Schengen zone restrictions

[Ju.Ca]

I have just read that staying in a schengen zone country (ie the EU countries) is restricted to 90 days & then have to leave & not return for 90 days. Applying for a visa to individual countries can get around this but is complicated. Anyone have experience of this restriction to 90 days & is it simply you have to return to the UK? We planned to retire & tour around Europe for well over 90 days.

 

[Wagoneer]

Well, I knew about this restriction before the referendum in 2016 and voted accordingly.

You are correct, you are allowed 90 days in the Schengen zone in a rolling 180 day period. So, basically you have to return to UK or another non-schengen country for 90 days (say, Morocco) before entering the Schengen zone again.

 

[Potty]

This is not the situation at the moment or for the rest of the year but probably would be after that, depending on what deal is reached with the EU after Brexit. it will not mean that you have to return to the U.K. but would have to go to a non-Schengen country. Google for these countries.

 

[pete4x4]

You can apply for an annual visa for a country but then that only allows you to visit another Schengen country for 90 days in 180, what I'm not clear about is whether having spent 90 days in one country other than the country you have the visa for you, can then move on to another country for 90 days or do you have to return to the visa country first for 90 days etc. And with no borders between european countries how would they know

 

[ceejayt]

Non schengen countries - there is a list here at this link

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[Onemanandhisdog]

Non schengen countries - there is a list here at this link

Hmm, Monaco eh, hadn't thought about that one, could rough it there for a while!

 

[BreweryDave]

 

[DBK]

Even the EU's own website says getting visas to stay more than 90 days is difficult. Without an address it could be even more difficult.

Know one knows what the arrangements are going to be as the EU side have recently said if the UK wants a tariff free trade deal then free movement must remain. This obviously clashes with the UK government's current position so we will just have to wait and see.

Sadly for the OP my guess is what they are planning to do may not be possible after the end of the transition period but who knows?

The only option might be to move to a Schengen country and apply for residency but that will be harder than it is now and proof of the ability to pay medical costs etc. will be needed.

 

[Figaro]

This assumes that someone is going to bother to track your movements across Europe ?
Is the infrastructure in place to do that ?
Even if it's possible to do, which is no simple task, will there be a desire to restrict tourists.

 

[2x2camper]

This assumes that someone is going to bother to track your movements across Europe ?
Is the infrastructure in place to do that ?
Even if it's possible to do, which is no simple task, will there be a desire to restrict tourists.

No one is going to track you across Europe.

What there will do is record your entry and exit out of the Schengen area.

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[ceejayt]

This assumes that someone is going to bother to track your movements across Europe ?
Is the infrastructure in place to do that ?
Even if it's possible to do, which is no simple task, will there be a desire to restrict tourists.

You will definitely be registered going from Non Schengen to Schengen - there has to be a passport check. You will be checked again when you leave Schengen to non Schengen and you WILL be caught for an overstay. It might seem like a minor infringement to us but it is taken very seriously.

 

[Onemanandhisdog]

It's on a rolling basis isn't it?

So you can spend 3 months in France and Spain for instance, pop to Morroco for a month or two, then have that time back to meander to Andorra say, spend 2 or 3 weeks in Andorra and then have that 2 or 3 weeks to head back for a ferry tunnel if you are going home?

 

[ceejayt]

It's on a rolling basis isn't it?

So you can spend 3 months in France and Spain for instance, pop to Morroco for a month or two, then have that time back to meander to Andorra say, spend 2 or 3 weeks in Andorra and then have that 2 or 3 weeks to head back for a ferry tunnel if you are going home?

it is 90 days in any 180 day period starting from your first entry into Schengen - you need to keep an eye on it

 

[BreweryDave]

ITS REALLY SIMPLE!


No change until after 31/12/20
And even after then it will depend on the terms of the deal, which isn’t yet known.

Thats the position right now. Anything else is guesswork.

Whatever happens, your passport is scanned and recorded on exit and entry from the U.K. irrespective of where you go whether in Europe or elsewhere.

Even having ‘residency’ in an eu country STILL restricts you to the 90 day rule in other eu countries, but allows you to stay in your country of residence full time.

There is no such thing as a long term‘tourist’ visa for the Schengen zone.
The days of uk snowbirds spending more than 3 months in Beni ( including travelling time) will be over.

End of story. ?

 

[ceejayt]

eg I enter France on 1st January and exit Schengen into Turkey on say 28th February. I stay in turkey all of March and then return to France on 1st April - I will still only have 29 days I can stay in Schengen between 1st April and 30th June.

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[AXO66]

This assumes that someone is going to bother to track your movements across Europe ?
Is the infrastructure in place to do that ?
Even if it's possible to do, which is no simple task, will there be a desire to restrict tourists.

We will be tracked by logging our passport number when we enter the schengen area, then logged out when we leave, and the maths will be done.

Look up entry to schenegn are for usa, new zealand tourists, looks like we will be in the same boat.
if you stay over you become an illegal immigrant and can be fined and even banned from enterying for a number of years, hopefully it will only be a warning, but who knows.

ps you can apply to any country in the EU for a work permit or educational visa, and that seems to be about it., hope I am wrong though.

