Need Answers to Re-entering Countries in Continental Europe

You don't say what nationality you and your daughter are, that affects the answer.

The 90/180 rule applies to the Schengen Area, of which neither Ireland or the UK are members.
The rule says non-EU/Schengen citizens are only allowed in the Schengen Area for 90 days in any 180.
"once you leave continental Europe, you cannot return within 90 days" - that is wrong, you can leave and re-enter the Schengen Area as many times as you want, so long as you never exceed the "90 days in any 180" limit.

Ireland has its separate own limits, but if your daughter has an internship, I am sure her employer has sorted any permissions and paperwork.
As none of you are planning to be in the Schengen Area over 90 days - no problem.
With Google the trick is to know what to search for, google "Schengen Area" and you will get lots of hits.

We are US citizens, sorry! (I'm a newbie to this site, but should have thought about it as I posted.) Thanks so much for the information! :)

And for reference, both Ireland and the UK allow up to 6 months of stay, so no problem there either, and you can exit and re-enter as well.

Yes, that's the rules 90 days in 180 days. If it's enforced (at least for Americans) that's another question. I go there once to twice a year and they never count days. I know people who spent one year there and when they were flying from Vienna to Toronto with Canadian passport, they stamped it and said: Have a nice flight. This is not meant as encouragement to do something similar because you never know.

Ilja, FYI it was announced a few days back that in future all entrances and exits from Schengen will be recorded centrally and checked against a wanted persons list. http://www.dw.com/en/eu-to-toughen-up-external-border-security-in-its-fight-against-terrorism/a-38330885
So maybe in the future a centralised count of days will be kept.
This story of course got mangled in the press and led to many misleading headlines and panic posts on this forum, but that is to be expected.

I don't know why someone would post, "if it is enforced." There have been several postings on this site from people who have been caught exceeding the 90 day limit and the resulting fines and one person being ban from re-entry for two years. I am sure that some have "slipped by" but I would not want to chance it given how severe the fines can be.

" she read somewhere that once you leave continental Europe, you cannot return within 90 days"

That would be correct only if the visitor had spent 90 days in the Schengen area Visitors are allowed to spend no more than 90 days in any 180 day period, and that includes arrival and departure days. Since your daughter would only be spending "30+ days" then she should have no problem re-entering for a visit to Rome. Passports are stamped both on entry and exit from the Schengen area so they know how long each person has spent there.

And for reference, both Ireland and the UK allow up to 6 months of stay, so no problem there either, and you can exit and re-enter as well.

I thought Ireland only allows 90 days max as well? Her internship sponsor told her she would need a visa if she were planning to stay more than 90 days in Ireland? Thanks for any additional info!

Thanks so much for the information, everyone. We appreciate it!

travelnut,

Although this site is rather lengthy, the blue sidebar titled Common Travel Area provides a summary of the rules. Since your daughter will be entering through Ireland, the rules may be different than entering via the U.K.......

http://wikitravel.org/en/United_Kingdom

There are a number of special arrangements between the USA and the Republic of Ireland particularly for young / students, such as the US-Ireland Working Holiday Agreement and the Intern Visa Programme. None of these though affect the access to the Schengen area as outlined above.

'Regular' tourist visits to Ireland have a three month limit.

Note that the UK and the Republic of Ireland view the CTA rather differently.

And for reference, both Ireland and the UK allow up to 6 months of stay, so no problem there either, and you can exit and re-enter as well.
I thought Ireland only allows 90 days max as well? Her internship sponsor told her she would need a visa if she were planning to stay more than 90 days in Ireland? Thanks for any additional info!

Yeah, it can get confusing when adding in limits of the Common Travel Area, but...

Yes, you are correct, Ireland itself limits you to 90 days on a visa waiver from the US. The UK allows up to six months. The CTA allows free travel between the two (more so for Irish and UK residents, but most border checks between the areas have been discontinued. Ireland (and the UK for that matter) do not specifically control time before re-entry like the Schengen area, though border agents have a wide discretion to allow or not allow.

In your daughters case, just going to Ireland and not leaving, even to the UK, would need to leave in 90 days. Going to the Schengen area is no problem for 30 days. If she should need to return to Ireland, it gets fuzzy, but they would likely allow her in. If she went instead to the UK, no problem, she would get in and have up to 6 months. If she then traveled to Ireland from the UK, she may not even have her passport checked (or may), but likely would be allowed in, technically she would be under the UK visa waiver at that time, even in Ireland. Then returning to the Schengen area will be no problem, assuming she stays no more than 60 days.

In the end, yes, it is messy, but it looks like you are fine.

Let's clarify a few things because you have gotten good information and bad information.

Everything I write is in regard to U.S. citizens......

U.S. Citizens can enter Ireland for up to three months. Since she will be there for an internship you had better make sure she doesn't need a special visa. Just because Americans can enter Ireland for up to 3 months doesn't guarantee them entry. If they define that internship as "work" she will need a work visa.

Entering the UK from Ireland won't be a problem and there are no border checks.

Entering and re-entering Schengen for the time period you noted is no problem.

Every time you enter or re-enter the UK you will go through immigration. (Not part of Schengen).

One last thing, even though you won't be doing this....if you are a U.S. citizen traveling from the UK to Ireland, you will go through immigration in Ireland. The CTA is for British and Irish citizens. While Britain allows everyone to enter from Ireland without passport control, Ireland doesn't.