Netherlands (Schengen) Visa

[Bluebirdjones]

A word of warning.

The Netherlands Embassy now use the "services" of VFS, and altho' you don't have to pay for the visa, you must pay VFS £24 for their "administrative services".

Additionally, you have to apply in person, and as of today, the first appointment available is for 15 August .... and please make your application well in advance (3 weeks MINIMUM, no more than 90 days before travel) because the procedure takes a minimum 15 working days (3 weeks)

... that equates to Sept 5th as your earliest travel date.

What a joke.

[Arthur Little]

A word of warning.

The Netherlands Embassy now use the "services" of VFS, and altho' you don't have to pay for the visa, you must pay VFS £24 for their "administrative services".

Additionally, you have to apply in person, and as of today, the first appointment available is for 15 August .... and please make your application well in advance (3 weeks MINIMUM, no more than 90 days before travel) because the procedure takes a minimum 15 working days (3 weeks)

... that equates to Sept 5th as your earliest travel date.

What a joke.

Yes, Marc ... it seems that more and more of the Schengen countries are employing the services of VFS. I think I'm correct in saying that Spain is one of them ... given its popularity with those British holidaymakers who have non-European partners. Luckily [for us!] the long "claws" of VFS hadn't stretched to the French and/or Italian Embassies at the times we made our respective applications.

[Terpe]

This is not only an absolute disgrace, it is also breaking EU law, and should not be accepted.

According to the Schengen Visa Handbook, any Embassy that tries to trick people into paying an agency for a COMPULSORILY FREE schengen visa for the spouse of an EU citizen is technically breaking EU law, if that spouse is travelling with an EU citizen.


Page 92 of the Schengen Visa Handbook
(From part III which covers family members of EEA nationals.)

3.2. Service fee in case of outsourcing of the collection of applications

As family members should not pay any fee when submitting the application, they cannot be obliged to obtain an appointment via a premium call line or via an external provider whose services are charged to the applicant. Family members must be allowed to lodge their application directly at the consulate without any costs. However, if family members decide not to make use of their right to lodge their application directly at the consulate but to use the extra services, they should pay for these services.

If an appointment system is nevertheless in place, separate call lines (at ordinary local tariff) to the consulate should be put at the disposal of family members respecting comparable standards to those of "premium lines", i.e. the availability of such lines should be of standards comparable to those in place for other categories of applicants and an appointment must be allocated without delay.


Page 91 of the Schengen Visa Handbook
3.4. Processing time
The visas must be issued as soon as possible and on the basis of an accelerated procedure and the procedures put in place by Member States (with or without outsourcing) must allow to distinguish between the rights of a third country national who is a family member of an EU citizen and other third country nationals. The former must be treated more favourably than the latter.


It is possible that Embassies/Consulates either don't follow this or don't follow it correctly.
That case needs to be taken up directly with the embassy and/or ambassador by recorded delivery with a threat to sue for recovery of the fee if you have to pay it.

Worth a letter anyway.

[Bluebirdjones]

Yeah, this has got me riled up….. and thanks for the info “Terpe”…. And I’ve used it (if that’s ok)….

Firstly, I shot off this to the Netherlands Embassy (cc’d to VFS)
Sirs,
I appreciate that in this day and age of automated services, and the need for economies of scale, that there is a need to out-source services, but the service provided by VFS (as your visa "controller") is abysmal.
I have been trying (without success) to book a visa appointment via the VFS website since early this morning. The system will allow me to book a "business" visa appointment, but not a "tourist" appointment.
After numerous attempts I called the VFS contact number provided.
The VFS employee could tell me nothing, apart from "it's maintenance issues, and it will be restored soon". He also told me he was not in a position to confirm an appointment for me over the phone.
This is a feeble excuse..... the site problems are not a maintenance issue, and who would upgrade their IT system during a working day ?
Companies do this at night, or on a weekend.
A very, very, unhappy tourist.….

And I got a reply from a John Morley, (Manager/Operations, Joint VAC):
Dear Marc,
our apologies, it seems that our initial alloocation of appointments had become exhausted.
We have now opened up more appointments for tourism, therefore you should now be able to book your appointment.
Our apologies for any inconvenience caused,
Regards….


Now, armed with Terpe’s invaluable info, I’ve hopefully moved the stakes a little higher :
(to John Morley, cc’d Visa section Dutch Embassy, cc’d Pim Waldeck, Dutch Ambassador)
John,

I thank you for your reply, and can now confirm that the “window” to book an appointment for the Tourist visa is now open.

However, the first available slot is on 15th August… some three weeks hence. And with the processing times being quoted (by the Netherlands Embassy), this means that the visa (and travel arrangements ) will be valid some time after the 5th September !

Although I am British (born & bred), my wife is Filipina, in receipt of “Further Leave to Remain” and obviously needs a visa to travel to the Netherlands.

According to the Schengen Visa Handbook (Page 91 of the Schengen Visa Handbook, From part III which covers family members of EEA nationals.)

3.4. Processing time
The visas must be issued as soon as possible and on the basis of an accelerated procedure and the procedures put in place by Member States (with or without outsourcing) must allow to distinguish between the rights of a third country national who is a family member of an EU citizen and other third country nationals. The former must be treated more favourably than the latter.

I note that you do not have this policy in place. There is nowhere on your website where “family member of an EU citizen” can be entered BEFORE proceeding to the next available appointment page.

Is this a joint decision by yourselves and the Embassy of the Netherlands, or just an internal (VFS) decision on how VFS runs the website and appointments service ?