 

[nicholsong]

This assumes that someone is going to bother to track your movements across Europe ?
Is the infrastructure in place to do that ?
Even if it's possible to do, which is no simple task, will there be a desire to restrict tourists.

You will not be tracked within Schengen area but when you leave a Schengen country and your entry to the first Schengen country shows a date more than 90 days previously then you could be in deep trouble/prison.

Of course you could stay undetected till you die.

 

[peterc10]

The website ceejayt listed is American based and is for US citizens. Whether it will be relevant to us in the future will depend upon what happens at the end of this year.

People seem to be getting membership of the Schengen Zone mixed up with membership (or not) of the EU. Not all members of the EU are members of the Shengen zone and not all members of the zone are members of the EU. The UK never was part of the zone and AFAIK there were no plans to join it even if Brexit did not happen. There are other members of the EU that are not in the zone, such as Ireland.

The Schengen zone is about borders rather then relationships between countries. They will in the future be introducing their equivalent of the USA's ESTA form for all visitors from countries outside the zone, for which there will be a fee to pay. It is not a Visa to stay as such, it is about security and entitlement to enter the zone. As the UK was not a member of the zone we will be required to purchase this even if we stayed in the EU.

 

[ceejayt]

The website ceejayt listed is American based and is for US citizens. Whether it will be relevant to us in the future will depend upon what happens at the end of this year.

Yes, but it does give list of the non Schengen countries in Europe (although it counts England, Wales and Scotland separately )

I was just after providing a swift list

 

[Skez]

We planned to retire & tour around Europe for well over 90 days.

I think you have a number of choices at this point in time:

1. Change you retirements plans to accommodate the 90 in 180 rule (go to the Schengen website where there is a useful calculator which will assist with how much longer you have left 'in the zone').
2. Wait and see if we strike a deal which will continue to allow unfettered travel with the Schengen zone (unlikely I think).
3. Take the advice of those who say 'Nothing will change - they will never know where you are and how long you've been there' and carry on with your plans as they are. Misguided in my opinion. Your stay in the zone will be calculable when you cross the zone borders. Penalties for overstaying are down to the individual country where your overstay is identified.

We had the same plans as you. However we will take option one for planning purposes, and consider it a bonus if option 2 becomes available after the transition period. Unfortunately it really is a question of wait and see, but being realistic with your longer term plans.

Good luck with your retirement and happy travels!

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[Offagain]

with no borders between european countries how would they know

Phone location, ANPR cameras, use of bank cards etc

 

[Manxcat]

After this year long term travel around Europe will be history, unfortunately. We are likely to do an 8 week trip May/June then a later 4 or 5 week trip in about September. Watching the schengen calculator closely.

 

[Pete5996]

It's on a rolling basis isn't it?

So you can spend 3 months in France and Spain for instance, pop to Morroco for a month or two, then have that time back to meander to Andorra say, spend 2 or 3 weeks in Andorra and then have that 2 or 3 weeks to head back for a ferry tunnel if you are going home?

Andorra, although not a Schengen country, by virtue of being land-locked by Schegen countries is treated as such so there's no refuge there - this explains everything....

 

[Spriddler]

I guess I could leave the m/h 'over there' and take a cheapy flight home for 90 days, then fly back to it, having had my passport stamped both ways.
I could tour with my son's caravan for the 90 days back here.

 

[AXO66]

One variable not yet discussed is the attitude of UK govt towards EU citizens in this country.
will they limit their releatives travel to the 90 day rule, will they distinguish between EU with residency in the UK ( settled status) and EU tourist? If so how will the EU reciprocate?

Will all become clearer this year.

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[sciac2001]

Is the 90 day allowance based on a Calendar block period or on actual days spent in the zone?
Ie: if halfway through a Schengen zone tour we “pop in” to Andorra, Croatia or any other non-Schengen areas for a week or whatever, is the time spent in these non-Schengen places credited towards your 90 days?

 

[Spriddler]

I have also read that even now if you are abroad for more than 90 days your NHS cover lapses, but I've no idea how my local health centre would know.

 

[Spriddler]

if halfway through a Schengen zone tour we “pop in” to Andorra,

No good going to Andorra. See post no. 23 made just 20 minutes and 4 messages before yours.

 

[sciac2001]

Ok, lets make it Gibraltar then!

 

[ceejayt]

Is the 90 day allowance based on a Calendar block period or on actual days spent in the zone?
Ie: if halfway through a Schengen zone tour we “pop in” to Andorra, Croatia or any other non-Schengen areas for a week or whatever, is the time spent in these non-Schengen places credited towards your 90 days?

No, and apparently Andorra doesn't count. You need to start counting 180 days from the day you set foot in Schengen Simple Example: go on January 1st - by June 30th you must not have spent more than 90 days in Schengen area - that means you need to find 90 days outside of Schengen if you intend to be out of the UK for the entire 6 months eg spend 90 days in Turkey

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