Schengen visa: change in plans

Posted by kritikapoor on 01/25/16 09:12 PM

I could not find a forum for Europe as a whole, so posting this question here. We applied for our Schengen visa at the Netherlands consulate recently and listed 3 countries in the application form that we were planning on visiting. But our plans are changing now and we might want to visit a 4th country (Italy) which was not listed in our Schengen application form. Is this going to affect us in any way? Our new itinerary is quite different from what we planned before applying for the visa. But does the itinerary matter in any way if you have been granted the visa?

Thanks, any kind of suggestions, tips will be appreciated.

Posted by Ken

Vernon, Canada

01/25/16 09:17 PM

32212 posts

I believe it will affect the overall application. I'd suggest contacting them as soon as possible to discuss that. This is exactly why it's a good idea to have firm plans in place before involving government bureaucracy.

Posted by kritikapoor OP

01/25/16 09:19 PM

22 posts

Sorry I meant, will it affect anything if we change plans AFTER we get our visa and the application has been successful?

Posted by Chris F

Basel, Switzerland

01/25/16 10:20 PM

8889 posts

kritikapoor, it shouldn't make any difference if you add or remove a country after you enter the Schengen area.
You apply for your visa to the first country you will be visiting (where you first arrive), but it will be valid for all Schengen countries. It will look like this. It won't list countries, it will just say "Schengen countries".

And anyway, once you are inside the Schengen Area there are no border controls (that is the whole point of the Schengen Area), so there are no checks which countries you go to. I travel between Schengen countries all the time. I have my passport with me (as you have carry a passport as ID), but it never leaves my pocket.

Posted by Lee

Lakewood, Colorado

01/25/16 11:29 PM

19092 posts

Since Kritikapoor "applied" for a Schengen visa at a consulate, I assume he(?) is a citizen of a country for which Schengen visas are not automatic, like they are for US citizens. I'm not sure any of us are experts on this kind of visa. Are the countries included in this kind of visa important? (They did ask for the information) That is something he should ask the consulate where he got the visa.

Yes, there are (almost) no border checks in the Schengen zones, so no one will probably know where he goes. But if something happens, and he is in a country where he is not authorized to be, is that a problem? And in Italy, hotels write down your passpost information and give it to the police.