Six month stay in Europe

I believe that if you are from outside the EU you have to contend with the Schengen requirement that you can only stay within these countries for a period of 90 days:

"Beginning 18 October 2013, any foreign national visiting the Schengen area on a short-stay visa or status will be allowed to remain in the region for a maximum cumulative stay of 90 days within any 180-day period. Before admitting a foreigner for short-term visitation, border officials will review the exit and entry stamps for the previous 180 days, counting all days spent in the territory of a Schengen area member state. The total number of days spent in the Schengen area during the last 180 days may not exceed 90 days or the foreigner will be denied entry. Furthermore, the duration of stay granted to the foreigner upon arrival will be determined by the remaining days available to the traveler when considered under the 90-day limitation."

Alex beat me to the "huge problem" your plan has with the Schengen Treaty 90 day limit. Look at some of the other questions in this section of this helpline for more details about the 90 day limit. There have been many and long discussions of this topic over the years. There are also many threads about long term rentals.

Also lots of discussion about the one way vs round trip. However this question seems to have an easy answer... a round trip is a lot cheaper than two one way tickets.

"Any huge problems we might need to consider."

As noted above, there's that pesky 90 day limit thing. To stay in Europe longer, you would need to either spend the remainder of time outside the Schengen Area (most prominent EU non-Schengen members are the UK, Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia), or apply for a long-term visitors visa to an individual country. The requirements vary, but at a minimum, they usually demand proof of adequate funds, health insurance, and lack of criminal record. Also note that a long-term visa issued by one country is not necessarily valid in other members of the Schengen Area. Usually, the assumption is that if you have a visa from a particular nation, you will spend the majority of your time there.

Get this important detail worked out before you plan any further.

"a long-term visa issued by one country is not necessarily valid in other members of the Schengen Area."

But once you are in the Schengen zone, nobody usually checks your passport. I've spent more than 140 days, total, in 10 trips and the ONLY time my passport has been checked was when I entered and left Schengen. It was never checked by anyone while I was moving around in Schengen.

As long as you fly into the country in which you have the long term visa, it shouldn't be a problem. If you don't, when you leave you'll have a Schengen entry stamp from 6 months earlier, and that could cause problems, or at least require some explaining.

Can you still get a short term (90/180 day) visa for touring other parts of Schengen when you have a long term visa for one country in Schengen? Then if you travel outside of your long term visa country, just make sure it is for less than 90 days total. But I don't know how that can be enforced. If, for instance, you have the long term visa for France, and you go to Spain, there is no border check, so who is to know you went to Spain? If someone stamps you passport while you are in Spain, how do you get the Schengen exit stamp when you go back into France?

Once you solve the big visa issue, then the second issue will be your tickets. One way tickets can be very expensive and often more than a round trip. One approach would be to book a RT ticket with a return at six months. You can always pay a change fee which would still be cheaper than two one ways. Second, call the airlines and inquire about an open ended ticket. I know they are available but not sure under what terms. When my son studied abroad, the school arrange an open end ticket. The only requirement he had was to schedule the return at least two weeks in advance. Good luck.

When do they check for those Visa's? What happens if you don't have a VISA? Once you are there - can you get a VISA from where ever you happen to be? Not trying to get out of anything, just trying to make it as easy as possible. Thank you for the information.

If you turn up at a passport check which requires a visa and you don't have one, they turn you around and send you back to your home country - on the next flight - at your expense. You are normally banned from entering any of Europe for 10 years as well. If you are found to have done this intentionally there is often a jail sentence before sending you home and banning you.

Visas cannot be obtained while in transit, you must get them before you leave home.

Good grief - I had no idea. Thank you very much.

In addition, if you rent a property for an extended period of time, the landlord is obligated to register your information with the local authorities. No visa? No rental.

Nigel stated it a little strong. But without a proper visa, you are an illegal immigrant. It has been reported that a women was fine 500E for being one day over the Schengen visa limited. Thought 90 days and three months were the same. Another poster reported that he overstayed for about 30 and was hit with a substantial fine and banned for two years from returning. The question of having and holding the proper visa is not to be taken lightly if you are hanging around for more than 90 days. That has to be the first things you solve. And it can take time to get the visa so start now. I would look to France first, as some have reported that France is the easiest.

Passport checks can and do occur at times within the Schengen Zone borders. They are rare and random, but as noted, if you are caught you will be fined and sent home at your expense. I have experienced them on trains, and others here have reported them on occasion.

And obviously any time you leave and re-enter the Schengen Zone, your passport would be checked. Passports are mostly going digital with chips and it's getting easier for border agents to document entry and departure dates and time spent within the zone.

But if you start applying for the VISAs now - I don't know what country we will be going to first. Do you need to have your itinerary finalized before starting this process? Do you need to have a place rented and ready to go?

Heck, often the airline itself in the U.S. checks for the visa when you're checking in for your departure flight -- they don't want to pay to bring you back on the next flight at their expense if you don't have the proper permissions to entry your country of destination.

Sherryl,

As Douglas mentioned, I've also seen the Passport checks occur on trains between countries. They're random and no way to predict when and where they might occur. It's best to have all the legal details sorted properly!

