The Truth About Schengen Information System (SIS)
The Schengen Information System (SIS) does not track tourist entrance and exit stamps, despite popular belief. Let me break it down.
The SIS was put into place to preserve security within the Schengen Zone (and now there is a more powerful SIS II). This means authorities such as police and border guards, can enter and consult alerts on certain categories of wanted or missing persons and objects.
Data Managed by Schengen Information System (SIS)
The system was founded for the following descriptions of people:
- Requested for extradition
- Undesirable in the territory of a participating State
- Minor in age, mentally ill patients, and missing persons or those in need of protection
- Requested by a judicial authority, such as witnesses, those summoned to appear for notification of judgment and absconders
- Suspected of taking part in serious offenses and those subject to other checks
The remainder of the database is populated with alerts relating to:
- Lost, stolen, or misappropriated: firearms, identity documents (blank or containing personal identity information), motor vehicles, and misappropriated banknotes
What about tourists and overstaying visas?
If you are coming to Europe and not looking to commit a crime, the SIS is not something you have to worry about. You do, however, need to pay attention to when you entered Schengen and when you exit (calculate your days with my Schengen Visa Calculator). As a tourist, you are allowed 90 days in Schengen zone twice a year (not back to back…it’s 90 days in an 180 period.)
The SIS does not record traveler’s entries and exits from the Schengen Zone. In fact, there is no centralized database tracking entries/exits for all the Schengen member states. Seems weird, right? The SIS is only focusing on illegal activities such as stated above.
Does anyone track my Schengen stamps?
Yes! If you have a visa, you will probably enter through the Visa Information System (aka VIS), and border control guards that are good at their jobs will be on the lookout! While the SIS does not give off a large BEEP if you have overstayed, there are 11 of the most popular countries in Europe that might sound the alarm if you overstayed in their country. Those countries are Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Romania. They all have national databases which record traveler entries/exits…
…although the data is still not shared between all these countries.
How to Escape a Schengen Overstay
Once you enter Schengen, you only get 1 stamp and can travel freely without seeing another border guard. While it is illegal to overstay any visa, there are ways to slide by if you have made the mistake. If you have entered say Greece (who records entries/exits) and then leave from Italy; Italian border guards will not get a flag in their system because you did not register in Italy – you entered in Greece. See where I am going?
You can still get caught, of course, by the border guard who is looking for your entrance stamp and wants to do the math.
Geoff
February 17, 2021Hi Lindsey,
I am a retired UK citizen currently in Spain since October 2020, since Brexit I understand that I must leave the Schengen zone by 31st March.
I have no stamp in my passport does that mean I am not recorded on SIS as having the Schengen area?
I plan to take an internal flight to Malaga before the 31st of March, if I can get my passport stamped on arrival there, does that mean my 90 days will start from then?
I hope you can clarify this, best wishes and I love the blog,
Geoff
Zora
September 17, 2020Hello Lindsey! I’m American and my long-stay tourist visa expires in October. It’s so difficult getting a visa appointment in France and I’ve been to the prefecture who told me to overstay my visa! LOL. I won’t do that. Instead, I was planning on going to London (staying for two weeks) and then come back to Paris where I currently live. And use my “visa-free period” aka the 90 day visa free period that Americans get. Can I do that?
Lindsey
September 19, 2020Hey Zora! I spoke to you on Instagram, but just wanted to write a response here for my readers. It’s crazy authorities told you to overystay – they’re not the ones that would suffer the repercussions 🙄 But since you’re American, you can have your 90-day tourist visa (type c) kick in after your student visa. bonne chance! 🇫🇷
Anonymous
August 27, 2020Hello Lindsay. I’m from Turkey. I overstayed around 1 year and I caught by border guards in Poland in November, 2019, Just because, I didn’t keep going my master degree engineering educaiton in university in Warsaw and I was staying with my girlfriend and looking for a job to apply for working legally. Then, I got 1 year of ban for Schengen states from Polish border guard and I got a blue stamp which refers to the related decision in January, 2020. The border guard told me that the decision will be deleted from the system (possibly SIS, SIS II and VIS) after 1 year. Additionally, they told me that I can apply for cancelling the ban after 6 months just after I left the territory of Poland. And I have already applied this week for this. What do you think ? Will this affect my future travels to Schengen States or to America after the ban is cancelled ? Am I going to be able to travel to Europe or to America without any problem for working/business purpose and touristic purpose ? Thank you very much for your help.
Lindsey
September 6, 2020Thanks for telling your story! Many people need to hear this! Whether it’s Schengen visa, USA, or Australia.. if the question on the visa form is “have you been denied entry from any country’ or ‘Have you been banned from any country’….that is where your ban history will effect your visa, because you cannot lie on a legal document (which the visa form is). But when you are deleted from the SIS, I think you will be fine to travel – you’re also lucky they only gave you a short ban. However, you must not ever overstay your Schengen visa again, because if you are caught a second time, your ban could be up to 10 years. 😱
Elbart
August 21, 2020Help me please…
Want to apply for Romania visa.
