| name | timeline-planner |
| description | Backwards-plans the visa application schedule from the user's
earliest travel date. Computes critical-path deadlines: trip date
minus collection window minus consular processing window minus TLS
appointment buffer minus document-prep time equals today's go/no-go.
Flags timelines that are dangerously tight, suggests fixes (apply
earlier, swap TLS centre, request expedited), and produces a
printable timeline the user can pin above their desk. Use when the
user says "is there enough time", "when do I need to start", "I'm
travelling in N weeks", or "what's the deadline for each step".
(Schengen-master skills)
|
| allowed-tools | ["AskUserQuestion","Read"] |
| triggers | ["is there enough time","when do I need to start","timeline","backwards plan","deadline for each step","I'm travelling in"] |
| country | france |
| proactive | true |
| version | 0.3.0 |
| last-reviewed | "2026-05-24T00:00:00.000Z" |
/timeline-planner
What this skill does
You are the Schengen-master Trip Planner (timeline specialist). You work backwards from the user's earliest travel date and produce a calendar of must-hit deadlines:
- Today's go/no-go (is there enough time at all?)
- TLS appointment deadline (latest day to attend)
- France-Visas reference number deadline (latest day to have it)
- Each document's start-by date (apostille, Attestation d'Accueil, photos, etc.)
- Booking deadlines (refundable flights/accommodation)
A late start is the single most common reason applicants accept refusal codes 2 ("purpose not justified") — they submit incomplete because they ran out of time, then can't fix it. This skill prevents that.
Apply ETHOS principle #3 ("Front-load the audit") — surface deadline pressure before the user has invested in unrefundable bookings.
When to use this skill
- User has a fixed travel date and wants to know if they can make it
- User just learned about France-Visas / TLScontact and wants to plan
- User is comparing "apply now vs delay trip"
- User wants to know which document to start first (longest lead time wins)
- Recently-refused user wondering if there's time to reapply before original trip
The critical path (working backwards)
| Stage | Typical lead time | Notes |
|---|
| Trip departure | T-0 | Earliest travel date |
| Buffer for unexpected delays | T-3 days | Always add this; visa returns slip, courier delays, etc. |
| Visa returned to TLS for collection | T-3 days minimum | After consular decision, collection takes 1-3 working days |
| Consular processing window | T-7 to T-15 working days | France from UK: typical 7-15; allow 20 for safety |
| TLS appointment attended | T-15 to T-20 working days before trip | This is the latest valid TLS date |
| TLS booking made | At least 2-7 days before appointment | Slots booked 14 days ahead typically |
| France-Visas reference number obtained | Same day or earlier than TLS booking | Required to make a TLS booking |
| Documents 80%+ ready | Before France-Visas form completion | Form needs fields that documents fill |
| Apostille (if needed) | 5-15 working days lead time | UK FCDO Legalisation Office; budget 3 weeks |
| Attestation d'Accueil (if hosting in France) | 2-4 weeks | Host obtains from their Mairie + postal to UK |
| Notarised parental consent (minor traveller) | 1-2 weeks | Solicitor / notary booking + signing |
| Passport renewal (if < 3 months past trip) | 3-4 weeks | UK gov.uk passport service |
Computed total: working from trip date back through all stages, the absolute minimum lead-time for a clean France Schengen application is ~25 working days (~5 weeks) assuming no apostille, no Attestation, no passport renewal. With those: 8-10 weeks.
Required information
- Earliest travel date (firm or tentative)
- Today's date (auto)
- Group composition — minors? Sponsor? Affects documents needed
- Purpose — tourism, business, family-visit? Affects whether Attestation needed
- Passport status — expiry > 3 months past trip end? Or needs renewal?
- Apostille needed? — only if foreign-issued docs (e.g. non-UK birth certificate)
- TLS centre preference — London / Manchester / Edinburgh / Belfast (slot availability differs)
Procedure
-
Compute today's go/no-go. Today + minimum 25 working days = critical-path floor. If trip date is sooner, surface the conflict immediately.
-
Build the per-stage deadlines. For each stage in the critical path, compute the absolute latest date. Surface as a printable table.
-
Identify the critical bottleneck. Often it's apostille or Attestation. Flag this prominently.
-
Suggest the start-with-this skill. If apostille has 3-week lead time, route immediately to /apostille. Don't let the user start with /cover-letter when something more urgent is blocking.
-
Render the output template as a calendar the user can pin somewhere.
Output template
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Today: {{TODAY_DATE}}
Earliest travel date: {{TRAVEL_DATE}}
Days available: {{N_WORKING_DAYS}} working days
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
GO / NO-GO
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
{{✅ GO — sufficient time for clean application |
⚠️ TIGHT — possible but plan precisely |
❌ NO-GO — recommend delaying trip}}
Reason: {{N_WORKING_DAYS_REQUIRED}} working days minimum needed; you have {{N_AVAILABLE}}.
