I've looked around to find the answer to this but couldn't find something specific to my situation so here goes.... I'm planning on a 3 month trip to Europe next summer. The idea is that we will fly into Iceland (non-EU), stay there for a few days, then head down to Croatia (non-EU). Since there are no direct flights from Iceland to Croatia, we will most likely have a layover in London or Germany. Will we have to get a Schengen stamp as we go through customs even though we are just laying over? Or will our Schengen 90-day start when we leave Croatia and enter EU country? Help! Man, let's just hope Iceland and Croatia don't enter the EU before next summer, though they are in the process...yikes!
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23351 posts
England is not a part of Schengen zone either but German and once you can gone through immigrations in Germany the clock starts but it is 90 days out of the next 180 days. But from that point on you need to keep some records of when you are out of the Schengen zone should be ask to prove that you have not overstayed the 90 days from that first stamp.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
"let's just hope Iceland and Croatia don't enter the EU before next summer" Actually, Iceland is already a member country of the Schengen Agreement (see the State Dept site below to confirm this). http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_4361.html
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19118 posts
First, there is the European Union, which consists of almost every country in Western Europe and a few that were Eastern Union. There are no customs between EU countries. Then there are Schengen countries - essentially the EU minus Ireland, UK, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. You are only subject to passport control when you enter the Schengen zone. From then on, there should not be any checks when going from one country in the zone to another. This is how I understand the Schengen 90 day limit works. Iceland is a Schengen country. When you enter, one 180 day period starts, and you cannot be in the Schengen zone for more than 90 days during the next 180 days. If, after 3 days you leave Iceland for the UK, the cummulative days will stop. You can still only spend another 87 more days in the Schengen zone during the next 177 days. If you go to Germany, even if you are just passing through, you have not left the Schengen zone; the cummulative days will continue until you pass out through passpost control. When you leave Croatia and re-enter the Schengen zone, you will start adding cummulative days to the first 180 day period. You will also start another 180 day period. You can not exceed 90 days in the Schengen zone in ANY 180 day period.