Hi,
I am planning to travel to Europe in May.
I want to fly into London since I can stay for 6 months on my US passport.
What happens if I leave the UK to travel to the european mainland? I would like
to take the Eurostar from Pacreas Station to Brussels Midi.
What happens with my 6 months visa? Will it still be valid while I travel through
other european countries?
Or is there passport controls in Belgium where I will get the usual 90 days travel visa?
Eurostar London - Brussels
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You don't "get" any visas. Assuming you are an Americn citizen visiting as a tourist you have 6 months in the UK (minus time you spend in Schengen) and 90 days in Schengen (nothing to do with time in the UK). Going to the UK first does not get you any more time in Schengen.
And there are no physical visas - just dates of entry and exit. The problem is if you overstay and are caught - which can result in significant fines and bans on reentry.
Calling St Pancras station "Pancreas" was funny the first time someone thought of it. That was a long time ago.
The first time a non-European who doesn't need a visa (such as most American tourists) arrives at a UK immigration desk, he'll likely be given permission to stay for six months. That permission expires the moment he leaves Britain for any reason.
Each time, his permission to remain is reviewed by the UK Border Agency official at the port of entry (which, in the case of a train from Brussels, is Brussels). There's no hard and fast rule about this: he'll be readmitted - usually for six months - if the official believes he's still a legitimate tourist, he'll be instantly deported (or denied boarding permission) if there's reasonable grounds to believe he intends working here illegally or becoming a charge on the public purse, and he'll either be detained or given permission to stay for a few days to pack if further enquiries are needed.