Hi, I am Iirsh and my wife is Russian, we have been married since 2004 and have travelled outside Ireland a few times since then (always getting a visa first, for my wife) My wife has what here in Ireland is called a "Stamp 4" residence card,it is called a GNIB card (Garda National Immigration Bureau), allowing her leave to remain in Ireland by virtue of marriage to an Irish citizen. In my wifes Russian passport there is an Irish multi entry D-visa (it doesn't go any higher than D) valid until almost 2010 with "spouse of Irish national" wriiten on it. A few days ago I contacted the Latvian embassy in Dublin (we were thinking of going to Latvia for a holiday) and I was told under an E.U directive my wife did not now need any type of visa to travel to Latvia (or any other E.U state).....this was of course great news!
Following that we thought about changing destination and going to Moldova (flying via the UK and Romania or flying to Moldova via Lithuania....all E.U states) As a Russian my wife doesn't need a visa for Moldova, nor do I as an E.U citizen. Anyway, most of the embassies are closed over the xmas period but we need to go ahead and buy our tickets!!! Can we go ahead and buy our airline tickets (they are not exactly cheap!) and rest assured that my wife can enter any E.U country without a visa as long as we travel together? I believe we can?
I have tried to contact the European Commission in Dublin but they will not be open until tomorrow, I 'll try then too. I have spoken to someone at the Irish Foreirn Ministry but they are not too sure! It's almost laughable. It seems that although there is a E.C directive that some states have not implemented it or something? So, we are trying to figure out if firstly my wife would be allowed to board the plane to wherever we decide to go and if not what could we do? (If it is E.U law that she should be allowed to travel with me without a visa then can the airline stop us? And if they do are they not breaking the law?...even if they do not about this directive...after all ignorance of the law is no defence)
Also, what happens when we get to, lets say, Bucharest....and immigration there decide to refuse entry to my wife? Maybe they do not know about the directive also?!!! If they do that aren't they also breaking the law? So in effect are the police and authorities breaking the law?!!! (I have contacted the Romanian Embassy and was told that my wife needs a visa?!!!....he mumbled something about a problem with the directive and that maybe in January my wife wouldn't need a visa?....I thibnk they make it up as they go along!)
Basically, can we travel to any E.U State without my wife having to get a visa? Any info is more than appreciated. Thanks.
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