# Applying for an EEA family permit from Romania



## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

Greeting

First of all , I would like to thank you for this massive effort you put trying to help expats .

I'm a non-Eu citizen who has been married to and living with a Romanian citizen since 2010, i'm willing to apply for an eea family permit, i have done a decent research online, and i have some questions regarding to this matter.
Basically the most important question is:
Should i apply by filling the form VAF5 ? or i just have to apply online on the following site ?

visa4uk.fco.gov.uk

Because ,with all due respect, the family permit form on that site is sort of requiring unneeded financial mandatory information that you just can't avoid filling it (unless you type N/A which i want to ask if it's a good idea or it would affect my application).
I also have read the following post of the German male couple 

"Hi, I would be grateful for any advice on the requirements for an EEA Family Permit. 
Are there any financial requirements for me as an EEA-citizen to fulfill, so that my husband can get a visa? I am self-employed and my husband does not have an income. We also get additional support from a family member.

Also, how long does this process take in your experience - we are applying from Germany.

Thanks so much!"

(Sorry i couldn't post a link because I'm still a newbie in this forum)

but i couldn't determine that if he was applying using the VAF5 or the site.

Thank you very much.

Regards

Toraqa


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

You must apply online and writing N/A will be fine.
Financial info will only be needed if your EEA spouse has been in UK for longer than 3 months, when they are expected to be exercising treaty rights, for example, by working. 
The couple in question can apply on self-employed basis, though the above advice still stands: Financial info is only needed if the German spouse is already in UK for more than 3 months.


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

Thank you very much for your answer. i went through the application online, i have faced difficulties deciding how to fill out some required information , hope you can give me an advice about it ..

First of all i have to mention that my wife and i are going to visit a cousin who is a British citizen .

First question:

How long do you intend to stay in the UK?

Would it really matter if i fill in any period of time between 1 week and 6 months ?


Second question:

Are you being sponsored by a person(s)?

Should i just select No, or i have to say that my spouse is my sponsor, or the cousin who we are going to stay at is ?

p.s as i selected for the following question 

What is your current working status?

Supported by Spouse/Partner/Other

And i selected the same answer to the question about the EEA national 

What is their current working status?

Supported by Spouse/Partner/Other

would that affect my application in any sort of way ?
And if so, would it be better to select Self employed without giving any sort of information about her business ?

"I'm sorry i know i'm getting you bored with all the details and everything,we are almost done , hope your patience and kindness contains me   "

So here is a bunch of questions that i just said N/A to ..(hope i didn't blow it up)

How much do you spend each month on living costs?

How much of your total monthly income is given to your family members and other dependants?

What is the cost to you personally of your trip in GBP(£)?	

The total amount of money you have for this trip?

The cost of the aeroplane, boat or train tickets?

The cost of your accommodation?

The cost of your living expenses?


Finally, would attaching a bank statement of an account which was started up recently make any difference ?

Thank you very very much for your time , any help would be appreciated .
Wish you the best of times, happy holiday and may god bless you all .

:tree::xmascandle::wreath:


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Most of questions don't really affect the outcome of your application. Just answer N/A to every financial or accommodation question, or your working status.
You can select any period up to 6 months.
Don't mention your cousin or support you may hope to receive - it's irrelevant.
As I've said, the only relevant thing for you is you are a family member of an EEA citizen, you are going to UK together, and in a covering letter, your partner formally requests that EEA family permit is issued to you to enable you to accompany. No bank statement is needed.


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

I will do so, and i will keep this post updated regarding to my application .

Thank you for your time.


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

One more thing to add:
the marriage certificate is in Romanian . should i translate and notarized it ?
Also the cover letter . should it be notarized ?


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## Sel (Mar 17, 2013)

Toraqa said:


> One more thing to add:
> the marriage certificate is in Romanian . should i translate and notarized it ?
> Also the cover letter . should it be notarized ?


Your marriage should be translated into
English by a Professional translator. Your cover letter does not need to be notarized.


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

Hello everyone, about this application , some thing came up, my wife got a job offer in the UK, so we might settle down , considering that , i would like to know if i need to change any of the information i have applied such as the reason of the visit and if in such case would the permit be issued as (business activities allowed) regardless what my wife declares that she intends to excise a treaty right whilst in UK or not?
thank you


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

It doesn't make any difference. You can enter details of her job if you like (but only when she actually starts working), but you will still get the same EEA family permit. You need those details when applying for residence card in UK.