Have 2 years UK overstay.
Came back India voluntarily.
Now have new passport and no previous reference of my old passport.
Can I hide my overstay?
I already check SIS but I got reply that my name didn’t hit anything.
Romanian visa application form it’s not mentioned that do you have previous overstay history.
But in their website (not in visa application form)it says if you have previous visa, including schenzen, USA, uk visa, submit it.
Do UK share overstay data to EU?
Please please please reply me.
thank you
Lindsey
August 24, 2020Hello! The UK is not part of Schengen or EU (although the might still have some ties until January 2022) – so it wouldn’t share that information unless promoted to by a local government. But on your application for a Schengen visa, you might be asked if you have ever been denied from a country or overstayed – you cannot lie on this form because it is a legal document.. So no, you cannot hide your travel history visa history.
Elbert
August 30, 2020Thanks Lindsey.
Romanian visa application form, don’t mention, do you have overstay before?
So, can I skip my overstay history?
So far as I know, Romania is not a Schenzen country.
Is it possible to hide it…
Lindsey
September 6, 2020Hey Elbert, if the visa asks you what countries you have been in the last 5 years and when, you need to add that. Obviously if they don’t ask if you’ve overstayed you don’t need to add that extra information. Just follow what the form says. Good luck!
I love people
August 16, 2020Hey there,
Foremost I want to thank you for sharing this gold article!
I came to Europe legally as student from Africa (with student visa) five years ago. After graduating (master) in France, I haven’t been able to find a job due to specific reasons: job market discrimination which is even bigger and insane in france than in most of others Eu countries such Uk & Germany , and also due to covid 19: enormous consequences on job market.
I finally got my visa renewal denied by the concerned authorities “ la prefecture”, and told to go back to my country, find a job in france from there before applying for a working visa.
I recently got an opportunity to further my studies in the uk (Wich is my favourite country in Europe, did my semester abroad there and had a really great time meeting open minding people). School is my only way out, don’t wanna move back to my corrupt ass country in Africa and settle there, however am planning to move back to my country just for my uk visa application, and will use Belgium as a way out to prevent getting caught for overstaying as you recommend, (France was my way is, did border controls there when I first entered Schengen area).
Am petrified, In case i get caught by Belgium authorities and get fined or banned for overstaying ( 8 months mainly du to covid and passeport renewal ) will I compromised my chances to get a uk visa (as uk is leaving Eu and won’t use SIS no more or at least will have restricted access to SIS) ?
Thanks in advance!
Lindsey
August 24, 2020Hey! Thanks for the kind words! Look, it’s always a risk you need to accept when you choose to overstay. That’s why it’s so important to understand your consequences if you decide to risk breaking your visa. 😓 If you do get caught in Schengen, then yes it could become a problem for your UK visa because on the visa form you might be asked about your past travel experience, if you have ever been denied entrance by a country (which is what a ban is), or overstayed. If this question is on the application, you cannot lie because it is a legal document. For example – visa applications usually ask what countries you have been in the last 5 years with dates. You can be vague, but don’t omit or lie about where you have been. For now, I’d say focus on trying to get back to your country and hope that covid can help you avoid any punishment! Best of luck!
Pål
August 15, 2020Hello Lindsey and everyone. My girlfriend got a fine from Portugal after we stayed for 1 month longer than we were supposed to, due to a period of sickness. After reading your article I am unsure if she was registered in SIS or just in the national registry of Portugal. Of course she still got a stamp when leaving, and that is something they would notice when applying for a new visa. Do you think she is in SIS?
Lindsey
August 24, 2020Hello! You can contact the Portuguese embassy in her home country and check if she is in the SIS – the EU must give her that information. Fingers crossed for her she isn’t!
Waheed Khan
August 11, 2020My name is Abdul Waheed, my duration of stay in schengen was 13 days and visa validity was a month. My business visa was from Italy embassy and i landed in italy but then i moved to switzerland and stayed there for a month and left before the visa expiration. So, i had overstayed my duration and all this happened because i misunderstood my visa duration with visa validity. Though, at geneva airport the authorities noticed it and scanned my passport but did not said anything. Should i worry ?
Lindsey
August 24, 2020Hey Waheed, thanks for sharing your story. This is a common mistake…so common I wrote a blog about it. You can find it here: Determine Schengen Visa Validity vs Days. You might have an issue when you want to get another visa. There are cases where you are denied because of this past history.If this happens, you can try to appeal their decision by stating your case with proof of misunderstanding. Best of luck!
