Help

I'm very confused about the Schengen visa. I'm an American citizen and so is my brother that is going with me. Our trip will be 4 month long but not all of our time will be spent in the schengen area. An 90-day visa will work, but what I'm confused about is the multiple entry. we will be arrive in Spain, going through France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Greece, Czech republic, and Hungary; also plan to spend a few day a Switzerland. After that we will be exiting the area into Romania, follow by Turkey, Egypt, and Morocco. My plan was to re-enter the Schengen area back into Spain and fly back home or to the UK.

So my question is do i have to get a long-stay visa with multiple entry or can i get an multiple at the airport since I will not be staying more that 90-days.

"<i>So my question is do i have to get a long-stay visa with multiple entry or can i get an multiple at the airport since I will not be staying more that 90-days.</i>"

1) I can't work out how long you are where -- but you say it is less than 90 days so, assuming that's correct, you are OK. You can enter Schengen and spend 90 days w/i a 180 day period. You'll ber in Schengen less than 90 days. No issues.

2) But if you did need a visa -- you don't get it at the airport. You'd need to apply in advance while you are in the States.

As a US citizen, you are exempt from getting a visa for the Schengen zone for a stay of no more than 90 days.

Theoretically, the clock starts and stops as you enter and exit the Schengen zone (there are no borders once you are inside the zone, so none of the list of Schengen countries that you gave after Spain will even be aware of your presence.

When you leave the zone, your passport <b>may</b> be scanned to show that you have exited. If not, it's no big deal -- just keep dated proof that you were out of the zone (hotel bills, restaurant receipts, etc.). If you are questioned upon re-entering, this will simplify your life.

This comes up on the board all the time and becomes a source of great contention, as there are a few posters who fancy themselves experts on this subject and pounce on these threads, and simply will not refrain to giving you erroneous information. Weirdly, almost anyone planning an extended trip to Europe is subjected to a kind of hazing on Fodor's, and told they shouldn't be attempting it, and something terrible will happen to them if they don't take a more conventional trip.

In the end, no matter what anybody tells you here, you will need an answer from the Spanish consulate. Save yourself the worry and start there.

Zeppole, you are an embarrassment to the board sometimes. The Spanish consulate will just repeat the "90 days out of 180 days" Schengen rule. How can that help?

Check with the relevant authorities if it makes you more comfortable, but you really have nothing to worry about if you are in the Schengen zone as a tourist for a total of less than 90 days in 180 and you are a U.S. passport holder. Under those circumstances you won't need a visa - your passport will merely be stamped as you enter and leave the Schengen zone.

The rule is 90 days out of 180. Consider a hypothetical itinerary:
- Arrive in Spain and spend 75 days in the Schengen area;
- Move on to Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, etc, for 30 days;
- Re-enter the Schengen area and stay for 10 days;
- Exit the Schengen area

With such an itinerary, then you will be in full compliance and shouldn't have any problems whatsoever. You can double-check with the authorities, but I really don't see the need.

If it is just the multiple entry thing that has you worried (though I don't see why it should worry you), might I ask why you are bothering to go back to Spain at all? If your other option is to go home or go to the UK, you could just fly directly from Morocco to London and on from there. Indeed, flying in and out of London to the US is often the cheapest option to begin with.

Travelgourmet's example gives the clearest explanation. No entry visa is required of US citizens but you have a maximum of 90 days in the Schengen Zone in a 180-day period. It doesn't matter how you split it up as long as you don't go beyond 90 days.

all very true BUT you must make sure that when you leave Schengen the passport control actually stamps your passport with exit stamp....otherwise per the theoretical scenario if you turn up again in Spain (or Schengen area) after 105 days, you may not be allowed in, or you would have to disclose all your itinery for the time you spent outside Schengen...not all simple.

Most stamps are not legible anyway. If they run the passport through the optical scanner, that is better -- but on land crossings it is rare.

US citizens don;t need any visa to stay in Schengen for 90 days or less. You can exit or enter as many times as you want from as many places as you want - as long as the total number of days in Schengen is less than 90 days.

And there is no such thing as getting a visa in an airport. If you want to stay longer than 90 days you need to organize a visa in the US - before you leave - and it will be a very long, complicated procedure and it's fairly likely you will be unsuccessful unless you're a student.

I think you're taking something very simple and making it overcomplicated. Just be sure which countries are part of Schengen and don't stay there more than 90 days total. And agree that you need to be sure you get the appropriate entry and exit stamps (this won;t happen automatically - you need to be sure you make a point of getting them - to prove you have not overstayed.)

nytraveller, you are spot on.....