Odd Schengen Question...

[Wanderer]

GF is Russian, and has got her German Residence Permit aka work permit just needs to go down to German embassy and have it stuck in her passport.

Then she's off to work in Germany late Sept.

So, we thought maybe we could apply for a Schengen visa for France for a naughty weekend in Paris before she goes, while she's in London. Questions are:

1. Is this a viable plan?

2. Should she really apply from Germany?

3. If she got schengen visa and we didn't go to France, can she use it for hopping around europe touring at weekends etc from Germany? ie NOT enter France first with it.

4. Or should we apply for Schengen visa at the German embassy at same time as having work permit put in her passport, which seems a bit daft.....

Steve

EDIT - should add she has student visa for UK till oct 2008 - this is a student placement in germany

[John]

Am I missing a point here? Surely her German-issued visa entitles her to travel visa-free to other Schengen area countries?

[Wanderer]

Am I missing a point here? Surely her German-issued visa entitles her to travel visa-free to other Schengen area countries?

Does it? It's a German Residence Permit, which I what I understand they call the Work Permit.

If it does that's great, but I perhaps foolishly thought it would be similar to a UK Work Permit, ie UK only, no EU travel.

I hope ur right, John, I bloody do!

Steve

[Christophe]

Am I missing a point here? Surely her German-issued visa entitles her to travel visa-free to other Schengen area countries?

Does it? It's a German Residence Permit, which I what I understand they call the Work Permit.

If it does that's great, but I perhaps foolishly thought it would be similar to a UK Work Permit, ie UK only, no EU travel.

I hope ur right, John, I bloody do!

Steve

The UK is not in the Schengen area, so you're quite right about a UK work permit (or any other sort of entry clearance or visa) - it would confer no travel rights within the Schengen area at all.

Some residency permits in Schengen area countries certainly do enable short visits to the other Schengen states. Can you check with the German embassy when the permit is put in her passport. I also don't know if your girlfriend would need to enter Germany first before making use of any travel benefits that the permit might confer for visiting other Schengen countries. Again, is that somethign that you could ask about at the German embassy?