How long can I stay in the EU??
 

I am an American citizen who would like to travel to the EU next year. I am confused about visas? From what I have read, I am allowed to stay for 3 months. My question is wheather what is the entire EU? Or, can I stay in Germany for 3 months, France for 3 months...? Thanks

i am not sure

Yeah --I think-- you can stay 3 months in the EU, then you only have to visit an non-european union country and then come back in. For me in Spain, I believe that is Morracco. However, I have never validated this with the US embassy, just something another American told me at a cafe one night. Probably this is not true, so please validate first. Take care and have fun.

Not 30 days in EU, 30 days in the Schengen countries. And that means alltogether. For example 10 days in France, 10 days in Germany and 10 days in Spain. The 15 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. All these countries except Norway and Iceland are European Union members. <BR><BR>But it is not that you just step for a day to a non Schengen country, I believe you have to be out for 3 or 6 months, I don´t remember which it is. Do a search with "Schengen coutries", I am sure you´ll find the correct answer.

I meant 90 days, not 30 days.

The official rule is that visitors from countries that don't need a visa (including USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, Malaysia, South Korea, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico and a few others) can stay in all Schengen countries together for "max. 90 days in any 180 day period".

But the good news is that in practice nobody cares. As long as you have money, don't work and don't cause problems, you can stay forever in Schengen.

In a way Sjoerd is right. It really seems that nobody cares, but I know of one case when suddenly somebody cared, and the person in question got banned for years from the whole Schengen area.

It's 90 days in all schengen area, but it's possible to have another 90 days extension, just contact your embassy. Don't go illegal, please. We already have enough illegals. Thanks

I go along with EP. The apparent lax enforcement of visa regulations shouldn't let people fall into a false sense of security. When you enter a Schengen area, say at a European airport, your passport details are likely to be scanned on a computer system (Schengen Information System or SIS) which lists everyone who has been excluded from or is wanted in Schengen. If your name gets on that list, you become a persona non grata from a large part of Western Europe for years. With the current crisis over illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, that's a grim prospect.

So, if a was planning a trip for 6 months in countries that make up the Shengen pack, I would need a visa since I am extending the 90 days??

Kate, yes.

I am Canadian and I know that U.S. citizens and Canadians don't always have the same 'visiting rules' (for example, a Canadian can stay in Prague for either 3 or 6 months - can't remember, an American for 30 days) but I think the same applies for us in the EU. In any case, I didn't want to go illegal and after working in Portugal, when my visa expired, I started working here without a visa (they don't give them so easily here) and I contacted my embassy and explained my situation. The man working for the Cdn. embassy was actually German and he told me just to drive to Switzerland and get my stamp in my passport in and out ... after September I am getting married, so I won't have to worry - but in the meantime, it is a good excuse to take a holiday every 3 months!

Farrah: you got wrong advice. After 90 days in Schengen, you have to leave *and not come back* for another 90 days. <BR>And you as a Canadian need a visa to visit the Czech rep., US citizens do not need a visa.