VISA's for cyclists

OcTaLL · May 19, 2007

Is there anybody that might be able to assist cyclists who wants to ride in Europe with VISA's.

Not everybody has 50K in their bank accounts to obtain VISA's to go and ride in Europe.

I for one and I think there are many others like me were offered for the second year and a row to ride for a small semi-pro team in Belgium, but I have to get there on my own strength and finances. Once there I get full support from the team.

I tried last year to get a VISA but I know that one must not even let the Belgium Consulate smell that you want to cycle there, they diss your app imediately.

Sammajoor · May 19, 2007

How can we help

OcTaLL · May 19, 2007

I don't know. If anybody knows how to get a VISA or help me to get one without all this red tape of having a truck load of money.

I tried the SACF and they simplee told me that it is my problem...

Now that's promoting cycling in SA. HAHA

Oiltrash · May 19, 2007

To get the schengen visa don't even bother with the dutch or belgium embassy and even the french for that matter..they are pains in the arse...the spanish embassy was far easier and friendly for me.....

I suggest you contact a company called Visazone: www.visaszone.co.za

They are excelent for dealing with the embassy's (for a small cost of course)....

Breeze · May 19, 2007

We applied for visas at the Belgium consulate - done that the past couple of years already. They know us very well and I put on all the visa applications that we are going cycling.

I just give them all the info they need. Every rider got a letter from their bankmanager - you need to show that after arrangements for accomdation, you have enough money to support yourself abroad. It is R300 per day - since you can only get 90 days on a tourist visa - you should be able to proof that you have R27000 in you bank account. Best to put the money you have for the ticket etc in you bank account - before you issue tickets etc - then get a letter from the bank and then you can use the money to pay for all your arrangements.

Another option is that your semi-pro team organizes you a working permit - this however takes about 3 months as all the originals need to go in at Belgium Consulate after being done by the Belgium company- then it goes back to Belgium to be approved and then everything comes back. They also get approvals from their minister of sports etc etc. So you would have to start early in the year with that. You have to be 18 years of age.

What you can also do is go on a tourist visa - and then ask you team to assist to obtain a longer visa - but this can not be guarenteed.

I picked up our passports yesterday at the Belgium Consulate and asked about the days etc that was issued because if for instance the 2 riders that are finished with school wanted to stay longer - the guys just warned me to rather be safe than sorry and stick to the rules, apply on that side for more days, because they are keeping an eye on the cyclists now.

If Belgium and the other European countries were not strickt with their visas, they would have the same problem as SA. We let every Jan Rap come into the country and take our jobs, giving us one of the highest unemployment rate for 'developed' countries, where we should rather do the same as the Europeans protect our people by applying the same type of system.

I also saw yesterday that the Belgiums also have a new system for people visiting friends and family in there country. I cannot remember the exact facts, but it was something like the host person must provide 3 months bankstatments showing a minimum income (or excess of the income) of Euro800 p/m for himself and then Euro 150p/m for every family member and Euro 150p/m for everybody visiting. I didn't read the whole thing as it was my turn to be helped, but maybe you can look up on this - maybe your host family / team manager can help you this way? Just don't crash bad and have to be hospitalized at races because them you might have insurance problems.

For travel information you can visit www.travelinfo.co.za - go to visa section.

Just a thought - If our federation can understand this major hickup for cyclists - the plan should be to have a pool of RSA riders and to present it to the minister of sport, in co-orporation with a 5 year plan up to the 2012 Olympics for instance and where every specific rider, management and personel fits in, so that the riders as well as management & staff can get sport ambassador passports and travel for longer than 3 months - legally. CONI for instance offer 100 'passes' to foreign athletes. Why not put a plan in place for at least 30 - 40 riders and personel for the next 5 years and see if they can not help - because I can put my head on a block that many of the riders in Europe are not always there very legally.

pedal · May 19, 2007

Breeze, how you doing?... yes you are so right. Even the pro's get a run around re exact dates, letters and all. Not easy, and sad in a way, but if you are determined, you will get there.

Good luck to all going over to Europe.

OcTaLL · May 19, 2007

Breeze: I think maybe you must do my app for me.

I went to Belgium 2years ago and last year when I tried applying my app was declined.

Note: R55000 in bank, letter from employer. Reason for declined: insufficient funds and no proof of employment, but in the app it says that you needed R27000, they even worked it out for me at the consulate. We after fighting about 2 months with them got hold of the minister of foreign affairs's office. the answer we got from them was official: Belgium stated to them that if someone is going to "cycle" in Belgium they will be earning money and therefore need a work permit.

The best thing is that the consulate told me that if I can get a letter from our SACF stating that I represent South Africa, they will grant the VISA, SACF inturn refused to give me the letter and said that it would be fraud. Note: I was in the SA Federation team at that time, in which I represented SA just a week prior to the incedent.

We were told that if we want to contest it we must appoint a lawyer in Belgium and he must fight our case there.

In my letter from the team at that stage it stated very clear that I would not be earning any money and that the team is an amateur club team.

You must be very lucky in the sense that you can actually tell them you go cycling.

The minister told us that he suggests we enter via another country because they have had many complaints over Belgium.

I have been told by other people as well to try via Spain, they are the easiest to get into.

Just a real petty our SACF would not help me.

I spoke to a very well known cyclist from South Africa that was riding overseas and he told me they would not help him either.

OcTaLL · May 19, 2007