SPANISH CONSULATE EDINBURGH

smogmag · Post by **smogmag** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 9:57 pm

Could anyone please tell me how to complain about the Spanish consulate in Edinburgh? Even though my Thai wife is naturalised and has a UK residence permit, I was charged the Schengen visa fee for my step-daughter (who also has a residence permit) because "she has a different surname"! The man was almost the most obnoxious, argumentative person I have ever come across and made us feel like we were some sort of petty criminals trying to enter Spain illegally, rather than a family going on holiday. We have 2 other children who share my name who were "OK" to enter Spain, but not apparently our oldest. How can this be right? I really want to make a formal complaint, but don't know who to make it to. I feel like they will 'protect their own' as the guy seems to already have a reputation for being rude, and seemingly no action has been taken against him. Thanks in anticipation.

Post by **Directive/2004/38/EC** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:53 am

Sorry to hear that. Though the Spanish embassy in London also has a very bad reputation.

Are you an EU citizen?

If so I would immediately contact Solvit. https://eumovement.wordpress.com/help-eu-solvit/

I would also strongly suggest you "petition" the European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliamen ... y.do?id=49

Finally I would suggest you not take your money to Spain. Go somewhere where the government obeys the law!

smogmag · Post by **smogmag** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:10 am

Many thanks - yes I am an EU citizen, though that hardly seemed to matter to the individual concerned,.

mastermind · Post by **mastermind** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:41 am

EU citizen or not, anyone can lodge a complaint against violation of EU law.
Write to European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/eu_law/your_rights/ ... rms_en.htm
and to European Ombuidsman: http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/start.faces

P.S.: SOLVIT also can be used by non-EU citizens when EU law concerns them. For example the guy I mentined in this post is not a EU citizen, yet he used SOLVIT successfully. Yes they require to specify an EU country in the online form, I suppose one should specify the country one is resident in or has problems with in case of non-EU citizens.

totallydisgusted · Post by **totallydisgusted** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:01 pm

Hi,

I came across your complaint and would like to know if you ever lodged your complaint and if so did you get any positive feedback? I would like to lodge one too... never ever in my life have I ever been treated like i did just to visit Spain... felt like throwing their stupid application form at that rude guy... please could you advise

Post by **Directive/2004/38/EC** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:07 pm

totallydisgusted wrote:I came across your complaint and would like to know if you ever lodged your complaint and if so did you get any positive feedback? I would like to lodge one too... never ever in my life have I ever been treated like i did just to visit Spain... felt like throwing their stupid application form at that rude guy... please could you advise

Complain and spend your money in another EU member state. Germany is smooth and easy for visas. Why, in god's name, spend your vacation money in Spain?

smogmag · Post by **smogmag** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:12 pm

Hi

Yes I did complain. To Solvit. It took them ages to respond but eventually they did and found in my favour (ie I should not have been charged. However, to date the Spanish have refused to refund my money and have totally ignored the Solvit ruling).

However, I have to say that we now do not use the Spanish consulate method. I was advised that there have been a number of rulings against the Spanish in terms of EU citizens with spouses from Non-EU countries. Effectively they cannot deny you entry into their countries. However, you must be prepared to be sat in a room for a few hours whilst they check their rules. You should also take with you a copy of the most recent rulings in bth English and Spanish, and a copy of the new EU Border-guards handbook in both languages.

Good luck. They (the Spanish authorities) really do borfer on being dearly beloved, elitist pigs. Be strong and you will prevail

Post by **EUsmileWEallsmile** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:57 pm

If you do not use the consulate, what do you actually do now? I take it that you get to their border, but how do you actually board a plane? I'm intrigued.

Post by **Directive/2004/38/EC** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:02 pm

smogmag wrote:Yes I did complain. To Solvit. It took them ages to respond but eventually they did and found in my favour (ie I should not have been charged. However, to date the Spanish have refused to refund my money and have totally ignored the Solvit ruling).

But Solvit does not make any rulings. What exactly did Solvit say?

Have you considered taking the Spanish to small claims court?

