miccaldw

Visa question re: US student traveling to Italy for less than 90 days for a semester abroad program and would like to stay for an additional month to travel:

Looking for guidance re: which visa my daughter needs to apply for to travel to Italy in January. We reside in the US and my daughter is enrolled in a study abroad program at her home university for the spring semester. The program runs from January 30-April 27 (less than 90 days). After the semester concludes she would like to travel in Europe for approx. a month concluding with a family trip back in Italy. As of now her plans are to travel from Italy to the Netherlands, France and maybe Spain (all Schengen countries, I believe) and then back to Italy – returning to the US on May 25.

After spending time on the Italian Consulate website and contacting my Honorary Consulate office, I'm confused as to if/which visa(s) she needs...a Study Visa (even though her her study abroad program is less than 90 days), a Tourist Visa (since she will traveling after her study aboard program ends but for less than 90 days) or if she needs both or neither? And does she need to fill out the application for a National visa or a Schengen visa?

Thanks for any experience/knowledge you can share. Even if it's just a tip as to how to get someone from the Italian Consulate to answer your email/call.

janisj

There are experts who will chime in -- but AFAIK -- you can't do what you want.

If she could get a student visa (which it sounds like she can't), then she could leave Shengen after her course for even just one night ( to the UK or wherever) and then re-enter as a regular tourist.

But in the situation you laid out -- she would officially be a 'tourist' the whole time so she is limited to 90 days total.

But maybe someone else knows a get around.

marvelousmouse

Wow. Well, I see why you are confused but judging from this, you'd have to ask the consulates of the other countries she is visiting, not Italy. (The French site recommends leaving the schengen zone for at least 90 days, and that's a bit weird. It sounds like the only way she could go there is if she has a student visa covering the whole period, but I don't think that's possible to get for the time she is not enrolled. And Spain is a whole different kettle of fish).

(Below is from Italian section)
Can a student travel before or after the program?
Students must declare their presence in Italy with the local police (Questura) within 8 days of arrival so travel time prior to the start of the program must be planned accordingly. The study abroad program will provide information about the amount of time that a student can travel in Italy at the end of the program. Students who wish to travel to any other Schengen country at the end of the study program are advised to contact the consulate of that country for information.


I really think that you need to contact each consulate- whether over the phone or in person- to be absolutely sure.

Alec

No, there isn't. Visa-less Schengen rule limits one's stay to 90-in-180 days, so as she has already (nearly) used up her allotted 90 days, she cannot return to Schengen (or stay on) for further 30 days.
What you can do is to spend the month outside Schengen, such as UK or Ireland.

marvelousmouse

You know, you might want to go over to thorntree forum (lonely planet) and ask. People spend a lot of time obsessing over visas there and you can probably find something applicable to your daughters situation (hopefully current)- a lot more students there than here.

janisj

marvelousm: I'm pretty sure Alec knows more than a backpacker on Thorntree. (He is one of the experts I referred to in my first post)

marvelousmouse

I am not doubting Alec's expertise. From reading the different rules, I agree with him. But in the OP's situation I'd want as many different views as possible, and I think even then the consulates should be asked because the different countries all seem to have different answers to this question.

(I don't know, I don't really get why people ask visa questions on the forums. Whether it's Alec or a backpacker, OP doesn't know them from Adam, and even the 90 days isn't a gaurantee- it's just a limit.)

nytraveler

One doesn't need as many different views as possible. This isn't deciding which car to buy. This is dealing with a sovereign foreign government and all you can do is follow their rules. Or, overstay illegally and risk being found, fined and perhaps banned from Schengen for years when you depart the country.

Alec

Some nationals, such as New Zealanders, can stay 3 months each in some of the Schengen countries because their government had concluded bilateral visa agreements prior to introduction of Schengen rules. I think Australia had done something similar. For US citizens, there is no such loophole and it's the straight 90-in-180 days Schengen rules. So using up almost all of her allotted 90 days in Italy won't give her extra month to travel in Schengen. Because of the security situation, border controls have become much stricter (I have experienced that myself this year), and an eagle-eyed border official will spot she has already spent the permitted 90 days and refuse her further Schengen entry stamp. Even if she stays within so called borderless Schengen, there are increasing spot checks when crossing internal borders, and her overstay will be discovered when she tries to leave Schengen to fly home.
So the only thing she can do is to get Type D study visa for Italy, which allows her further 90-in-180 days of Schengen stay.

miccaldw

Should she apply for a Type D National Visa for stays longer than 90 days?

Thanks for the input. Sorry to ask a visa question on a forum but it's hard to get any answers from the websites and no one is returning my calls/emails.

jamikins

There isn't a Type D visa for stays longer than 90 days.

She is only allowed 90 days in this scenario.

If she wants to travel for longer she will need to leave the Schengen zone.

janisj

This is almost an identical situation to another thread a couple of weeks ago - same conclusion. You guys can travel w/ your daughter after her course . . . IF it is not inside Schengen.

Instead of driving yourselves nuts searching/hoping for a better answer, why not plan touring the UK or elsewhere where she can actually do it <i>legally</i>?

yorkshire

Has no one at the study abroad office of her school been informed and helpful?

janisj

I doubt that would help. I'm pretty sure the course is less than 90 days for a reason -- they have no need to get involved in the whole visa issue.

StCirq

Alec is absolutely correct. She can't do it. There is no point soliciting "other views," as it's not a matter of opinion but rather fact. The various Schengen countries most certainly do not have different answers to this question - they all have exactly the same answer. It's not allowed.

Sure, go over to Lonely Planet, but I am certain the resident visa expert there will have the same response.

nytraveler

There are several other different type of visa - but none that she would qualify for - so she is stuck with the 90 day tourist visa.

(For the others she would have to be a worker supported by a local employer, buy a business in the country or be retired/self supporting and buy a property in the country - along with a bunch of other parameters).

Some countries do have student/partial intern work visa - but that would have to be done through her school and would allow her to stay only while and where the school/work are - except for a weekend here or there. Her visa does not allow for this unless that is what her school provides for.