tessakeel

Hello all! I have a couple questions I'd like to be clarified:
I'm preparing to leave for a 4 month long trip backpacking around Europe with a few friends. The plan is that we'd leave beginning of March 2014, backpack for 3 months till June at which point my friends would be returning home (Canada). I wanted to get a cheap flight from wherever we end up to The Netherlands and stay with my relatives for an extra month, then return to Canada July 2014. I do have Dutch citizenship.
My question is; how do I go about the issue of a Visa? I know Canadians can travel for 3 months no problem (through most EU countries), but will staying an extra month in a country I have citizenship with be a problem? Especially if I was going to be flying in and out of London?
Any insight is appreciated x

mjdh1957

If you have Netherlands citizenship and travel using a Dutch passport you have the right to stay in the EU indefinitely.

Heimdall

I'm assuming you and your friends hold Canadian passports? If so, go to http://travel.gc.ca/ for official advice. The three month restriction is for Schengen countries, not the EU. Some EU countries are not in Schengen, while some non-EU countries are. See: http://www.axa-schengen.com/en/schengen-countries.

If you have a Dutch passport, as mjdh1957 pointed out, you can stay in Schengen indefinitely. That won't be of much use if you are travelling with friends who don't, though. The solution is to spend one of those four months in countries outside Schengen. You can come in and out of Schengen as often as you like, as long as the total number of days is no more than 90 out of 180.

hetismij2

As I understand it your friends are with you for 3 months, which may or may not all be in Schengen, in which case they don't need visas.

However it is important that you enter (and exit!)the Schengen zone on your Dutch passport, not your Canadian one. Otherwise you have the same 90 day rule as any other Canadian citizen.

sparkchaser

The three posters above me are all correct.

alanRow

UK isn't in Schengen even though it's in the EU so any time spent there doesn't count towards the 90 days in 180 days from date of entry rule for Schengen.

Alec

Some people have citizenship but haven't bothered to get the passport, so if that's the case, make sure you obtain your Dutch passport before flying out to Europe, and as stated, use it exclusively, except for leaving and returning to Canada.

hetismij2

No EU passport but EU citizenship = normal Schengen rules still apply since you enter on your non EU passport.
In which case you need to spend at least a month outside Schengen, in the UK and Ireland maybe.

tessakeel

Thanks for everyone's insight!
I have both a Canadian and a Dutch passport.
So, I would use my Canadian passport to fly in and out of the UK, but for traveling within EU I'd use my Dutch one. Correct?

Fra_Diavolo

"Correct?"

Nope. You show your Canadian passport, if requested, when leaving Canada. You enter The UK on your Dutch passport. You leave the UK on your Dutch passport. You re-enter Canada on your Canadian passport. If you are asked to show your passport crossing other borders within Europe, use your Dutch passport.

BigRuss

Go with what Fra_Diavolo said. All your European travel should be on your Dutch documents.

Heimdall

There are advantages in entering the UK with a passport issued by another EU country. You won't have to fill out a landing card, and the queue for EU passport holders usually runs faster. This from the UK Border Agency website:

"If you are a national of the EU or EEA, you can use the separate EEA/EU channel, where we will usually check your passport or national identity card more quickly."

tessakeel

Aaahhh, that makes sense. Perfect, thanks for your help everyone!