Post by **EUsmileWEallsmile** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:23 pm

totallydisgusted wrote:Hi,

I came across your complaint and would like to know if you ever lodged your complaint and if so did you get any positive feedback? I would like to lodge one too... never ever in my life have I ever been treated like i did just to visit Spain... felt like throwing their stupid application form at that rude guy... please could you advise

What were your circumstances and experience? Did you get the visa in the end or did you have to give up?

totallydisgusted · Post by **totallydisgusted** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:32 am

I managed to get the visa but under such harsh conditions and he made me wait for hours before he served me... I walked in and gave him my papers, Im going on a hen do and i had a letter from my friend who owns a holiday home there.... she did me a letter confirming i will be staying at their apartment.. he was not happy with this and it needed to be signed by a police station/officer in Spain... and nastily told me that this was unacceptable I explained that its a holiday and she lives in the UK there was no way id be able to get this... The letter wasnt good enough he says go sit down have a think about this, he says I had time I can always come back.. I live in leeds its a 3 and half hour train journey which cost me £50 and i must come back total twat.... I called me friend and since hafl the girl were staying in a hotel and the other half staying in he apartment she booked my accomodation.. so I said the booking confirmation was on my phone or could email it to him his reply was this isnt a halfway hotel and told me to walk to the internet not he sent me half an hour away this took me an hour to go print the confirmation and come back.. He was so rude and nasty during all this... I also had to book and print my flights he wasnt happy that we were doing a group booking over the weekend.. he wasnt happy with the letter showing the flight details and itinerary it had to be booked.. I went and did all this and came back had blisters from the long walk.... Anyhow got back and had to wait 2 hrs for him note im with my disabled aunt whom i left at the train station as the embassy was too far to walk she is diabetic and he was doing this.. I spoke to the security guard and he went to that rude twat to say she has been waiting an hour please see her.. I heard him shouting to the security guy complaining..... the security guy came and said im sorry he will be with me shortly i waited yet again whilst ringing my disabled aunt to say I wont be long and to get something to eat since she is diabetic bless her... I wait another 30-and hour and told the security to tell that rude guy i had my disabled aunt in the train station and to hurry please not i arrived at 9am my appointment was at 11am its now 3pm.. I called a taxi for my disabled aunt to come to the embassy only then did he see to me grrrrr im sooo upset whilst i type this.... I dont mind you abusing me im able but not to a disabled diabetic elderly lady... As I walked out the security guard had such a sympathetic apologetic look on his face i looked to him and said pls can i have this daft guy's name I would to complain he blurted it out without hesitating.. I did cry during this treatment and the only thing that made me continue with this abuse was my cousin-in-laws hen do.. otherwise i would thrown his application form in his ugly face..... please please i need some help with this... thank you all for the help so far

Post by **ca.funke** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:45 am

totallydisgusted wrote:I managed to get the visa but under such harsh conditions and he made me wait for hours before he served me... I walked in and gave him my papers, Im going on a hen do and i had a letter from my friend who owns a holiday home there.... she did me a letter confirming i will be staying at their apartment.. he was not happy with this and it needed to be signed by a police station/officer in Spain...................

Dear "totallydisgusted",

I understand your frustration, actually I went through similar frustrations many times.

However, your "non-stop-writing-without-punctuation-or-full-stops" is very hard to read, and I doubt many people will read such non-stop writing.

It took me a good 20-30 seconds to identify whether your post is spam or not.

Just my 2 cents.
Rgds and good luck,
Christian

totallydisgusted · Post by **totallydisgusted** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:49 am

Thanks, typing whilst frustrated isnt good. Any suggestions or ways to go about filling a complaint? I am not wanting anything in return maybe to be posted to a different department and not deal with people as he has no resepect or way of speaking to people.. and if he doesn't like his job to consider a career change.

Post by **ca.funke** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:32 pm

totallydisgusted wrote:...maybe to be posted to a different department and not deal with people as he has no resepect...

Don´t use the (known for being rude) Spanish Embassy.

I always preferred small embassies, such as the Austrian or Belgian. But you could also consider the Dutch, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian...

Although the official Schengen-rules say differently, I never had a problem asking for a visa in one place and then travel somewhere else. However I remember a recent case where someone was denied boarding although he HAD a Schengen-visa, but from the "wrong" country. (Can´t find it now, sorry)

I always checked any flight/hotel-combination that sounds logical, printed out what I "intend" to book once I have the visa, and that´s it.

We entered Italy with an Austrian Schengen, Germany with a Belgian... I´d be surprised if other combinations wouldn´t work out too.

You just have to keep your story consistent.

