Visa de Long Sejour - application experience

[Forty_Two]

A point that has emerged. If you have a 6mth VLS-T visa granted, the soonest you can start another is 6 months after the previous one expires (you can still apply 90 days in advance). Makes sense but could catch someone out, as it apparently has done. Careful planning needed.

 

[PeteCooper]

I applied for a 12 month French visa, and the whole process took about 9 mind numbing weeks!
After 7 weeks they came back with a query about PHI which we answered immediately then 2 more weeks.

 

[DavidonMersea]

Thought it might be useful to share my recent experience of applying for a 6 month French Visa:

Had been a bit concerned about the requirement, on the application form, to provide an accommodation address in France. In practice, entering my boat name, in that section and adding ‘see explanatory letter,’ sufficed. In my covering letter, I explained that I would be cruising and could not predict ports of call, due to weather. I did provide evidence of both a Passeport Escales membership and sufficient funds to cover marina costs. Not sure which swung it.

Otherwise it was a matter of following the checklist of required documents: Passport, Bank statements, EHIC or GHIC card, covering letter including undertaking not to ‘act in a professional capacity’ (work).

Turn round very fast. In my case, I presented documents last Thursday. Yesterday I received the e mail to say that I could collect my documents. Today I have them. You do have to appear in person, at a TLS centre (London, Manchester, Edinburgh). At document presentation this is for Biometric data to be captured. Not sure why on collection.

Costs are pretty reasonable, given the slick admin operation. £ eighty odd for the visa, plus a handling fee - taking it to £112.

The Visa is a full 6 months - so more (just) than 180 days, if you ask for it. I’d put in for 15 April - 15 Oct, expecting to be pruned back to 180 days. But the Visa covers the full 6 months.

Brittany and the Vendee, here we come!

Thanks for this info. For the last 16-17 years I have been going to Ibiza for the winter. Now we are out of the EU I am only allowed to be out of the UK for 90 days, and I was wondering if I could get a visa for a few more weeks, and now I know it can be done,

I notice that people are talking about France, and presumably the same would apply to Spain .... Does anybody have personal experience of getting a longer visa for Spain?

 

[st599]

Thanks for this info. For the last 16-17 years I have been going to Ibiza for the winter. Now we are out of the EU I am only allowed to be out of the UK for 90 days, and I was wondering if I could get a visa for a few more weeks, and now I know it can be done,

I notice that people are talking about France, and presumably the same would apply to Spain .... Does anybody have personal experience of getting a longer visa for Spain?

Spain doesn't have a long term tourist visa, so the same definitely doesn't apply.

You need to either invest enough to get a visa, or apply for residency and prove you have funds and accomodation.

 

[DavidonMersea]

You need to either invest enough to get a visa, or apply for residency and prove you have funds and accomodation.

What do you mean by "Invest enough", just put money in a Spanish Bank?

I thought for residency I needed to speak fluent Spanish, pay Spanish income tax etc etc

... and if I got Spanish residency, wouldn't I have trouble staying in the UK more than 90 days in the summer?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

What do you mean by "Invest enough", just put money in a Spanish Bank?

Buy property in Spain for €500k, buy shares in a Spanish company for €1M, or invest in Spanish guvmint bonds for €2M.

How flush are you feeling?

 

[st599]

There is a retiree's visa, but that requires you to use one of the other visas and live there for 6 months first.

There is a rumour that they're bringing in a Digital Nomad Visa, like Croatia. This is to bring people who work for a UK company, but can do it all online, to spend money. It's traditionally young people though.

 

[Clancy Moped]

There is a retiree's visa, but that requires you to use one of the other visas and live there for 6 months first.

There is a rumour that they're bringing in a Digital Nomad Visa, like Croatia. This is to bring people who work for a UK company, but can do it all online, to spend money. It's traditionally young people though.

For the Digital Nomad status, a certain amount of hoop-jumping is required, plus you are tax liable in Spain, all be it a lower rate. On the property worth €500k you have to prove you own it each tax year, so no buying then getting a visa and selling.

 

[DavidonMersea]

There is a retiree's visa, but that requires you to use one of the other visas and live there for 6 months first.

There is a rumour that they're bringing in a Digital Nomad Visa, like Croatia. This is to bring people who work for a UK company, but can do it all online, to spend money. It's traditionally young people though.

You can only have a nomad visa if you live in certain depopulated villages

 

[DavidonMersea]

For the Digital Nomad status, a certain amount of hoop-jumping is required, plus you are tax liable in Spain, all be it a lower rate. On the property worth €500k you have to prove you own it each tax year, so no buying then getting a visa and selling.

The Spanish are their own worse enemies. I, and people like me, want to come and spend our money, creating work for the local yokels

 

[syvictoria]

local yokels

Lovely...

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Lovely...

I thought better of commenting as I would have been banned for life.

 

[LittleSister]

The Spanish are their own worse enemies. I, and people like me, want to come and spend our money, creating work for the local yokels

They still want you to do so. You'll just need to spend it faster each year!

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I have a suspicion that it's a case of just desserts and I am not thinking of apple tart and custard.

 

[Clancy Moped]

The Spanish are their own worse enemies. I, and people like me, want to come and spend our money, creating work for the local yokels

You had your chance.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

You had your chance.

See post #34

 

[Clancy Moped]

See post #34

Except it's not desserts, it's cake and eat it.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Except it's not desserts, it's cake and eat it.

but the cake has been taken off the menu

 

[Clancy Moped]

but the cake has been taken off the menu

But I want it (((All)))

 

[Fr J Hackett]

But I want it (((All)))

Sorry ( not really) but cake is reserved for people who think rationally