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

I see .. so just to make one thing clear ,either way the family permit comes with the ( business activities is allowed ) ,right ?


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## fatcampchamp (Jan 28, 2014)

*Helpful*

This post was very helpful for me. Thank you. I had a few questions to add to this. 
Under the EEA National tab, do I have to answer these questions or can I answer them with n/a?
Who do you live with at the moment and what is your relationship to them?
Who owns your home and what is your relationship to them?
Who supports you financially and what is your relationship to them?
What other family members do you have and where do they live?
How often do you see these family members?
I find it irrelevant to the family visa permit.


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

I have applied on 11 February, an interview/ biometric data and the application has been sent to Warsaw for upto 21 days to take a decision . The employee returned all the originals, except for my passport ofcourse, hope that won't couse me any troubles.
I will keep update untill after i get the permit ..
gl everyone.


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

Hello 
So, today my wife has got a call from the British embassy in Bucharest, she had been interviewed (exactly the same questions in my interview ) before the employee tells her the following:
my colleagues in Warsaw "since my application has been sent to Warsaw to be processed there" are asking for photos from your wedding , and proofs of living togather.
The thing is that i have attached to the application the first time i submitted it many proofs including 11 photos for my wife and I togather, and utility bills for the last 7 months.
Idk but it seems a bit unreasonable to ask for such proofs specially that we have been married since 2010, and i have been living with my wife in Romania since 2011.
there is no photos or videos available for our wedding since we had a small islamic traditional one.
I'm going to send over 75 photos and 12 videos throughout the relationship (none from any wedding) .
i have more bills to send but the problem is that my address is 
city/street/NR 51 BL I5 SC A AP 1
and the rest of the bills i have were sent to me due to a technical strategy followed by the provider of the service are on the address 
city/street/NR 47 BL I5 SC A AP 1
I have more bills on the first address but on the name of the landlord of the apartment , should i send them ?!
any help, any idea what to do . would be appreciated .

Thank you for your time.


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## okwarafrank (Mar 12, 2014)

*How to apply for eea family permit*



Toraqa said:


> Please am married to a Romanian and i want to apply for EEA FAMILY PERMIT from Romania to move to UK together with my wife. but i have searched the website to get a link to apply online and what i see is the visa4uk and it requests money and i heard that the EEA FAMILY permit is free for member family. I later found the form but its a PDF file and no way to fill it online. please i need help


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## okwarafrank (Mar 12, 2014)

*How to apply for eea family permit*



Toraqa said:


> Hello
> So, today my wife has got a call from the British embassy in Bucharest, she had been interviewed (exactly the same questions in my interview ) before the employee tells her the following:
> my colleagues in Warsaw "since my application has been sent to Warsaw to be processed there" are asking for photos from your wedding , and proofs of living togather.
> The thing is that i have attached to the application the first time i submitted it many proofs including 11 photos for my wife and I togather, and utility bills for the last 7 months.
> ...


Please can you help me with the link you used in filling the form for EEA FAMILY PERMIT


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## okwarafrank (Mar 12, 2014)

*How to apply for eea family permit*

How do i apply for EEA FAMILY PERMIT FROM ROMANIA


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

There is only one online site to apply for visa, EEA family permit etc and that's visa4uk site. If you complete the application and get to the payment site, you should find you don't have to pay. As I don't have account with Home Office, I can't personally verify it but this has been the case.


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=/User/Home
this is the site .. and it's 100% free


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

Hello,JOPPA! Can you please answer fatcampchamp's questions mentioned above ?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

N/A to all those irrelevant questions is fine.


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

Thank you very much,JOPPA! 
IF it's possible to answer a few more questions?
What is this cover letter that some people are talking about -the additional information (the last section of the application) that we wish to be considered as part of our application or something else that probably I've missed as a required document?
The question "Do you have savings.....?" is it ok to answer "Yes" and for the ammount of money : N/A ? 
As this is a second marriage for me and my husband do we need to give evidence that we are divorced with our ex-spouses.The guidence notes to the application says we need to provide evidence for each statement.We are married since 1/Jan/2012 and we live together since then and my husband is in Bulgaria(my country) since March/2013 with a residence card,renewed for a second year already.We have both -the Egyptian and Bulgarian marriage certificate.
Do we need to provide evidences that our relation started in 2009(we were working on same passenger ship) as we are married already 2 years and 3 months?
Thank you in advance for your answers,help and support!