Some trick I heard but never used:
Once you have a Schengen-visa for country A, call country B´s embassy and tell them your scenario: You have A, but now "accidently" need to go to B, while the airline tells you you need a "B"-visa... Usually you´re not allowed to hold two Schengen-visas, as such they should issue a letter stating this fact.

totallydisgusted · Post by **totallydisgusted** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:54 pm

Thank you very much, I will definately not be going there again. Thank you for the great advice will do this next time.

Post by **EUsmileWEallsmile** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:04 pm

I did read your story and think some people need a lesson in good customer relations. Spain needs tourists to help its economy and people.

Post by **Directive/2004/38/EC** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:10 pm

EUsmileWEallsmile wrote:I did read your story and think some people need a lesson in good customer relations. Spain needs tourists to help its economy and people.

I do not buy it. I think if Spain was really interested in having tourists, they would clean up their Embassy visa sections. But nobody really cares. And so nothing gets changed.

Post by **ca.funke** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:23 pm

Directive/2004/38/EC wrote:I do not buy it. I think if Spain was really interested in having tourists, they would clean up their Embassy visa sections. But nobody really cares. And so nothing gets changed.

Agree. Before real catastrophy, >>nothing will happen in the EU<<...

Rgds, Christian

docshaz · Post by **docshaz** » Sat May 26, 2012 2:17 pm

I am travelling to Spain with my wife and two kids .I had applied for an appointment in my name with Consulate for which they allotted the date for the 30th of May 2012.

My doubt is will my wife and two kids have to apply for an appointment separately too or they could hand in their application with me ?

We stay in Glasgow and if we were allotted separate dates it would be a frequent trip.

This doubt just cropped up now as I dont see any information about separate applications for an appointment for each family member.

Post by **EUsmileWEallsmile** » Sat May 26, 2012 5:37 pm

For your own sake, email the consulate and ask.

yaz2012 · Post by **yaz2012** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:54 pm

Hey everyone, just been reading through the reviews of the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh and I'm dreading my appointment. However my question regards the length of time I can expect to wait after the appointment before receiving the visa. Can anyone let me know how long it took to receive theirs? (I am not on the list of nationalities that can expect a longer processing time as stated on their website).

I have just been informed that the closest available appointment is only 4 days before my flight is booked, and I'm worried this will not be enough time especially as there is a weekend in between. I don't really know what other options there are aside from to hope it works out - they don't have a fast track service for my nationality and I don't think they will be very sympathetic even if I can get through to speak to someone at the consulate.

Thanks for your help!

Post by **EUsmileWEallsmile** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:16 pm

yaz2012 wrote: I have just been informed that the closest available appointment is only 4 days before my flight is booked...!

That's pushing the boundaries. It would have been better if you had more time.

What is your nationality? Are you married to an EU citizen perhaps?

yaz2012 · Post by **yaz2012** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:22 pm

Thanks for the reply - I thought it was cutting it close too. I may have to ask them politely if they will consider moving it up or if any cancellations occur, but that probably won't work. I'm Zambian, and nope not married to an EU citizen.

Post by **EUsmileWEallsmile** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:25 pm

That's a pity. It's a normal tourist visa. You can ask nicely and maybe they will help you. Best of luck.

jutunon · Post by **jutunon** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 5:58 pm

I am Spanish and this consulate is so Spanish, sorry to say. Regretfully, employment in organisations like this is already appointed by people with influence within the Spanish government/regional governments and friends of them. To give you guys an idea, the previous Spanish prime minister had around 800 advisors, yes "800 advisors" all for himself. Of course most were friends, relative or friends of friends. But they cover their backs really well and pay no attention to any complains against them. Such an arrogant and selfish attitude this people have. In many cases, once this person/s get there they get their nooses so high as if they are kings suddenly or something and also completely unsympathetic or understanding. Anytime you call them they will not bother to pick up the telephone. More over, when I called one of the London's embassy they told that they receive constant complaints about them and that even them have many problems of communication with them......but they are untouchables till somebody proves the opposite. I wouldn't be surprise if this post is not allowed and gets omitted because the truth can be hash. Will any other body or organisation do something to straighten then up? These guys are the type of Spanish with red collar which will not really bother, though they may go as far as pretending, putting their heads up (they are not to blain of course) and just pay a fine to the European Union and just continue with the same attitude and brilliant service. And these guys really represent me as an Spanish? Hope not

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