Anonymous
August 24, 2020thanks for response, its been 6 years i haven’t applied again for visa but soon im going to marry my cousin who is swiss citizen so would my history impact the immigration process ?
Lindsey
August 24, 2020If you are banned from a country, I am not sure if marriage would fix that situation. You might need to talk to the Swiss Embassy or an immigration lawyer.
Joey
July 29, 2020Hi Lindsey,
I have some problems from 2016 when I took a one month language course in Spain. When leaving the Schengen Area in Malaga, an immigration officer said that I could not return to Spain until I provided documentation that I attended a language school in Malaga, which I did not have in my carry-on luggage. He did not say I was banned exactly, but that I could not return to Spain unless I showed a student card from the school that I attended. I tried to explain that I attended the school for only one month so I would not have a student card, and I have never overstayed beyond the 90 day visa-free period. I also said that Americans do not need a visa to study Spanish in Spain for less than 3 months. But I think the problem is that I accidentally exited and entered the Schengen Area twice in one day when I arrived to Spain (I was looking for my hotel inside Bajaras Airport and simply got lost). So I have two entry stamps for the same day on my passport.
I have a certificate of completion with a signature and stamp from the school director that I took Spanish classes at the school for one month. I would like to return to Spain in the future, but I also do not want to risk returning and being deported. The Spanish Consulate recommended that I show documentation from the school and passport entry/exit stamps by date when I return. Do you think this is enough proof for me to be allowed back to Spain, and is there any way I can clear my record?
Lindsey
August 26, 2020Hey Joey, this is a weird situation and I think the border guard was just confused. Your stamps probably added to the confusion, but you did nothing wrong – especially since you were there for literally a month. I’d say don’t even worry about this situation unless you are confronted by it when you go to Spain again. Next time when you travel there, just have the documentation of your flight tickets (receipt showing the dates, your school certificate, etc). It will be bueno!
Michael
June 10, 2020My name is in SIS in because am illegal stay in Switzerland and I was depot to Italy in 2018
I got married with polish woman in 2019 and move from Italy to Poland I was control by Germany police but they didn’t see my name in SIS
I aply for resident permit in Poland with lawyer, now they are rejecting my application because my name is in SIS
Please I need your advice on this
God bless you 🙏🙏🙌
Lindsey
July 7, 2020Hey Michael! This sounds like you have Interpol after you or something 😅 Only joking! But seriously, if you have already hired a Polish immigration lawyer, you should be getting advice from him on how to proceed. Best of luck!
Tony
May 30, 2020Hi
. I was detained in Italy in with false id trying to enter a non schengen country . As a result, I was banned from entering Italy and the Schengen area for 5 years
My girlfriend lives in Switzerland in Geneva and I want to settle there and work in Switzerland.
Therefore, I would like to know if I can return to Switzerland or if I still have some time to wait?
.
Lindsey
July 7, 2020Hey Tony, that was pretty ballsy of you to try and fake a document. In your scenario, you definitly have to wait this one out. I wish you the best of luck and in the future to make better choices to avoid these situations!
Ethan
March 15, 2020Hello,im a filipino and a deserter from a crusie ship last 2017 they caught me in italy working without any documents,and they ask me to leave italy,but i refuse to go out instead i hide this year they caught me again but by this time i was working on a yacht,after my captain show sime documents that i was working on the boat they release me,but the police said that i was banned in any schengen country,and i need to look for way to lift the ban…what step i need to do to lift the ban…thanks and Godbless
Lindsey
April 7, 2020Hey Ethan! Yikes, your situation sounds very scary. Sorry to hear this. However, is this how you want to spend your life? Hiding and working illegally? You will never be able to have a normal life with health benefits or a pension plan. At this point with your attitude towards refusing to leave, working illegally, and deciding to hide from police is seriously not something I can give advice for because this is illegal activity. You might need to hire an immigration lawyer. I wish you well, but also to think about your actions and if they are the right direction for your life.
Tao
November 9, 2019Hi Lindsey, i have a complicated question to ask, am from the Philippines but a permanent resident in Poland and in 2 years I will be elegible for the Polish the citizenship, but I was banned from the Netherlands a year ago and I am supposed to stay away from the Netherlands Or the Schengen for 3years, but being a permanent residence in Poland I was not evicted from the eu but still I believe that I am registered into the sis2 system right?. But that’s not withstanding, some months ago the polish police visited my apartment for the first time just to inform me that I am not allow entry into the Netherlands just as a reminder.
The question is, I am now married to a German lady and I am suppose to move to Germany to live with her, but for now I only visit Germany and can not stay more than 3months, So now I want to apply for a residence permit so I can work and live there with her until I get my polish passport, will the German immigration grant me residency because of my spouse if applied?