From the Schengen Handbook, you and/or the Netherlands Embassy appear to be contravening EU law, or at the very least, not complying with best practice.

Your comments on this would be gratefully received.


I await their replies … then I’ll also press about the fees that they charge.

[Dedworth]

cc it to the following trough feeders :-

your MP, Euro MP, William Hague, EU President Herman van Rompuy

[Arthur Little]

... GRATEFUL THANKS TO BOTH GENTLEMEN ...

[Terpe]

Great work BBJ

Don't forget to press them on TRICKING people into making payments to agents.

If you don't get satisfaction from the Embassy or the Ambassador, and if time is not too pressing them you can follow up any complaint of this nature with Solvit:-

http://ec.europa.eu/solvit

[joebloggs]

here's where to complain

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/solvit/...rm&language=en


what we need is more euro mp's like farage



and the classic one, always makes me





death of democracy

[Terpe]

I enjoyed those vids joe.

[joebloggs]

I enjoyed those vids joe.

we need a PM with and keep British sovereignty away from this unelected lot

where is our vote what kind of democracy is this, who rule our life

British jobs for British workers

[Bluebirdjones]

SUCCESS ….. I think

Just after 9.00am this morning I got a call from an official at the Netherlands Embassy, who was “calling on behalf of the Ambassador”…… “totally unacceptable the wait”….”we do understand that spouses of EU citizens do have priority” etc etc

…. and my wife has an appointment at the visa section of the Embassy at 8.30am on Monday morning, or Tuesday, or Wednesday…… in fact “whatever is more convenient for her” !

Oh, the power of email !

[Dedworth]

Well done - just shows what you can achieve by not accepting sloppiness and refusing to lie down and be trampled over

[Terpe]

SUCCESS ….. I think

Just after 9.00am this morning I got a call from an official at the Netherlands Embassy, who was “calling on behalf of the Ambassador”…… “totally unacceptable the wait”….”we do understand that spouses of EU citizens do have priority” etc etc

…. and my wife has an appointment at the visa section of the Embassy at 8.30am on Monday morning, or Tuesday, or Wednesday…… in fact “whatever is more convenient for her” !

Oh, the power of email !

Good job

[Arthur Little]

I enjoyed those vids joe.

... inspiring speeches!!! Why, then, aren't we any further forward?

[Arthur Little]

SUCCESS ….. I think

Just after 9.00am this morning I got a call from an official at the Netherlands Embassy, who was “calling on behalf of the Ambassador”…… “totally unacceptable the wait”….”we do understand that spouses of EU citizens do have priority” etc etc

…. and my wife has an appointment at the visa section of the Embassy at 8.30am on Monday morning, or Tuesday, or Wednesday…… in fact “whatever is more convenient for her” !

Oh, the power of email !

Seems like you've "got somewhere", Marc ... more power to your elbow!

[joebloggs]

... inspiring speeches!!! Why, then, aren't we any further forward?

well done bluebirdjones
yes inspiring and most of what he says is true thou , everyone knows the name of the president of the USA, i bet most people wouldn't know who is the president of the EU

[Arthur Little]

i bet most people wouldn't know who is the president of the EU

... I didn't ...

... until yesterday!

[Arthur Little]

... I didn't ...

... until yesterday!

... and that's from someone who's presided at nearly all of the local MEP Elections!

[johncar54]

IRELAND

I was recently told, when I called the Irish visa section in Spain, that a law was passed in Ireland (in April? ) permitting non EU residents of the EU to travel to Ireland without the need for a visa (just a valid residencia and a passport) However, the consulate was still advising a visa as the airlines were being slow to accept the new law.

Visas to Ireland are free to family members of EU citizens.

[Bluebirdjones]

*** Update ***

We turned up at the VFS centre (near Soho Square) at a leisurely 11.00am, and after showing the security guard the email, he issued us with a number, #183

The centre was mobbed, maybe 150 people, but it quickly became apparent why, as they administer the process for 6+ countries.

Christ, we'll be here all day I thought, but then realised it was compartmentalised, and #178 was being dealt with by the "Netherlands desk", so 15 minutes later, we present our paperwork, and told to await a txt confirmation "but it might take 15 working days".

It cost us £25.20, so I'll take that up with the Dutch Embassy AFTER we get the visa..... because nowhere on their website do they offer you the option to actually go along to the Embassy to apply for a visa.

Anyway, hopefully we're sorted.

[scott&ligaya]

Did you need all the pre booked travel/hotel/insurance crap or just your marriage cert and passports?

[Bluebirdjones]

Just the original (& copy) of the marriage certificate, and both passports (copies of my relevant pages).

No need to provide them with travel plans/tickets, nor insurance.

[scott&ligaya]

cool will book an appointment soon, thanks

[Arthur Little]

No need to provide them with travel plans/tickets, nor insurance.

There IS with the Italian Embassy (in Edinburgh, at any rate!) ... but at least the visa's FREE - apart from the cost of providing a SAE for returning the non-EU applicant's passport AND *supporting documents - which definitely *ARE a prerequisite. Travel Insurance is left to the applicant(s) to arrange ... but - as is always the case when travelling outwith the UK - makes sense!

[scott&ligaya]

just manged to book an appintment with French Visa centre TLS for 5th of August (2nd- 4th was available but I am working(. Their booking system worked out that we just need the passports and marriage certifcate.. insurance oprional but not needed for application.

[Arthur Little]

That's in accordance with my reply to your PM, Scott ... supporting documents aren't needed by the French Embassy, as I said. But the Italians insisted on them.