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

I'm sorry i forgot to say that I'm Bulgarian and my husband Egyptian and we want to go to UK.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Covering letter simply states you are going to UK and would request EEA family permit to be issued to my husband.
Just put N/A to all financial questions.
Just your marriage certificate will suffice. While other evidence of a genuine relationship isn't mandated, you may like to add a little such as photos.


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

Hi,JOPPA!
May be my question is stupid but I need some explanations to make the situation clear for myself.
When I apply online in visa4uk website(for EEA FAmily Permit) I'm not sure about the steps.I should book an appointment,print the application and sign it? And next , when the appointment date comes i should go to the visa application center(500 km away) for the interview carrying with me the application printed,the cover letter and all the supporting documents to give them,right?And after I will wait for an answer. If they give a permission ,we will go again to the visa center to receive the Family permission? So ,what exactly is to apply online then ?Just for filling in the application form and book the appointment?Do i need to attach "somehow" the supporting documents online? Thank you in advance!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Just apply online, pay and book your appointment. You submit documents when you go to VAC for your biometrics.


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

Hi,JOPPA!Thank you for your help so far!I have a few more questions. There is an ambiguity in the EEA NATIONAL section of the online application for EEA FP.It is not clear whom they ask-me(EEA NATIONAL) or my husband.Logically me because it is the EEA nationa section,but.....
"Have you or the EEA national ever been married before?" -The option is Yes/NO.In our case we are both divorced and this is second marriage for us.So,what they will understand?Who was married?
"Where did you live?" - When? Where did we live when we were married before or what??? And anyway there is not enough space for both of us to answer. 
"Where did you start to live together and when did you finish living together?" First of all,here again there is an option only one of us to answer as there is 1 calendar to point a date.Second-for any reason we should give details when we divorced ,if we are married already more than 2 years?
"ARE you widowed,separated etc?" Here again only 1 person can answer because there is not enough space.And gramatically i understand that they ask for the present time but who they ask -both of us? And logically I guess they ask my husband for his previous marriage but in the EEA NATIONAL SECTION or may be they ask me? There is another section where we answered that we are married ,when we first met,when we married etc...
The online form is supposed to be very clear ,but i don't think so. What is your opinion and how we are supposed to answer? My post become very mixed-up,but i wish you could answer me.THANK YOU!


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

I was reading the VAF form and instructions for filling in and I understand the following:
My husband (Egyptian) was issued a Bulgarian ID card saying that he was given a prolonged residence permit for Bulgaria for 1 year and now he has a new card for 1 more year(till March/2015). Soooo,if he has e residence permit card for Bulgaria then we are not required to give information about our previous marriages,how long we had been living and where with our ex-spouses ,where we live at the moment,who owns the home that we live in now,what other family members my husband has and where etc...... Do I understand correct or I am wrong? Thanks in advance!


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

48 days and still w8ing , i mean is that normal ?? it says at the door of the booth where i gave my biometrics that it takes UP TO 21 days , in the website, 100% within 40 days 

UK Border Agency | Guide to visa processing times

how long would it take ?


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

and when you call the embassy in Bucharest .. the operator just answers and hangs up in ur face .. having fun with her mates . not in the mood of answering the phone .. the visa enquirers number is out of service .. it's like a jungle NO ONE CARES.
they treat u very poorly . and if u try to report them .. u just get yourself in deeper problems. 
like democracy never been in this land.


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

Hi again.If the EEA Family Permit is free of charge,is it correct the Teleperformance to ask me for The User Pay charge of £59 to use The Visa Application Center in Sofia,Bulgaria. In their website it is written that If I don't pay-my appointment will be cancelled.I already applied online and booked an appointment and registered in Teleperformance websites.What to do now-I'm scared not to cancel my appointment if i don't pay.