Lindsey
November 28, 2019This is very tricky. You should call the Netherland embassy to ask if you are in the SIS (you have legal right to do this). If the police came to your house, then you are probably registered. As for Germans granting you residency, probably not if you are in SIS. This can be an issue for people who are married to EU citizens. You might need to seek help from an immigration lawyer. Best of luck!
john
October 16, 2019Hi Lindsey, thanks for your prompt response, please what if i do a new passport, would they find out about it if i apply? because i was not thumbprinited on my way out, now i have a new passport and i was told that i can apply without stating the fact that i over stay in the past.
Lindsey
October 16, 2019Yes because they know your biometrics because of your original visas and your name is on the SIS. They have obviously thought about this. But hey, if you think you have a legit reason to not be banned, you should try to appeal.
john
October 16, 2019Hello Lindsey please i need your advice, i also have same problem i was told i would not be able to come back after i exited in madrid after my over stay, i am a nigerian passport holder, please can i ask my brother in spain to help me tell his lawyer to appeal it for me so the lawyer can pay the over stay there, there by lifting the ban, is this possible for the lawyer in spain to do this for me? thanks
Lindsey
October 16, 2019Hi John! Bans are taken quite seriously, and you cannot just pay your way out of one. If that were the case, what’s the point? You would need to appeal the ban through Spain immigration and have legit reasoning why it was a mistake and why it should be lifted. I suggest contacting the Spanish immigration board or the Spanish embassy in your country. Good luck!
monica
October 5, 2019Well my other citizenship isn’t a European citizenship it’s from Asia and it needs a visa application in order to travel on it. I don’t know what to do to not get banned but also travel out of the Schengen area.
monica
October 4, 2019hello
I’m a U.S citizen and i have a dual citizen ship which is granted to me from my parents . I’ve came to greece on 8/3/2018 and stayed with my boy friend which is from france , we were planning on getting married but the process was taking super long by ordering papers from the states and translating them to french , he go though a hard time that his financial situation is not much now . so i need to travel back to the U.S until his financial stauts is better so that we can go on , i couldn’t even work in france due to the visa and the language which needs time . so i’m traveling to U.S on october 15 2019 , i know i’ve over stayed for so long but it was my first time tavelling to europe and i didn’t know about the rules until recently , also i thought that everything will be ok once we get married so i would have a permanent visa but things didn’t go as planned .
I was planing on renewing my passport so that it wont show up front that i’ve entered and over stayed and travel from italy .
so do you recommend the renewing ? or just travel through italy ? i really don’t want to get banded at a really early age and not be able to see my boy friend for ever . i appreciate your advise in advance .and sorry i wrote a long message .
Lindsey
October 5, 2019Hey! If you are dual citizen with a Schengen country, you can stay as long as you want. You just need to enter on your European passport. I am also a dual citizen (Swedish-American) and that is how I stay in Europe. Just show your European passport when you exit Europe, and always enter America on your American passport. Hope I understood your situation correctly?
Veronica Farrelly
August 27, 2019No, being made to PAY that kind of money is the first worst-case scenario, being as how they can’t arrest you if you are LEAVING their country anyway. If I’d overstayed in a country I’d LOVE it if they just banned me from coming back. That’s better than lengthy prison sentences IN that country that didn’t want you there in the first place, AND fines. The better way is that you’re not out any money and you don’t go to jail, you just LEAVE “and don’t come back.”
Lindsey
August 27, 2019Thanks for sharing, however…they don’t arrest you. Being banned or deported from a country is the worst. You carry that on your travel record wherever you go for as long as it applies (sometimes 10 years). For example, if you get banned in Greece, you can’t take a trip later to Paris. If you want to study abroad or move for a job in Italy…you cannot as long as you are banned from a Schengen country. 🤷🏼♀️
Veronica
August 27, 2019And if you have no entry stamp…say you entered in Spain where they’re lax about that….
Lindsey
August 27, 2019If you do not have an entry stamp into Europe, they might ask you to show your entry tickets to Europe. They are police officers and are entitled to ask for whatever evidence they need. I have definitely almost been denied entry to a country due to this. So I would still be cautious.
Liz
August 20, 2019Hi, I got a one entry schengen Visa…45 days…
In my 30 days stay ,I passed through Croatia by car to Italy and got a stamp…
Upon return to France my Visa was declared invalid…
And was advised that I may be charged 198euros…
I exited and stayed few more days but during my exit I wasn’t charged anything maybe because of language barrier…could this be a problem if I want to return to schengen..
Am from 3rd world.
Lindsey
August 21, 2019Yes, that makes your visa invalid, unfortunately. You will not be allowed to cross back into a Schengen country without a new visa.
Boubaker El mansouri
August 19, 2019Hello
I hope to find some answers
Im third country national &I’m registered in SIS II by Sweden back in 2015 and is go until 2020.
