Another Schengen Thread

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

You are correct , by starting the 180 day period and immediately leaving , it is then possible to return near the 90 days from the end and after that expires start a new 180 day period. Effectively giving you near 180 days contiguous. There was a EU court case involving France that proved the point recently.

However not all border guards are necessarily singing off the same hymn sheet.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Have the same plan as Monte but as you say, it may be legally correct but explaining that to a local official may not be so easy. So, any chance you have a link or can cite the French case so I can keep that for a reference?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by K_V_B

If you leave for somewhere outside of Schengen.

I'm however talking about travel within Schengen. There is no one looking at stamps in passports when traveling within the Schengen area. I've flown from Zürich to Berlin without showing any ID at all...

Completely correct in my experience. Travel within Schengen I've never had my passport checked. Just the same as traveling from Paris to Marseille.

But, unless you live there, sooner or later you will have to leave and if someone checks the stamps and dates on departure it could really hit the fan. Know of a number of cases where this has happened to non-EU tourists that overstayed. No problem until they checked out at the airport to fly home and then all hell broke loose. Sometimes just an admonishment, sometimes a no reentry allowed stamp in the passport and potentially fines or more.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

National long stay visas ate in practice hard to get and don't suit cruisers. I'd say its not a solution in the main to the cruiser problem

Dave

Have a good friend who moved to Germany and she was able to get a long stay visa pretty easily. Did take a number of forms and such but was pretty straight forward and all spelled out in regulations and the local officials seemed to be quite on top of how to proceed.

The problem, and this seems to be the case with long stay visa requirements I've looked at for other countries, they want a local address. There is some indication that one may get by using a marina as the address but the whole point of cruising the EU is not to spend a year in the same marina.

The other concern, which I think you have brought up, is whether or not the long stay visa could make you a tax resident of the EU. That could be complicated.

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Completely correct in my experience. Travel within Schengen I've never had my passport checked. Just the same as traveling from Paris to Marseille.

But, unless you live there, sooner or later you will have to leave and if someone checks the stamps and dates on departure it could really hit the fan. Know of a number of cases where this has happened to non-EU tourists that overstayed. No problem until they checked out at the airport to fly home and then all hell broke loose. Sometimes just an admonishment, sometimes a no reentry allowed stamp in the passport and potentially fines or more.

That is not a problem if you've got a long stay visa for one of the Schengen countries, and do not overstay on that one... Hence my suggestion that, if you can get one, a long stay visa for a Schengen country de facto serves as a long stay Schengen visa...

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by K_V_B

That is not a problem if you've got a long stay visa for one of the Schengen countries, and do not overstay on that one... Hence my suggestion that, if you can get one, a long stay visa for a Schengen country de facto serves as a long stay Schengen visa...

Have been researching the long stay visa issue for a while and so far it doesn't seem to be very simple. Have looked at the websites of most of the W European countries and in general have found:

- many offer long stay visas only for students or those with family in the country.
- a few mention the possibility of long stay visitors visas but the requirements to qualify are many and complex including:
proof of a place to live in the country like a one year lease on a house or apartment
financial statements showing net worth sufficient to support yourself
EU health insurance, letters of recommendation from the authorities at your local place of residence in the US and more. Most of these are easily doable but a few may present a problem.

From reports I have read from other travelers that have tried to get a long stay visitors visas, they are available in theory but in practice not so much. I do know that it can be done. After all, George Clooney has a house in Italy where he spends a lot of time. However, even though I'm much better looking than George he has more money than I so probably can't go that route.


Would welcome any information or specific recommendations you have on the subject.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Have been researching the long stay visa issue for a while and so far it doesn't seem to be very simple. Have looked at the websites of most of the W European countries and in general have found:

- many offer long stay visas only for students or those with family in the country.
- a few mention the possibility of long stay visitors visas but the requirements to qualify are many and complex including:
proof of a place to live in the country like a one year lease on a house or apartment
financial statements showing net worth sufficient to support yourself
EU health insurance, letters of recommendation from the authorities at your local place of residence in the US and more. Most of these are easily doable but a few may present a problem.

From reports I have read from other travelers that have tried to get a long stay visitors visas, they are available in theory but in practice not so much. I do know that it can be done. After all, George Clooney has a house in Italy where he spends a lot of time. However, even though I'm much better looking than George he has more money than I so probably can't go that route.


Would welcome any information or specific recommendations you have on the subject.

I must have answered this type of thing a dozen times. There are no long stay tourist visas that in practice suit cruisers. End of story. No more then there is an equivalent in the US.

A long stay visa typically for study or specific purposes can make you a tax resident , hence you immediately loose the vat relief. There is a documented case of this in France a few years ago.

While it may be the practical case, a long stay visa in the Schengen doesn't allow for a long stay in other Schengen country's. there is NO extended stay Schengen visa.

National long stay visas are really specific.

Dave

[David_Old_Jersey]

Europe is not a Country.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Europe is not a Country.

It's a federation of states pooling sovereignty rather like the US of A.

But why is what you say relevant. The EU rather like the Federal gov has in effect precedence over national legislation, except on specific areas as agreed by treaty, these despite British nashing of teeth , means one must " opt out" not " opt in"

Dave

[Katiusha]

Didn't know that this thread is still active, so posted in a new thread: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ed-122641.html