TheSYDTraveller

Hey guys. Mrs Richh1833 is currently a Vietnamese national thus she does not qualify for visa-free schemes which would allow her to enter the EU/UK/Ireland.

In our case, Our first segment is SIN-HEL-DUB. I assume that she does not require a Schengen Visa as she does not enter the Schengen area as Ireland isn't part of it. Is this correct?

On our returning segment we're flying from EWR-KEF(stop)-ZRH (7h meet friends if time allows) then ZRH-HEL-HKG. I assume that since Iceland + Switzerland are part of the Schengen Area she needs a Schengen visa?

If both points above are correct, I guess she would only need a visa for Iceland and Switzerland as we don't enter Finland. As the first segment is in July and the second segment is in December, I guess there's no reason for her to apply prior to the first segment. Would there any scenario in which applying prior to the first segment would be beneficial?

Bigzamboni

Iceland and Switzerland are part of Schengen, so a visa would be needed if you are making a stop.

http://finland.ca/public/default.aspx?nodeid=36023 Seems to indicate that HEL is set up to allow visa-free transit for those not requiring a transit visa.

Applying for the visa before the first segment would make it easier to change if the visa is denied. Or if say, there were a flight cancellation in HEL, having a schengen visa would allow her to leave the airport.

GUWonder

She needs a Schengen visa unless she is admissible for some other reason not mentioned in this thread. Most commonly those using a Vietnamese passport to travel to the Schengen countries need a Schengen visa to visit the Schengen countries.

It is. JFK-HEL-Asia and back gets a fair amount of use by those who are citizens of China and India but live in the US on immigrant visas or LPR status.

Christopher

Iceland and Switzerland are both in the Schengen area, although neither of them is a member of the European Union - I'm not sure if that's where the confusion might have arisen? Finland is also in the Schengen area.

Ireland is not in the Schengen area, that is indeed correct (although it is in the EU, but that's not really relevant for this purpose).

Kallio

Non-Schengen to Non-Schengen transfer in HEL is possible without visa but note that IRROPS may get quite painful because alternative routing through any Schengen country or through many other places where passenger cannot be admitted is out of the question.

TheSYDTraveller

Thanks all. My main concern was that I knew Ireland wasn't within the Schengen area but part of the EU. Similarly and inversely with Switzerland and Iceland they're within the Schengen Area but not EU members. In addition to that, I was sure if HEL-DUB would need us pass through Schengen area at HEL. So its good to clear things up. I do think in cases of IRROPS, it would be wise just to get a long term Schengen visa to pop-in and out of airports.

HkCaGu

I'm assuming you'll be in Iceland for a significant amount of time, while time in Switzerland and Finland is insignificant. So Iceland is where you should submit her visa application. You should do research where it would be easiest to apply, in Asia, Ireland, or the US. (Beside the embassy/consulate availability issues, China, for example, makes it hard to apply from a country where you're not residing.)

GUWonder

It should indeed be an Icelandic visa when Iceland is the main destination or the Schengen country of entry on a trip (or series of trips) where there is no primary Schengen country destination.

Most of my Chinese visas in my US passports were issued in countries in which I was not resident at the time of applying; and it was always same-day or next-day pick-up. That said, some countries (or some embassies/consulates) in some countries can indeed make it difficult for non-residents to procure a visa.