Island residents welcome to the idea
A former Douglas councillor wants to approach the government for its support in introducing satellite Visa Facilitation Services centre for Isle of Man residents.
For those with a British or European passport, a visa is not required to travel to Europe for short visits less than 90 days.
It's as South Africans, Filipinos, Chinese and other nationalities on the Island are required to apply for a Schengen visa in order to travel to Europe.
“Part of the government's job is to make the Isle of Man an attractive place to live with a good quality of life. This, I think, is definitely part of it because it helps with your freedom to travel, which is so important these days.” - Frank Schuengel
Frank, who is German, is married to a Filipino national and has described the visa application process as 'cumbersome':
HOW TO APPLY:
You must apply via the consulate or embassy of the country where you'll spend the most time which is based in the UK, by completing the online form, gathering documents (passport, photos, insurance, financial proof, flight/hotel bookings), scheduling an appointment and attending in person
IS THIS WELCOMED?
Manx Radio reached out to a number of residents asking if they'd welcome a satellite office here.
For Alice Vosloo, after having to pay £350 on top of the visa fee just for an agent, she’s decided not to travel to Europe again:
Wilna Gerber says because the South African passport is ranked 53rd on the Henley Passport Index, South Africans can only enter just over 100 destinations without a visa, none of which are in Europe.
"I would have to travel up to two days to enter those destinations, while Europe is just a few hours away"
She believes there will be plenty of benefits for the Island if it was to consider a satellite station:
David Barnett says there are too many hoops to jump over:
Jasmine Mulholland, who travels frequently to Germany, says the process is easier in South Africa.
She says she tried for months to book an appointment and even went to the lengths of contacting employees on LinkedIn to see if they could further assist her:
Parent Kas Haricharan, who first had to go through the process about four years ago, says she learnt about the system the hard way:
Glen Olsen, who was quoted £1,085 per person for an agent to travel to the Island for a home visit, says the opportunity would be economically beneficial for the Island as well:
VFS as well as the departments of Treasury, Home Affairs and Enterprise have been contacted for a comment.
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