Visas - Advice from Colombians Please

sandramoreno80 says on Oct 27, 2006, 11:23:

A UK visa will only cover entry into the UK. The United Kingdom is not a participant of the Schengen Treaty and so travel into other European countries requires a separate visa. A good site to visit is:
www.ukvisas.gov.uk.

The process is quite straight forward, mainly the gathering of documentation from herself and from UK (if you were to sponsor her visit for example), downloading and filling an application form, photos, passport, fees, then ring the embassy in Bogota to arrange an appointment. They gave my aunt the appointment in like 2 weeks, then being there when the embassy opens to get your number (first come first served). They check your papers to make sure you have everything, then wait for your turn. She had an interview, asked some questions and told to return in the afternoon for the visa.

At least for my aunt, the questions were just to get the background information, reason for trip, who was sponsoring, the ties she had to Colombia. It is all down to the discretion of the visa officer, I mean she has no properties or savings, was single and would seem to be an ideal candidate for overstaying. But all that was balanced with the fact that she was my grandmothers principle carer, so she couldn't be away for a long time, she was over 50 and suffers from arthritis, so wouldn't be likely to start a new life in the UK.


These are the current Schengen countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. For waiting times to get these visa you would have to consult the relevant website for the embassy/consulate in Bogota, because as a resident of Colombia she would have to obtain one there.

Other European countries outside of Schengen would require a separate visa for entry.

I have had lots of family members and friends travel to the UK via Madrid with Iberia and they have NOT needed a transit visa to travel through Spain. The last person to do so was my aunt who travelled last November. I do not know if there has been any changes to that.

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Oct 27, 2006, 12:22:

And one word of advice too, if she gets a visa to visit another country while in the UK, make sure she applied in Colombia for the multi-entry visa to the UK, otherwise if she apply for a single entry, when she visit France or Germany etC, she won't be able to re-enter the UK.

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juanalejo says on Oct 27, 2006, 17:49:

Transit If she is going on the same airline lets say Iberia no visa will be required. If you are trying to get her to change airline lets say Air Madrid to Easy Jet, then she will need a visa as there is a terminal change in Madrid and she will be required to collect her bags in Madrid also.

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royed31 says on Oct 28, 2006, 08:19:

Thanks Thanks alot for all the info, sounds fairly straight forward. the only problem I see then is this change of Terminal business at madrid because I was hoping to get her on a flight just to Madrid then a easy jet to the UK. When I came back from Panama with Air Madrid I did not have to change terminal, are you sure that coming from Bogota she will need to change Terminal?

Anyway thanks Agian

Roy

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sandramoreno80 says on Oct 28, 2006, 12:46:

If the two airlines involved have an agreement (like Avianca and Iberia) then one will receive the others luggage and transfer it to the other airline. In this case check in for the second flight isn't necessary because you will be given your second boarding pass in Bogota. In this case one single ticket is issued.

But the purchase of two separate tickets would mean having to pick up luggage and then checking in to the second flight, and this, regardless of whether having to change terminals or not, means clearing immigration. And for that to occur, a valid schengen visa is required for entry into Spain by a Colombian citizen.

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