Italian visa problems

[Mark W]

My GF is coming to visit me in England on the 31st of March and planning to stay for about 6 weeks. UK visa granted no problem. Whilst she is here she would like to pop and see her cousin in Italy so she applied for an Italian visa. The Italian visa was granted but it was a month long visa from the 1st to the 30th April and they have told her that she will need to report back to the Italian embassy in Bangkok before the 30th April to prove she is back in Thailand. She did explain that she was visiting England aswell but they were still adamant that she needs to report back.

Anyone else come across this? What course of action do you think I should take in this matter?

[Mark W]

My GF is coming to visit me in England on the 31st of March and planning to stay for about 6 weeks. UK visa granted no problem. Whilst she is here she would like to pop and see her cousin in Italy so she applied for an Italian visa. The Italian visa was granted but it was a month long visa from the 1st to the 30th April and they have told her that she will need to report back to the Italian embassy in Bangkok before the 30th April to prove she is back in Thailand. She did explain that she was visiting England aswell but they were still adamant that she needs to report back.

Anyone else come across this? What course of action do you think I should take in this matter?

[Bryn&Mot]

Anyone else come across this? What course of action do you think I should take in this matter?

You could try phoning the Italian Embassy in London, advising them of the situation?

[rolyshark]

One imagines that proof she has left Italy in accordance with the visa might be all that is actually required. Maybe a visit to the Italian Embassy in Uk might suffice? Follow Bryn's suggestion and moot it with them.

[ash]

We were in Italy last summer and as we crossed the border the guards insisted that when we left that I stopped and had Daengs passport stamped to show we had left Italy. Needless to say we actually returned home via a different route through France and did not bother to stop as the borders within Schengen are open.

They also wanted to check how much cash I was carrying and came up with some rubbish about not being able to take more than x euros from Germany into Italy.

I would ignore the embassy and simply send a copy of the exit stamp in the passport if they bother to follow up the request.
ash

[Mark W]

Cheers chaps, couldn't get a straight answer from the Italian Embassy in London and it's too far for us to travel for them to look at her passport stamps. We have decidied that she will report to the Italian embassy when she gets back to Bangkok which will obviously be after the date they want her to. Then she can show them the exit stamp for Italy to prove she didn't overstay.

[Tobias]

If she is returning to the UK from Italy then she will have the UK entrance stamp in her passport - whether or not the Italians issue an exit stamp.

Provided she complies with the visa requirements (not necessarily the rather unreasonable and impossible embassy stipulations) then there can be no problem either now or in the future. All she is required to do is prove she left Italy within the appropriate time and that is evidenced by both the Italian exit stamp and the UK entrance stamp.

Buon Viaggio

[Mark W]

Cheers Toby.