European roulette

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Chirimoya

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We are setting off for Europe in a few week's time, with an odd sort of itinerary.

Santo Domingo - Madrid - Rome (10 days in Italy) Rome - Madrid - Gibraltar (where we will spend the rest of the summer). Now that there are direct Madrid-Gibraltar flights it saves us the hassle of driving from and to M?laga after a long trip. Thing is, it's a bit of an anomaly because Iberia classifies it as an internal flight for political reasons, but it does mean that we are only transiting through Spain.

Mr C, a Dominican national, has his UK/Gibraltar visa sorted, so that's no problem. The question is - the Schengen visa. Should he get it from the Spanish or Italian embassy? He has had countless visas from Spain, so the former would be the ideal option.

However, if he is technically just transiting through Spain and the main Schengen destination is Italy, should he apply for an Italian visa? He tried phoning the Italian embassy this morning to ask their advice but they were incredibly rude, slamming down the phone after saying "refer to the website" without giving him a chance to ask his question - problem is, website does not cover cases like this. That combined with other people's less than pleasant experiences at the Italian embassy in Santo Domingo makes me hope that the Spanish option is valid.

Anyone have any informed advice?
 
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Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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As far as I know it makes no difference where you get Schengen visa from - it is valid for all countries in Schengen. So go for Spain. Especially if you are transiting through Madrid, as there is no transit as such there now - new rules - so you have to go through immigration and it would be easier for you there if you have Spanish issued visa.
 
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qgrande

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As you wrote, you have to apply for the visa at the embassy of your main destination. Because you would not leave Barajas and Dominicans don't even need transit visa in Schengen countries, this would really be a case where you'd have to apply at the Italian embassy. According to the rules.

But then, they are valid for all countries, and even if you'd get one for Italy, you could for instance just drive to Paris, and spend all your time there, and nobody would know. Nobody can check whether it is really in practice you 'main destination'. Only if you have to register with the police in Italy or Spain, or something like that (I think that is a requierement in The Netherlands). But if not, you could just apply at the Spanish embassy and hope the Italian immigration doesnt give you a hard time when you enter on the same day you went through immigration in Spain on a Spanish visa.
 
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Chirimoya

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qgrande said:
But if not, you could just apply at the Spanish embassy and hope the Italian immigration doesnt give you a hard time when you enter on the same day you went through immigration in Spain on a Spanish visa.
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I suppose Italian immigration could be fobbed off with us pointing to our return flight to Madrid, explaining that we are spending the rest of the summer "in Spain" - I would hope that they are not that likely to be au fait with or interested in the precise status of Gibilterra anyway.
 
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Pib

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Having done that trip before this is what I found out:
You get the visa for the country where you are going to spend the most time, if you are spending the same amount of time in all of them then it should be in the Schengen country where you will clear immigration (that is, the first one you land in).

I was going to Italy via Spain, I had to clear immigration in Spain, but had to get a visa from Italy. (I actually ended up getting a visa from the French Embassy, even though I would only fly over France... but that is a long story).
 
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Pib

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BTW, on the way back from Italy we did spend some time in Spain (although it was never our main destination) as the Schengen visa was still valid, we had to clear immigration again though because we came via Z?rich. So, minus the Z?rich detour our trip pretty much followed the same path as yours.

PS, service at the Italian consulate sucks. Same for the Spanish consulate. Go France!
 
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dv8

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chiri - minovio has travelled all over italy, france and spain and i believe he has applied for his schengen visa in spanish embassy.
i'd say to put spain as your main destination and don't worry, after all you are going to be mostly OUT of italy, not IN there.... that shoud satisty pizza-eaters!
 
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Pib

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Chirimoya said:
Can we classify Spain as the main destination though?
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The Spanish consulate informed me that since we would be spending several weeks in Italy I should go to the Italian consulate (you can make an appointment by fax at the Italian consulate). Maybe the Spaniards just wanted to get rid of me though. Give it a try.
 
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swake

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Pib said:
The Spanish consulate informed me that since we would be spending several weeks in Italy I should go to the Italian consulate (you can make an appointment by fax at the Italian consulate). Maybe the Spaniards just wanted to get rid of me though. Give it a try.
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Seems that more embassies of Schengen states try and fob applicants off whenever they see fit.
I go with ggrande & Pib and advise you to apply at the Spanish embassy (since your hubby obtained Sp visas in the past). Show them a flight reservation SDQ-MAD (will cost you peanuts) and tell 'em main purpose is visit to family/friends in Spain. As already said, once the visa issued, it doesn't matter where you go in the Schengen zone as there are hardly any border checks.
*forget the Italian consulate in SD. I heard from more than one Dominican AND Italian that they are real perro....
 
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Chirimoya

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Thanks - it's more-or-less what we're going with, only we're living dangerously. Even planning well ahead, the Spanish embassy appointment is so late in the day that the tickets are paid for. We had no choice, so imagine if he gets turned down!

They ask for a notarised letter of invitation from the person you're staying with "in Spain" and so far I've got my Dad (in Gibraltar) to do one (in Spanish but legalised by a Gib lawyer) but might also have to ask a friend or relative in Spain to do one as back-up.

I think it was Pib who witnessed exceptionally rude treatment at the Italian embassy, not only directed at her but also towards their own compatriots coming in for consular services as well.
 
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Chirimoya

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Belated update - Mr C got the visa from the Spanish embassy without any problems apart from a one-day delay because his appointment coincided with a staff strike at the consulate. The passengers on the Santo Domingo-Madrid-Rome flight went through immigration at Madrid, again, no problems. Once we arrived in Rome it was treated as a domestic (European) flight and no more immigration procedures were needed.
 
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laurapasinifan

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I would have just asked James Bond for his input. he makes trips like that all the time!!!! ha ha ha

hope you had a nice trip!!:bunny::bunny::bunny:

bob
 
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Chirimoya

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laurapasinifan said:
I would have just asked James Bond for his input. he makes trips like that all the time!!!! ha ha ha

hope you had a nice trip!!:bunny::bunny::bunny:

bob
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Thanks, we did and still are having a nice trip. We're in Gibraltar now but while in Italy we had the special bonus of spending a week at the home of a real Italian chef.

To keep this DR-related, we spotted Brugal in the shops in town this morning, selling for about ?10. And in Rome we spotted a very famous Dominican businessman who was visiting the Vatican.
 
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Alyonka

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Can you post a link to the pictures from your trip? I really like looking at the images. Have a great time!
 
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