Now my marital status has changed. Now I’m spouse of eu citizen .my wife she is from Ireland and exercising her treaty rights in France. We applied for family renunciation (that I can join my wife in France).
But before France can use me a residence permit,they have first to try to delete my data in SIS II used by swedish authorities.
Now my question do you know maybe haw long can take the procece?
Because I submitted the aplication in December last year.
And I still waiting for a response, I call the office many times.and they told me the application is in process.
Thank you in advance.
Kind regards
Lindsey
August 19, 2019Hey Boubaker, thanks for writing in about this. Usually if you are in the SIS, it restricts you from entering at any time of the ban. As you know, this also affects if you get married to an EU citizen down the line. I suggest you hire an immigration lawyer that will help push this, because French authorities most likely will not just delete such data. Best of luck!
Roger Hatfield
August 18, 2019So would a nasty black stamp be a problem for entering visa free countries like Albania/Georgia or an evisa country like Turkey? I plan on taking a ferry from Italy to Albania and then making my way to Georgia where I would fly back to the US. Thanks for all the replies and info- I get the feeling that a lot of young and reckless people have found themselves in similar situations before and it’s good knowing I’m not that alone 🙂
Lindsey
August 18, 2019I wouldn’t have a blog on this topic if you were alone 😆 I mean, look…other countries look out for themselves. If you have visa-free, than Turkey does not care of you overstayed in Schengen unless you overstay in Turkey. So no, you would probably be fine. Keep in mind that any border guard can refuse you if they THINK you might break visa laws. They could ask you about suspicious stamps 🤷🏼♀️ So always have return tickets printed & sufficient funds available to prove your stay. Your route seems pretty cool, btw!
Roger Hatfield
August 18, 2019I’m a US citizen who has overstayed in Schengen for a good long while. I basically met the love of my life and didn’t leave. I have never engaged in any work or anything like that as I came here with plenty of savings. Basically, I just want to leave and be done with it as my fiancée and I are making plans to move far away from Europe. What’s the worst they can do to me? I am planning on leaving through Italy or Spain. I understand being banned for a few years or a fine but can they arrest me or give my passport some kind of nasty mark that will alert border officials in other countries? I also plan to head to Romania and Bulgaria before headed back to the US- could this cause problems?
Lindsey
August 18, 2019Hey Roger! Congrats on meeting your soul mate 🥰 They cannot arrest you, but they can give your passport a nasty black stamp. The problem with Schengen is if you are banned from 1 country, you’re banned from all of them. Even sometimes from landing there for a layover. 😬 That’s the extreme scenario, but some of my American readers have been banned before. Being banned from a country will affect future visas for other countries in the world, because a question on many visa forms is “have you ever been denied entry to a country.” So being banned is the worst. The 2nd worst scenario is paying a fine on the spot of up to €1500. If you don’t pay, you’re banned until you do…but you have to pay in person…so it is a catch-22. If you go to non-schengen like Romania or Bulgaria, just make sure you are not coming back to a Schengen country before returning to the U.S. They could ban you exiting, or refuse you entrance. And then there is the 3rd scenario…nothing happens at all. Just be prepared for everything!
Brian Pan
March 23, 2019Hi again Lindsey,
I forwarded your reply to my friend. We both thank you for great information. He said to let you know that he didn’t get the Shengen (sp.) entry Stamp at Lisbon upon arrival (he would have asked but didn’t even know about Shengen) and he hasn’t saved any of his boarding passes. Is he heading towards big trouble; I’m really afraid for him)? He wants to tell Greek border control that he’s stayed in Europe for less than 90 days but I advised him NEVER lie to immigration control because who knows what checks and balances they secretly have in place. Your thoughts (Thank you in advance!!!)
Brian Pan
March 10, 2019hi, lindsey: I have a retired friend in his sixties who has been traveling across Europe for 5 months now. He’s doing it on air BNB and using train or air. He, also, is on a pension (only) but seems to be managing well economically. Now he emailed me and said he knew nothing about the Schengen prior to last week, I guess, when someone alerted him. He is now in Rome, has booked a flight and Air BNB in Athens for March 20-2019 which are now paid for so he won’t have extra cash until 4-3-2019 when his next pension check comes. The kicker is he entered Europe on 10/24/2018 via Lisbon and has ZERO stamps on his passport. My thought initially is he should just try and get into Greece, do his month there, then try to get into Moldova, Georgia or Ukraine and spend time there until the legalities are figured out. Does this sound like a wise plan to you? The guy is what the U.S. would label lower middle class and has one suitcase with his clothes and paint tools. He gives away his paintings; he has no interest in accumulating money. Do you think this is a good plan? Is it true that stamps are meaningless because the airlines feed the Schengen database with their passenger lists? Do you think he could potentially be in a lot of trouble? Sorry for the long post but we really need your advice! Cheers!
