I've travelled to Gibraltar with my husband and son to visit my side of the family every single summer for the last 11 years. We spend all year working hard and saving money, looking forward to this trip, but because of bureaucratic inefficiency and inflexibility it seems we may not be able to go this year, at least not as a family
Mr C, who has a US visa (10 years) and a UK visa (5 years) also needs a Schengen as we have to travel via Spain and once we're in Gibraltar we go in and out of Spain most days. He has always been granted his Schengen visa (2 years) by the Spanish consulate without any problems. This year he was due to renew and applied for his appointment 3 months in advance of our planned trip. They gave him a date in July, which means he would not be able to travel until the second half of July, by which time flights are more expensive and the holiday would be cut too short because we need to be back before mid August in time for the start of the school year. He asked them to change the date of the appointment and it took them about a month to get back to him, saying it was not possible because they are too busy.
Now there's not much time left and we're left with the options of trying to get someone with influence to cut through the bureaucratic crap and intervene on his behalf, or applying via another Schengen country even though we have no plans to travel there. Or, just giving up and going without him, which I feel bad about but as my Dad has been in poor health I can't not go this year
Mr C, who has a US visa (10 years) and a UK visa (5 years) also needs a Schengen as we have to travel via Spain and once we're in Gibraltar we go in and out of Spain most days. He has always been granted his Schengen visa (2 years) by the Spanish consulate without any problems. This year he was due to renew and applied for his appointment 3 months in advance of our planned trip. They gave him a date in July, which means he would not be able to travel until the second half of July, by which time flights are more expensive and the holiday would be cut too short because we need to be back before mid August in time for the start of the school year. He asked them to change the date of the appointment and it took them about a month to get back to him, saying it was not possible because they are too busy.
Now there's not much time left and we're left with the options of trying to get someone with influence to cut through the bureaucratic crap and intervene on his behalf, or applying via another Schengen country even though we have no plans to travel there. Or, just giving up and going without him, which I feel bad about but as my Dad has been in poor health I can't not go this year