There are many ways you could plan your trip. For example, you could spend 90 days in the Schengen zone and then go to the U.K. for 90 days. You could also get a long stay Visa for a particular country and stay there for up to a year. However, AFAIK that doesn't allow you to exceed the 90 day limit when travelling in other countries of the Schengen zone.

For more precise information on long stay Visas, I'd suggest contacting the nearest Embassy of the country you want to start in. They will be able to provide the most accurate information.

Good luck!

So, if you spent 90 days split between the UK, Scotland and Ireland and then 90 days between France, Germany, Portugal, Italy and Croatia - you would not need a VISA? It's not getting the VISA that's the issue, it's the amount of preplanning necessary - and so much booking ahead of time. We are only planning on spending about 3-4 weeks at each place - would that require the landlord to report it?

Sherryl,

Yes, as I understand the rules that method should work. Spend your first 90 days in the U.K. and Ireland and then the final 90 days in the Schengen countries. Although Croatia is now part of the E.U., I don't believe they will be included in the Schengen zone until some time in 2015 (which could be after your trip?).

So, if you spent 90 days split between the UK, Scotland and Ireland... then 90...

Correct, but remember that any portion of a day within the Schengen area counts as one of the 90, and no more than 90. If you arrive at a minute before midnight, that day still counts; when you leave if it is a minute after midnight that day also counts.

We are only planning on spending about 3-4 weeks at each place - would that require the landlord to report it?

Yes, but that's the least of your problems.

You won't find members of the Helpline suggesting that you break or "bend" any laws.

Regarding Croatia, I have recently seen it (and posted in a previous thread after conducting independent research) that whilst Croatia is not a member of Schengen, per se, they are treating Schengen visa waiver visitors who arrive in Croatia as if they were - they enforce the 90 days and only allow entry for up to the balance remaining.

Non Schengen waiver visitors require visas to Croatia unless from the EU. It sounds complicated but it really isn't.

There was another thread in Transportation recently about being able to transit by train through Schengen if you've used up your 90 days. The answer seems to be no. When you're planning, you might leave yourself a cushion of days for just such a scenario. Stay only 85 days or so.

"a long-term visa issued by one country is not necessarily valid in other members of the Schengen Area."

I found contrary information on the site of Germany Missions to the United States, www.germany.info :

According to the so-called Schengen agreement, tourist and business visas issued by a mission of one of the following countries are valid for travel to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. However, you always have to apply at the consulate of the country which is your main destination."

On another page, "If you intend to visit several of the above-mentioned countries but do not have a primary destination, you should apply at the consulate of the country which is your first point of entry."

"I gather from other statements, that "visas issued by a mission" means visa for travel of more than 90 days, not the Schengen Short Stay Visa.

So, if you are starting in France, or if France is your primary destination, get the extended stay visa for France, and it will cover travel to the other Schengen countries.

Frank (above), I was the fellow whose daughter overstayed the Schengen zone by three days. And got a 500 Euro fine, which I paid. So, when listening to advice, remember, they can (and do) check for visas, as everything is computerized across the zone. As Lee says (and he has been a wondrous source of accurate information over the years), within the zone no one checks. It's exiting that leaves you at risk of a fine, and worse.

Hi Sherryl,
My husband and I are also planning a 6 month trip in Europe at this time....and pretty much wanting to go to the same places as you. Maybe we can share tips and information!
We both have European passports (all of our parents were born in the UK). Does anyone know if this will eliminate our need for visas in most European countries? Thankyou.

Lee, a long term visa of one of the Schengen member states gives you the right to stay 90 days out of the last 120 days in the other Schengen member states. That is very helpful and valuable for citizens of countries not covered by the visa waiver program, but irrelevant for e.g. Americans and Canadians.

Annie Mac, if 'having an European passport' means being currently a full citizen (the UK has strange 'overseas territories only' type citizenships) of an EU member state, you have the right to reside unrestricted in any EU member state. The right to move and reside freely is one of the foundational 'four freedoms' of the EU.

For Sherryl: The strategy of using a mix of non-schengen and schengen countries is often done to extend time in Europe. Just be aware that the "90 days" need not be in one block, just any 90 days in any 180 day period. Additionally, for a US passport holder, the limit for the UK (Scotland, wales, England, and Nor. Ireland) is 6 months. Ireland is also a separate stay, though with the common travel zone it can get fuzzy as to how much time you have. Regardless of your strategy, do keep some evidence of your travels (tickets, hotel receipts, etc) in case you are pulled aside and looked at a little closer. Best to have data on your side to support your position.

As for airline ticket, probably best to have a return ticket, a one way ticket is another flag that can prompt questions.

For Annie Mac;

As has been mentioned, not all forms of UK or Commonwealth passports are necessarily full citizenship and allow free travel. For that question I would consult the British Embassy, they would best know what rights your passport will give you.

Sherryl-Once you get the timing and visa situation worked out, we've had good luck on apartments thru the Websites of VRBO, HomeAway, and (in France) Gites de France. Hope all works out for you.