Non-EU spouse traveling to Europe: Do I need a visa for each country?
First off I know there a bunch of similar questions on the site - but I'm left very confused even after reading them.
I've see the info on the europa.eu site but I'm not entirely sure how to interpret it.
I'm a UK national - my wife is a Chinese national and we currently reside in China.
I have family in Switzerland who we would like to visit - but how exactly would we go about doing a visa for my wife?
The material online says:
Before travelling, check which these are with the consulate or embassy of the destination country.
Although our goal is to go to Switzerland - being in Europe is quite convenient to travel - so would we need to check with the consulates of every single country we would want to go?
Does being married actually make any difference?!
What visa would we apply for?!
Any ideas at all!?
Best Answer
To answer the main question first, yes you need a visa. The situation is as follows. If you and your wife would life in a EU country other than your home country (UK) and she has a resident permit there you can travel to other countries without a visa. E.g. You both live in Germany and want to visit Paris. If she has a German resident card and you travel together she needs no new visa. Since you live in China (outside EU) you always need a visa.
Now about the insurance thing. As a spouse of a EU/EEA member she does not need to show proof of financial means including health insurance cover. You might still want to make a travel insurance for other reasons. You also don't need provide accomodation information.
P.S. as a general advice you might want to take an English translation of your marriage certificate, because when you arrive in Switzerland it makes things A LOT easier if you can prove you are a couple on holiday. (Single Chinese woman -> 1000 questions, with EU husband 2 or 3 questions)
P.P.S You need to apply for only one visa in the Schengen area where you arrive first and spend most time (transit does not count). In your case it would be Switzerland.
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Do I need a visa for every country in Europe?
Over more than 50 countries do not need a visa to travel to Europe, specifically the Schengen Area. For visa-free countries, the European Union will launch the European Travel and Information Authorisation System (ETIAS) in may 2023.Can EU family member travel to EU without visa?
After you receive your residence card as a family member of an EU citizen, you can freely travel to any other EU country. You can travel as a tourist for up to three months in a six-month period. You can also travel to many other non-EU/Schengen countries without a visa.Can non EU family member travel to Europe without visa after Brexit?
If you are travelling without your EU family member, then travelling with your passport ('visa-exempt' national), or with your passport and visa ('visa-required' national) will give you the right to stay in the Schengen zone for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.Can EU family member travel to Europe without visa from UK?
EU , EEA and Swiss citizens can travel to the UK for holidays or short trips without needing a visa. In other cases, find out if you need to apply for a visa to enter the UK . You can cross the UK border using a valid passport which should be valid for the whole time you are in the UK .Moving to Spain with a non-EU spouse - what visa \u0026 documents do we need?
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