Anyone know anything about Schengen visas??

[stormonasummerseve]

Hi, this is quite a niche (and long) one !

DH is French, I'm British though we lived in the Uk for the last 10years for his work. He got cancer a couple of years ago and underwent treatment in Uk but reached the end of options there and went back to France in August 2023 as they have access to a treatment that the Uk doesn't.

We got married in USA so I was unable to get a spousal visa as our marriage license isn't transcribed in French/registered in France. So I did my standard 90 out of 180 days in the EU until November when I got a basic 6 month temporary visa and I'm now in France. We were hoping all treatment would be done by now but unfortunately he needs some more and my 6 month visa will expire in May.

Now my question is.... once the visa is expired will I go back to having the normal 90 days out of 180? So could I potentially just stay after May for 90 days? Or do I have to go back?
It's a crappy time for me and I can't find a definitive answer online so please be gentle .
Bloody brexit.

Can you not have your marriage licence oficially translated and apositlled and then submit that as proof ? As you are legally married so there will be a a way- Just looking you have to register this in the French consulate in the USA - Is there anyone who could help you do this ?. In the mean time I believe you cannot be in a Eu country for more than 180 days in any 12 month period but I am not 100% sure on this. Surely there must be a way to apply on compassionate grounds due to sickness.

Thanks Rosa, yes I have to register it in the French consulate in America. I had to order my full birth certificate which I've finally received (was held up in customs for a month!) and now have to send everything off to the USA so I'm not holding out hope that it'll be sorted before May 😫

I'm hoping once I have the marriage license I'll be able to get a sympathetic ear and sort the visa quite quickly. I'm wondering if it's best to just overstay and plead my case - easier to ask for forgiveness than permission and all that? At the end of the day, he needs a full time carer (me) so I can't leave him. I should've got on it in November but it's been a whirlwind, my heads all over the place and we were hoping the treatment would be finished by now. (Well, it is but it hasn't worked so they have to do something new)

The prognosis isn't good so I'm loathe to spend any time away from him sorting out bloody paperwork

Don't overstay. You might find you get banned from going back to France/the EU permanently.

Might it be easier to have another marriage in France?

Each country is different, but generally you have to contact the consulate in London and submit your marriage certificate, which will need to be officially translated I believe for France (check not all countries require this). A friend has just got residency for another eu country and it was straightforward