Just want to add that main destination seems to be defined as the one that you will spend the most time in. But if you have a trip that starts in France for 3 days and then Italy for 4 days you may be able to apply at either consulate.

In US, it is much much easier to get your Schengen visa from the French consulate than any other countries.

I have updated my original post with the exact definition of "main destination" as specified in the Schengen Acquis.

OK. I was envisaging the situation where you are making separate trips to each country rather than one trip to multiple countries. Mrs WHBM has a Russian passport and UK residence (being stuck with me !) and we make various trips to different countries over the 6/12 month duration of the visa. But we were advised to get visa from Finnish consulate in St Petersburg (is straightforward) and then go to Finland for the day and get an entry stamp, so we can then go where we like in Schengen from London later without query.

I guess this complies with point 3 of your rules.

Anyone who is in London and goes along Cromwell Road past the Natural History Museum will see, particularly in Summer, the huge queue of overseas visitors daily at the French consulate. I presume this is because they are the easiest ones to grant the visa.

in Kiev it used to be the german consulate. but that's over.

Theoretically, the Finnish consulate should not have issued a multiple entry long duration visa without specific evidence of an intent to return to Finland on multiple visits during the visa duration.

Of course, this tends to be a very ignored rule as consular officers get just as sick and tired of seeing the same applicants over and over again as the applicant does of seeing them!

The Germans however are sticking to the letter of the law for the last 2 years thanks the scandal that rocked them. I deal with the local German Embassy here on a regular basis and it is like pulling teeth to have them issue a visa for anything longer than 3 months.

I guess a very large number of visas and stamps for entry into Finland (say 20 or more) over the years is good enough. Obviously not everyone would have this.

But it's a general rule with visas, the more they see you have been acting properly in the past the more they will be more liberal with you now.

Not the Germans of late. A colleague of mine just applied for a multiple entry 1-yr Schengen from the Germans. He is a former diplomat, visits the EU 5-10 times/year, holds a US Green Card, owns considerable assets and property and was traveling on a Government sponsored trip - they gave him a single entry valid for 30 days since he was only showing a single trip confirmed.

The rule is the following, and you cannot get around it I'm afraid: you have to apply for Schengen visa in the country of your first arrival into the Schengen zone (unless this is only for a connecting flight). Then, once you have it, it is valid for all Schengen signatory states. For example, if you are flying from Manila, via FRA, to Paris, and then you plan on going to Belgium, Holland, even back into Germany itself, then you have to apply for a Schengen visa with France.

I think you mentioned it in this thread already: The German officials (up to foreign minister, minister for interior) are questioned regarding a policy "for easy handling/permitting of visa applications" (in Kiev and elsewhere). Saying this, right now Germany is not a good source for quick and easy Schengen visas.

There is a contradiction in all this if there is an insistence on seeing booked travel arrangements.

This was fine and a standard thing some years ago when you could book and change at will. But nowadays many/most pre-booked fares are non-refundable, a situation visa providers somehow seem to have missed. How can visa officials ask to see evidence of booked travel arrangements that are usually non-refundable before deciding whether or not to grant the visa.

Anyone have an answer to this one ?

Easy maybe not but my wifes visa was obtained pretty quick. We sent her application etc via next day on a Monday and had her visa back on Thursday. They are definitely not giving much room on the visas though. My wife got a lengthy 5 day visa...shortest we have ever seen. Now, we are only going to be in their for a few days but most have always been for 30 days..never seen one for such a short time.

Depending on our travel plans we will either risk it and purchase the non-refundable ticket, have our travel agent put the trip on hold for use which gives is a full itinerary that we can print out or just do a book and hold on like Uniteds web site which we can do as 1K's. We never give anything more than a printout and I think once I even gave a printout of an expedia itin that had not been purchased yet. I dont think most embassies are strict on this these days.

To USAFAN:

You've never been to the Philippines, have you? To everyone else: I think that I made a big mistake even going to the German embassy to begin with. I know that now. When I try the trip again in a few years i'll go to the French emabssy.
Thanks for all your input.

No ultraviolet stamp was placed on the passport.

afaik, as long as you show your bank statements and your itinerary, and give them a letter indicating that you are going to finance every step of your girlfriend's trip, then there shouldn't be any problem