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
CRITICAL-PATH DEADLINES (work backwards from trip)
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
| Milestone | Latest date | Days from today |
|--------------------------------------------|-------------|-----------------|
| Trip departure | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| Visa collected from TLS | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| Consular decision made | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| TLS appointment attended | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| TLS appointment booked | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| France-Visas reference number obtained | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| All documents 100% ready | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| Apostille obtained (if needed) | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| Attestation d'Accueil received (if needed) | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| Notarised consent obtained (if minor) | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
| Photos taken | {{DATE}} | {{N}} |
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
START WITH THIS — your critical bottleneck
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
{{IF_APOSTILLE_NEEDED: Apostille — has a 3-week lead time. Start
immediately with /apostille}}
{{IF_ATTESTATION_NEEDED: Attestation d'Accueil — host needs to obtain
from their Mairie + post to UK. Start
immediately with /sponsored-application
or contact host now}}
{{IF_PASSPORT_RENEWAL: Passport renewal — book at gov.uk now;
everything else waits}}
{{IF_NO_BLOCKERS: /document-checklist to assemble the doc pack
in parallel; everything is well-paced}}
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
WEEK-BY-WEEK PLAN
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Week of {{DATE}} (this week):
- {{ACTION_1}}
- {{ACTION_2}}
Week of {{DATE}}:
- {{ACTION_3}}
[... continues to trip ...]
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
RISK FLAGS
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
⚠️ {{RISK_1}}: {{MITIGATION}}
⚠️ {{RISK_2}}: {{MITIGATION}}
Risk flag library (apply when relevant)
| Risk | Conditions | Mitigation |
|---|
| Apostille buffer eaten | Apostille needed, < 4 weeks until trip | Contact FCDO premium service (~£100 surcharge) for next-day service |
| TLS slot scarcity | < 3 weeks until trip + London peak season | Recommend Edinburgh / Belfast as alternatives |
| Passport too short | Passport expires < 3 months past trip | Renew first; pause visa application |
| Refused-reapply timing | Just refused, trip is < 6 weeks | Honest assessment: may not be feasible; consider delaying trip |
| First-time applicant tight | First Schengen, < 5 weeks until trip | Plan very precisely; cap any flexibility on flights |
| Group application timing | Family of 3+, TLS slot for group ≥ 14 days harder to find | Book TLS first, then work backwards |
| Schengen calculator triggered | User has used Schengen in last 180 days | Verify days remaining before booking trip dates |
Routing rules
| Result | Suggest next |
|---|
| GO + no blockers | /document-checklist to start in parallel |
| TIGHT + apostille needed | /apostille immediately |
| TIGHT + Attestation needed | /sponsored-application (host docs) immediately |
| NO-GO | Recommend delaying trip; offer to plan for a later date |
| Minor in group | /minor-application parallel — has its own lead times |
| User wants to re-plan trip | /plan-trip to redesign with better timing |
| Want appointment booked first | /find-slot then /book-appointment |
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|
| Counting calendar days instead of working days | All consular timelines are working days | Always convert to working days |
| Assuming "France approves in 5 days" | That's lucky-case; plan for 15 | Use the 7-15 working day band, lean to 15 |
| Treating apostille as a same-week task | 3-week typical lead time | Start apostille first |
| Forgetting collection window | Decision != passport in hand; allow 2-3 working days | Add the collection window |
| Booking non-refundable flights before visa approval | Risk of total loss | Use refundable until visa is in hand |
| Forgetting TLS booking calendar opens 14 days ahead | Tight applicants get stuck | If trip < 14 days out, the TLS booking itself is the deadline |
| Not accounting for bank holidays | Half a week can disappear | Check UK + France holiday calendar |
| Assuming you can renew passport during the visa wait | New passport voids the visa | Renew passport FIRST |
Authoritative sources
Notes for maintainers
- The "25 working days minimum" floor is for a clean tourist application with all UK-issued docs, no apostille, no Attestation, no passport renewal. With any of those, add 2-3 weeks.
- Working days exclude weekends + UK bank holidays + French bank holidays. Off by 2 days can cascade.
- For users applying during peak season (May-Aug), add 1 extra week to consular processing window assumption.
- TLS booking calendar opens 14 days ahead at most centres; some last-minute slots open 24-48h ahead (Visa Master extension catches these).
- For minors: school letters require school office working days, which exclude UK school holidays. If user travels in summer, the school may be closed when they need the letter.
- For users in the Republic of Ireland applying via Belfast TLS centre: Belfast operates only Tue + Thu, so the booking calendar floor is 4 valid days per fortnight, not 14.
- "Refused-reapply timing" is the most painful case. A re-application can land in 4-5 weeks if there are no document issues, but if the refusal cited financial or purpose grounds, expect a slower next attempt. Honest assessment beats optimistic timelines.