Lindsey
March 18, 2019Hey Brian! Hope your friend is living life to the fullest! The reason why he has no stamps is that he is traveling within the Schengen Zone, which is looked at as ‘freedom of movement between countries.” It’s like if you entered the US in New York, you wouldn’t get stamps (other than entrance) and you bounced from state to state. Same idea, except with countries. But, border police look at your first entrance stamp, so they will do the math if his only entrance stamp is in October 2018 and it’s March 2019…that obviously exceeds 90 days. Another issue is if he is with one suitcase and living pension-to-pension check, border police might think he is working illegally or a liability to their healthcare system. Does he have a traveler’s health insurance? Another liability to his situation is if he gets hurt or stuck without any money. This can give border guards reasons to deport him if he is caught. You can’t just be a tourist in a country without funding to support yourself – many travelers get denied entry to some countries in the world if they don’t have enough funds for their travels.
It is not true that stamps are meaningless – border police flip through your passport and look at them almost every time you enter or exit Schengen. Especially in Greece they can be quite aggressive due to the high influx of illegal work. I suggest he leaves Schengen asap. Technically, he wouldn’t be able to return for about 90 days after exit. Best of luck!
RJ
March 4, 2019Hi Lindsey,
I’m honestly so stressed right now due to a rule that I truly missed. I would greatly appreciate any advice from you. Here’s my story: I’m a Filipino citizen with a US permanent residence card. I was so excited to have my first ever Euro trip! I first entered Europe through The Netherlands with a multiply entry tourist visa on November 11, 2018 and left for the UK through Paris, France on November 22, 2018. Thinking that the 90-day duration was going to reset, I came back on November 25, 2018 at Zurich, Switzerland and stayed until February 17, 2018 in Milan, Italy. I honestly fell in love with Europe and would love to back, but I think I overstayed for three days. I am also currently in a relationship with a Spanish national living in Milan. We met there. The Italian border officers did not have me sign anything, they just let me go. But am I correct in saying that my information as far as entry/exit are recorded under VIS?
When I came back to the US, I applied for another tourist visa for The Netherlands because I need to see my boyfriend again soon — granted being in a long distance relationship is hard. A week later, I got my passport back with a denial letter stating that there was no itinerary attached. There was no mention of my overstay, but of course they know of it. I certainly would not want to wait a year to travel to Europe to see my boyfriend again. What should I do?
Lindsey
May 31, 2019RJ! I am so sorry for my late response. Look, take a deep breath. They probably didn’t put you on any list if you didn’t sign anything – you clearly were not fitting the visa requirements if you had no itinerary. But you need to think clearly here. If you want to stay in Europe for someone, you need to get the right visas so you don’t jeopardize your travel future. Is a tourist visa the best option for you? Or can you apply for a residence permit to move to Netherlands? They have relationship visas you should check out: https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/how-bring-your-non-eu-partner-netherlands Best of luck! 😃
moheenali
February 10, 2019At first I applied Poland student visa on september 2018 they refused due to justification for the purpose and the conditions of the intended stay was not provided.After this refusal,I applied to Latvia student visa on january 2019 refused due 1. to a foreigner has provided false information 2. the actual purpose of entry of a foreigner does not conform to the purpose laid down in the documents.What they mean in latvia.while interviewing i told previous rejection.These two rejections will affect other schengen countries like swizterland, sweden ,germany,holland like these big economy countries. If I change travel document also will they know pevious rejections.
Anonymous
December 20, 2018One of the Poland Student national visa refused due to justification for the purposes and the conditions of the intended stay was not provided.This will affect other schegen states
Lindsey
December 20, 2018Yes, it could affect other Schengen visas. But next time, just make sure the justification for the purpose of stay is provided.
JIHYEON LEE
November 17, 2018Hello thanks for your detailed info! It really helped me a lot. I just have few questions
First when I saw the documents at Schengen Visa info, it says that ‘First thing that you should know, is that an overstayed visa never goes unnoticed. The immigration authorities have registered in their databases every person that enters and leaves the Schengen, and every overstaying, even just for a day, is recorded.’
Which one is true…?
And second, if I have to overstay like 30 days more and I’ll try to get out from the country which has a bilateral agreement with my country. So is there anything to be careful??
