. For the ticket, you could make a booking and you need to show this to the embassy, the insurance has to be shown, when you collect the passport, with the Schengen visa already stamped.

There is NO need to get the Schengen visa for the country you are arriving in. For instance, you could apply at the Dutch embassy, but fly into Germany, no problem whatsoever.

You do have to apply for a schengen visa of the main destination (or in other words, the country you will be staying in the longest), but there is no way really to enforce this. And they don't enforce it.

It could cause you a major delay, though. My bf once flew into Paris, with a visa issued by the Greek embassy (Greece was the next destination). He got pulled aside and questioned in the back for a long time, and they gave him a hard time. So just be aware of that possibility.

[sjaak327]

My Lao BF came to the Netherlands four times, and was once put aside (into an immigration office), the most important thing to make sure is that you have all the paperwork, that you have submitted to the embassy on you. (sponsorship letter, invitation letter, salary slips of the sponsor, copy passport of the sponsor). This way IF they ask questions, you have all the documents that you have submitted for the visa application.