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

Hi JOPPA!There is only 1 VAC in BUlgaria,where Teleperformance is in charge already.When I try to track my application in their website-it gives me obligatory steps to pass:
1) REGISTER-
2) ADDED SERVICE
3) PAYMENT
4) APPOINTMENT etc.
So far only REGISTER TAB is green colour,I need to agree to pay the USER PAY charge of 59 pounds and to pay it so the other 2 tabs to turn green. Otherwise I risk my appointment to be cancalled.There is no information in the Teleperformance site that for EEA FAMILY PERMIT I should not pay 59 pounds.There isn't any phone numbers to contact the VAC. I spent all day reading and trying to find any info but unsuccessfully so far.The only thing that I found in the www.gov.uk website is about Iceland saying that " The User Pay charge will not apply to gratis or EEA Family Permit customers, who will continue to be able to submit their applications free of charge.
The User Pay charge is a global, standard fee and will apply to all Visa Applicaton Centres in the Nordic region and in the majority of EU countries. "
Please,if possible,give me an advice what to do? To pay or to wait for the appointment on 15/April if they don't cancel it by the way? Thank you in advance JOPPA!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

As it's so new, I haven't a clue, sorry.


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

HI,JOPPA! I have the following situation.In my husband's EEA FP application,under the EEA national I wrote my ID card details.Can I submit my original passport instead of the ID card? Or can I just give a simple xerox copy? I checked in a notary office and in the passport office –both they refused to stamp the xerox copy and write “a true copy of the original”.They explained to me that in my country it is not allowed this kind of authenticity of id documents.What to do?THANK YOU.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Yes, you can submit your passport.


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## Toraqa (Dec 29, 2013)

i have recently learned that my application has to be processed within 4 weeks . is that correct ?
it's been 60 days since i applied .


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

There is no time limit - only that it should be issued expeditiously.


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

Hi,Joppa! I logged in today on visa4uk and I was shocked to see the the status of my application changed from COMPLETE to INCOMPLETE.!!!!! My booked appointment is after tomorrow. Are there any reasons for this to happen?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

No idea. Turn up tomorrow and find out.


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## Elshad (Dec 26, 2012)

Hi Hasanin, 

You did not submit all supporting documents therefore, it says INCOMPLETE. You should contact them and get an update.

Kind Regards, 

Elshad


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

Hi,Elshad!
I haven't submitted any supporting documents yet.My appointment for submitting the supporting documents is tomorrow in the VAC. I applied online on visa4uk 28/March and since then till yesterday the status was Complete on their site. I have my appointment and visa application printed from 2 weeks ago.I send e-mail to visa4uk yesterday but not response yet.


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## hasanin (Mar 15, 2014)

Hi,Joppa! Thousands "thank you" for your great and priceless help.We received our EEA FP. See you soon in the next step for EEA1 and EEA2 .


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## inelia (Apr 10, 2015)

Hi, does anyone know, when you choose an appointment date for VAC in Bulgaria, how many days ahead are given to you so that to choose one?


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## youakeem (Jun 26, 2015)

*confused*

hi there 
i would like to thank you in advance for ur answer 

i am Egyptian citizen married to a Romanian citizen since almost 10 years we are living between Egypt and Romania ( winters in Egypt summers in Romania ) 
i tried on 12th of June 2015 to travel to England with my family but actually i got confused on what type of entry visa i should apply for so i applied for general visitor visa and not for family permit 
i paid the fees and priority services and i gave all the papers needed including a bank statement from my bank in Egypt with 22000 euros 
and the shocking result came to me that i was refused as i didn't have a proof of my income and how i will fund this trip and they considered that the bank statement that i provided wasn't reliable without making any investigation
the ceo mentioned in his letter that i don't have right to appeal and any further application will be likely refused 
now i have applied again but this time for a family permit however i am afraid that the first decision will affect my second application 
even now i cant give them the bank statement as they kept it there 

please advice me what should i do and if i should take any special documents with me 

i have a company in Romania should i take it registration papers or other bank statement from Romania although i don't have money in those bank accounts 
thanks in advance


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## sairatticq (Oct 5, 2015)

hi juppa, i have a question about cover letter, i have to write a title on the top of cover letter as a cover letter ?


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## mann123 (Apr 19, 2016)

Hi OKWARAFRANK , i am a pakistani citizen and married with romanian citizen i applied for romanian temporary residence permit last 2 month and still waiting for it can you please give a some information how long normally they take time and how long period they granted? thanks in advance


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

EU mandates issuance within 6 month, for 5 years, but the processing time varies widely, and often exceeded. But as you have applied under Romanian domestic law, these rules don't apply.


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