Thanks sooo much in advance! Have a lovely day
Lindsey
December 29, 2018Hey Jihyeon, sorry for the late reply! Your comment slipped by. An overstayed visa can go unnoticed if you come from a country that has a visa-waiver with Schengen (ie: US, Canada, Australia…). If you have had to apply for a Schengen visa online or at an embassy, those visas rarely go unnoticed if there is an overstay. That’s because you are logged into the VIS (Visa Information System), which will take your biometrics at entry. To answer your question “if I have to overstay like 30 days more”…I would stop right there and ask yourself why you have to overstay. If anyone has to overstay, they are on the wrong visa! If you have a bilateral travel agreement with a country, you usually can stay 90 days + another 90 days within that country (not working). I would contact your embassy within the country and double check if your bilateral agreement still stands. Best of luck!
kartimakkal
October 30, 2018My student visa refused in poland due to justification for the purpose and the conditions of the intended stay was not provided.CAN i apply for poland again? or can apply to any schengen countries will they know poland refusal.or will be in Schengen Information System?.
Lindsey
October 30, 2018Hello! Yes, other Schengen countries and EU will know you have been refused a previous visa.
dipak
October 16, 2018hi my name is dipak.i am from india.i overstay year 8/2016 to 08/2017 for 1.year in france in tourist visa.so after I want go back to india.i give a penalty 180€, & they give me a penalty recipe in cdg airport.
now i want go back france…
so any problem for schgen visa again ??
Lindsey
October 30, 2018Yes, you will most likely have a harder time getting a Schengen visa if you have overstayed. The might deny you and you will have to appeal to prove you are a real tourist and have no reason to overstay again. Best of luck!
Jemima
October 12, 2018Hello! Please i was refused a German visa based on presenting fake bank statement and the embassy found out and called police for my arrest. Will i be put in the SIS if yes for how long)
Lindsey
October 12, 2018Hey Jemima, you will have to contact the German embassy and ask for your SIS record. Best of luck.
mohammed ali
September 15, 2018hi lindsey,im from iraq,im an MD, i’ve been invited to attend a conferance by a drug company with several other colleagues i presented my documents to the embassy including the invitation letter.i got rejected,later on i got rejected by other embassies!,they say that i’ve been placed in the rejection list of the schengen information system because my invitation letter was fake!,i have no idea it was fake,the problem is that the italian embassy in baghdad is in the green zone and is nearly impossible to reach.how long is the rejection time and what to do?,help!!
Lindsey
October 7, 2018Hey Mohammed, sorry for the late reply. They must have found the conference or drug company to not be legit. I would contact whoever made your invitation letter and speak with them on how it could be regarded as fake.
Singh Limbu
September 1, 2018Hi Lindsey,
I am a Seaman and on 2017 I had an opportunity to join ship from Estonia so I got transit visa from Poland and reached Estonia. Unfortunately I missed my Ship and the Estonian authorities sent me back from Tallin and I think my details have been kept on SIS. Now every time I apply for Schengen visa they refuse it and gives me the reason of SIS saying entry refused by estonia. Can u please help me know how will I be able to clear my records from the SIS.
Thank you.
Lindsey
September 2, 2018Hello! You will need to contact the Estonian embassy and ask them to give you details on what the SIS has on you. By EU law, you have a right to know. Best of luck!
Chris
August 1, 2018Hi Lindsey, I am not sure if my last post went through because when I refresh the page it doesn’t show, so I will repost again.
My American friend arrived in the Schengen at the end of January, overstayed until June and did not get caught. When is the earliest he can return to the Schengen? Is it 180 days after the arrival that he can return, or will the American guards look at his schengen exit stamp?
Thanks,
Chris
Lindsey
August 5, 2018Hi Chris! Your first post went through (I approve them first). The earliest he can return is 90 days after his exit. Although, if your friend is planning on overstaying again I suggest he look at a legal way to do it like studying, getting a work visa, etc. He might have been lucky the first time, but that is not always the case! I have a blog post about visa types (it’s for Sweden) but other countries also have similar visa types for Americans: Swedish Visas for Americans
Kim
July 20, 2018Hi Lindsey!
My daughter has been working in Germany for the past year (a 6-month type D-work visa that was extended for another 6 months). The visa expires on Aug. 31. Her work contract ends 10 days before that and can not be extended. She is in the process of looking for another job. Based on my review of your posts, it is my understanding that she still has her Schengen tourist visa after the expiration of her work visa but that she doesn’t just get 90 days added on to the end of her work visa. It looks back and counts anytime that she was out of Germany but still in the Schengen area against her 90 of the past 180 days tourist visa? Is that correct? She has taken several trips out of Germany in the past 6 months.
So practically speaking, how can they (or she) track it? Her passport was not stamped when she left Germany for another Schengen country. However, she did go to non-Schengen countries from Schengen countries which shows that she was in Schengen countries using the Schengen tourist visa during the time she had the German work visa. Sometimes the bus lines scanned her passport. Sometimes they didn’t. Is there a place she can go to see how many times the has been logged as being out of Germany for purposes of her Schengen tourist visa? Or how does she count it if she doesn’t have all the travel records?
