We are retired and are planning a "Grand Tour" of Europe. I understand the Shengan Treaty only allows for 90 days in the territory then we have to leave for 90 days. When we were there 5 years ago, there were no border checks (since we were in a car) so no one to stamp our passports, so it didn't matter. Is it still that way or have they started checking passports when driving into some countries?
Posted by
San Antonio TX, United States
2393 posts
Not at the borders but it will be checked when you exit. If your entry date is more than 90 days earlier it will be a problem.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15815 posts
They will stamp your passport when you enter the first Schengen state. From that moment on, you can stay 90 days. You will have to show your passport again when you leave the Schengen area to come home, that is when they stamp the exit date.
There are no passport checks within the Schengen area, so for example, if you drive from Italy to France or from Germany to Austria nobody will check your passport.
90 days will give you ample time for a long vacation. If you want to stay longer, lets say 6 months to a year or even longer, then you need to request a long term visa at the consulate of the state where you intend to stay the longer. So if you want to spend a year, most of which will be in Italy, you'd request a long term visa from an Italian consulate with jurisdiction over where you live.
To obtain a long term visa is possible, but you have to produce documentation that you have sufficient means to sustain yourself without working, that you have health coverage, etc. It's somewhat of a longer and bureaucratic process, but lots of North Americans have retired in Tuscany, where I'm from, therefore it's definitely possible.
Posted by
Houston, TX
487 posts
For further information, it is not really a 90 day in then 90 day out. It is any 90 days out of the last 180 days so "rolls" from day to day. Each day the calculation starts over but with a max of 90 days. This includes any day in the area even if it is just 1 hour where you are traveling though. There can be really large penalties for overstaying and you may also be restricted from returning in the future.
Posted by
Washington DC
27609 posts
Another thing to know is that both your arrival day and your departure day count.
Do not try to stay longer than 90 days. The penalties are too severe.
Posted by
882 posts
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
dbmallison, the information in the first link Going234 posted is wrong.
And on day 180, no matter what, you have to leave Schengen territory (even if you haven't used all your 90 days),
Not true
but you can then turn around & come back in again the next day & get a new 90/180 day period.
Also not true.
It is actually a lot simpler rule than most explanations say. You are limited to 90 days in any 180. Exactly that, no more, no less. It is recalculated every day. You must not, at any time, have been in the Schengen Area for more than 90 days in the last 180, including all arrival and departure days.
On day 180, if you have less than 90 days in the last 180, of course you can say. And if you exit and return you do not get a new 90 days, you still only have 90 in the last 180 allowed.
Simple, yes?