90 days Europe
 

I am visiting my girlfriend in Amsterdam, and I wanted to know how would I be able to stay longer without a visa? I am a US citizen and I've been here in Amsterdam since September but went to Barcelona August 9th. I have a return ticket back to the states leaving the 9th of November. My question is, if I go to a Schengen country or outside of Europe (thinking about Morocco) would my whole 90 days start all over again?

Thank you

No, it doesn't start over. You can stay 90 days total in a 180 day time frame. You could go to England for the other 90 days.

No. I believe that the limit is 90 days within any 180 day period, so you'd need to leave the Schengen area for 90 days to be allowed back in again.

But for definitive information don't rely on well-meaning strangers on a random internet forum. Check with the US Embassy in the Netherlands.

Hi L,

As noted, you can visit for 90 days in a 180-day period.

Leaving and coming back doesn't restart the clock.

>I've been here in Amsterdam since September but went to Barcelona August 9th.....<
Since you have overstayed your visit by about a year, why worry about a couple of more months?

((I))

Did you arrive in Barcelona from the US on August 9th?

Then you will be in Schengen countries for a total of 92 days.

You can:

a) carefully recalculate exactly how long you are staying in the Schengen countries and change your departure date to make it close to 90 days, i.e., depart Europe on November 6th or 7th.

b) Travel outside of the Schengen zone (e.g., to Croatia, Turkey, North Africa) for a few days and return to Amsterdam. Your 90 days do not have to be continuous.

http://www.axa-schengen.com/en/schengen-countries

I did arrive in Barcelona from the US on August 9th, my ticket back is November 7th.

But this comment:
b) Travel outside of the Schengen zone (e.g., to Croatia, Turkey, North Africa) for a few days and return to Amsterdam. Your 90 days do not have to be continuous.

When I return to Amsterdam after I visit, say Croatia for a week, how long can I stay in Amsterdam then again?

Also, can I apply now for a Schengen visa? From here, and having 1,5 months past already.. If yes, where do I have to be?

You cannot apply for a Schengen visa in the Schengen zone.

You could see if you qualify for a verblijfsvergunning (but I doubt it since you don't have a job in the Netherlands).

If your return ticket is for November 7th you will be at 90 days. If you leave Schengegn for say 14 days before then you then have those fourteen days at the end of your time - but it must still be no more than 90 days total in any 180 in the Schengen zone, it does not reset the clock.

Are you sure you can change your return ticket without a huge fee if you want to go that route?
Bear in mind you cannot return to Schengen for 90 days once you leave as you will have used up your allowance.

I trust you have health care insurance to cover you whilst you are in Europe???

You have 90 days within a 180 period. The 90 days do not have to be continuous.

You can stay in a Schengen country for two weeks, go to North Africa for a month, return to another Schengen country for three weeks, etc. So long as the total number of days are 90 within a 180 period you're OK.

If you are a US citizen, you do not need a visa for the Schengen countries. You also cannot apply for a visa to stay longer than 90 days, if that is what you are thinking. There are very few exceptions to this rule, work or study can entitle you to getting a visa and to stay longer. HOWEVER, as Ishoulntlurk has pointed out, you HAVE to apply for the visa OUTSIDE of the Schengen zone.

If you did arrive on August 9th and leaving on November 7th, then you also have to make certain that it is no more than 90 days. You should not be arriving early in the morning and leaving at 11:30pm, thus giving you pretty much 91 days. It all depends on who's checking your documents on departure, some may forget about the extra hours, some may not.

I believe that the penalty for exceeding the 90 days is that you cannot return to the Schengen countries for several years. Why would you want to not abide by the laws of other countries?

I just remembered something: Great Britain is not part of the Schengen zone. Why don't you just take a boat across from The Netherlands and spend some time in GB? Take your girl friend with you and do a weekend in London.

One way to stay longer would be to get married to your girlfriend. Are you ready for that yet?

That is, assuming she is Dutch or a citizen of another EU country.

So let me get this right, if I just go to the UK for 1 month - then I can't go back to Amsterdam for just 1 month again?

I do have health care insurance that covers me.

What are the other options, I know there is a arrangement with signing some type of partnership. How would that work, and can I apply for that whilst being here?

<i>So let me get this right, if I just go to the UK for 1 month - then I can't go back to Amsterdam for just 1 month again?</i>

Yes you can, provided you've only stayed in Schengen for 60 days before going to UK. If you have spent, say, 80 days and then go to UK for a month, you only have 10 days left to spend in Schengen after that. Just keep a tally on the number of days you spend in Schengen, and make sure you don't exceed 90 days in total within a space of 180 days.

<i>What are the other options, I know there is a arrangement with signing some type of partnership. How would that work, and can I apply for that whilst being here?</i>

I don't know what the law is in the Netherlands, but here in UK you must have lived together for 2 years before you can apply to stay in UK long-term as an unmarried partner. Same-sex couples can enter into civil partnership, but visa to stay in UK has to be applied for in the US.

Unrelated to the original posters question, does anyone know if you own property (a home) in a schengen country, does that change the 90 day max in a 180 day period?

<i>Does anyone know if you own property (a home) in a schengen country, does that change the 90 day max in a 180 day period?</i>

No, not just by owing a property. But it can be one of the factors in deciding whether they grant you a long-stay visa when you apply for it prior to going to a Schengen country. You still have to meet other requirements, such as sufficient funds, private medical cover etc. When you do get a long-stay visa (called type D Schengen), as well as staying in the country that issued it as long as it is valid, you can also travel through other Schengen states for 90-in-180 days.

Me and my girlfriend are also thinking about getting married, how would that work? My girlfriend is Dutch and I am from New York. Would that mean we have to get married twice, in both cities?
Both Amsterdam, and as for New York have legal gay marriage - would we both be able to get our papers for each others countries?

I have found the consulate website, but its all in this difficult language and thats why it would be great to have it explained in normal english... Thank you all

What would be the effect if I do this?

I just remembered something: Great Britain is not part of the Schengen zone. Why don't you just take a boat across from The Netherlands and spend some time in GB? Take your girl friend with you and do a weekend in London.

How do they keep track of people entering countries if they don't stamp your passport anymore? Would they know if I entered into Amsterdam if they never stamped my passport?

Your passport was scanned into the computer system when you arrived, so they know you are there.

Check the U.S. State Department website, but the general rule for marriages abroad, is that if you followed the legal procedures for a civil marriage while abroad, that marriage is recognized in the U.S. There may be state-by-state rules now that same-sex marriage has been approved in some but not all states.

>><i>What would be the effect if I do this?</i><<

The 90 day clock stops, and then re-starts at exactly the same point it was when you return to Neth. It would not earn you any additional days over the 90 you are legally allowed.

>><i>How do they keep track of people entering countries if they don't stamp your passport anymore? Would they know if I entered into Amsterdam if they never stamped my passport?</i><<

Ya see, there are these new fangled things called computers and data bases. They don't need an ink stamp in your passport to tell when you enter/leave their country. Why not just do this legally??? Go home and return when you are allowed. Otherwise you risk being banned from Schengen. I'd guess that would REALLY mess up your romance . . .

Re the marriage bit: Getting married <i>after</i> already over-staying won't necessarily solve your problem. And getting married just before your 90 day limit will raise all sorts of red flags.

Immigration officials are VERY suspicious of quickie weddings to get resident status.