u/AnyGeologist2960

Hi everyone,

I’m an Indian citizen currently living in the UK (PhD student) and I’m applying for a Schengen visa this summer. I have a slightly complex itinerary and I’m trying to figure out the correct application strategy + appointment timing.

My travel plan is:
27 Jun – 4 Jul: Academic summer school in Croatia
Return to UK
26 Jul – 2 Aug: Second academic summer school week in Italy

So overall both countries have equal duration of stay, with a return to the UK for the three week period in between. I initially thought of extending my stay in Italy for a bit as I understand I could apply to the country of main destination (longest stay). However, Croatia is my first entry and first academic programme.

I’m currently struggling to find any VFS appointment slots for Italy (London/Manchester/Edinburgh) been trying for nearly 3 weeks, while I’m unsure whether applying via Croatia would be appropriate or create jurisdiction issues.

In this kind of split itinerary, is Italy clearly the correct consulate to apply through?

Any tips for securing VFS Italy/Croatia slots in the UK this close to summer, or am I too late?

I already have the invitation letter from the summer schools and can provide full documentation (accommodation, insurance, etc.).

Just trying to avoid making a mistake with the application country or timing.

Thanks in advance!

In light of recent events, I couldn’t help but draw similarities between the last time Bahrain was properly attacked (not counting the singular Iraqi Scud in 1991) and the recent Iranian strikes.

In October 1940, at the height of WWII, 4 Italian aircraft flew in one of the longest bombing raids attempted at the time to strike Bahrain’s oil infrastructure. The attack itself caused limited physical damage, but the consequences for Bahrain were enormous.

As I went through historic documents and some really good blog posts discussing the event, what struck me most was how familiar some of the emotions sounded even across eighty years: fear of distant wars reaching us, uncertainty about the future, and the realisation that our small islands are never fully insulated from regional conflict.

So I ended up writing a full long-form article about it. Would genuinely love feedback, corrections, or family stories from anyone whose relatives remember wartime Bahrain.