Schengen visa for "wrong" country?

Question

My girlfriend will be getting a French Schengen visa but our travel plans have changed to Spain. Will there be a problem entering Spain with this visa, without having set foot on French soil, and with no intention of setting foot on French soil?

Getting the visa is no problem: she had a single-entry Italian one last year. I'm a UK citizen.

There must be an official answer to this, but I can't find it on the Schengen website!

Many tnanks

Geoff M.

Thanks, Dog (why can't I answer my own question in order to give more information?!). I forgot to say, we have no time to get a Spanish visa.

Thanks for the further answers. My girlfriend does happen to be a Filipina, but she earns her UK citzienship next year anyway, from several years of nursing in the UK, and she already has residency.

Although she hasn't actually applied for the visa formally, she *has* applied for an appointment. The French are several weeks quicker at granting appointments than the Spanish right now.

One other thing: on all the embassy websites I've seen it quite clearly states "do NOT book travel or accomodation until you have your visa". Then guess what it says on the form? "Evidence of travel arrangements must be presented before a visa will be granted". Doh!

Answer 1

Don't worry. Once you have a visa that was issued by any one of the Schengen countries, you can use it to travel to any or all of them - or to skip any or all of them including the one that gave it to you. The last time I flew into Paris as a tourist, I had a Schengen visa issued by the Greeks. No problem.

Answer 2

The answers given by the other folks here, especially dognhorsemom, are accurate. But I'd like to add a little bit of advice that you don't usually find in the official websites: It depends whether she filed her application already. If she already filed it, then there's no need of explaining to the Embassy why her travel plans have changed. If she's still about to file an application, then it's at the discretion of the visa officer whether they would accept the application or not.

Schengen visas can be obtained from the country where you either have your first border of entry, or where you'll be spending most time. And it is required to submit either an affidavit of support of the host, or a hotel booking in that country. You can download that info in most lists of requirements from the Schengen embassies (better yet, check out the website of the embassy of your girlfriend's country of origin).

The visa officer may get a little doubtful if neither of the two options (first border of entry or longest stay) apply to that applicant. Sometimes the person may actually be granted a visa but then held at the border/airport police if the flight routing seems somewhat odd to them.

But I need to point out that it largely also depends on the nationality of your girlfriend, as embassies, immigration officers and airport police are more suspicious with some countries (middle eastern, some african countries, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.) and a lot more lenient with others which aren't considered an "immigration risk." Good luck!

Answer 3

Hello,

A Schengen visa may be used to enter any Schengen country. Yet, should the Spanish border control authorities ask your girlfriend why she is entering Spain with a visa issued by another Schengen country, she should be able to explain why. If she is able to provide a sound answer, there will be no problem.

Regards,

Martin
MediaVisa.net

Answer 4

It really does not matter that you have to visit the country issuing the Schengen visa. Once you enter any Schengen country, that is the only passport control you will go through and your entry will be stamped there.

Answer 5

The answer is you wont get in. The visa is country specific and if you deviate from that visa you will be refused entry. But thats the law answer. the real one is just try and if the stop you then so be it but the chances are you will just get let in.