Thanks for being such a great resource! Kim
Lindsey
July 20, 2018Hey Kim! All countries work differently with their rules on this. It seems to be a hot topic for my readers and commenters today 😅. She would need to leave Germany to activate her 90-days tourist visa (assuming she comes from a visa-waiver country). There is no border between Schengen countries, so of course they cannot track it. But they might want physical proof that she left Germany to another destination (receipts, hotel bills, etc). To get an official answer, I would call the German Embassy in the US to get a confirmed answer on her next steps. Best of luck!
Magda
July 9, 2018Hi Lindsay
I booked through a travel agency. I went to Austria arrived at Munich. When I game back to SA at the Munich airport they found that I overstayed a few hours while I was waiting to board. The police made me signed a document. This happened in Oct 2017. Can I apply for a visa to visit again this year ? How long does this incident is going to be held against me, because I did not do it on purpose and how could the Embassy npt picked up that my dates is over with 1 day ? Please advice me.
Lindsey
July 9, 2018Hi Magda, looks like they were very strict on you. It is not the embassy’s fault, it is whoever booked your flights. Always be careful your flights do not roll over past midnight into the next day. I suggest applying for the visa and see what happens. The incident will be on your travel record for awhile, especially since you signed a document. You can try calling the German Embassy in SA and ask about this situation.
David
June 25, 2018Hi Lindsay,
I have some questions about my current situation. I am currently studying in Greece and I plan to leave for the summer. Basically, I had overstayed my student visa for around 2 months, so I would like to know is there a way for me to leave Greece without getting caught? You mentioned before that the SIS doesn’t keep record of entry or exit, does that means I can travel to another Schengen country (assuming that there is no immigration control at the airport) and leave through that country? Also, if the entry record is only kept in the country where I arrived, does that mean I can use a different passport (dual citizen) for exiting Schengen area? Additionally, as a dual citizen, even if I got caught, I can still leave the country, and come back without paying the penalty by using another passport right? Also, my Canadian passport will expire soon, but I am returning to my home country (Hong Kong), so that should not be an issue? FYI I hold both Canada and Hong Kong passports.
My current plan is to fly to Italy from Greece, then take another flight back to Hong Kong. Please let me know how sound is my plan and what are the risks involved? Thanks in advance.
Lindsey
June 25, 2018Hey David – If you have a valid Canadian passport (with at least 6-months left on it) with the student visa, that would be good because that means once your visa expires, you would be able to stay 90 days extra in Schengen on your Canadian tourist visa-waver. You can enter and exit on different passports, but if you exit on a different passport than you entered, you might have to show them the entry stamp from the other – which is where they will be confused. Greece/Italy have no border control, so they might not question you at all when you leave from Italy – but if the guard is looking at your stamps + visa + dual passport, there might be some questions, so be prepared for your reasoning why you overstayed. Best of luck!
Awais
June 25, 2018HI Lindsey,
My Schengen visa application was refused last year by German Embassy due to an alert in SIS 2 on my name which was quite unexpected. I lived in UK before for 7 years without any legal or criminal offences. Excising my right of access to SIS2 data, I contacted German embassy asking what alerts are there & surprisingly I received a letter saying that there are NO alerts under my name. So the visa rejection letter & letter from SIS 2 German were totally contradicting. I am a Pakistani national, can it be the nationality that can put me in SIS 2 list? I am planning to apply for a student visa in Sweden but confused & worried if I am in SIS or not? Which letter to believe correct? Much appreciated for your advice. Regards
Lindsey
June 25, 2018Hey Awais, sorry to hear about that, but good on you for requesting info from SIS2. 👏🏼👏🏼 I think you should have appealed your visa application and circle their respond & provide a photocopy of the official document stating otherwise. If this happens again, in Sweden you have 14 days to appeal a denied visa – so be prepared to provide them with an updated version of your data on SIS2. Hope this helps!
Muhammet
June 22, 2018Hello
I have previously received a visa rejection from Italy and Austria. Because of these irregular supplementary paperwork, are these SIS jobs?
Can another country see my rejection before?
Lindsey
June 24, 2018Hey Muhammet – If you have had your visas rejected, then yes, other countries in EU and Schengen will be aware of this.
Joan
June 22, 2018I had overstay my schengen visa for almost 2 months. I am a Philippine passport holder and only approved for short stay of 6 days. My point of entry was Czech from Dubai and now I am in Madrid. While in Madrid i applied a business visa in qatar and got it approved. Can i go to qatar under business visa or the immigration in madrid will require me to fly back to Philippines? If there is a fine do I have to pay it upront? What if i dont have enough cash? I am planning to book a flight this 1st of July.
Lindsey
June 24, 2018Hey Joan, Spain doesn’t care where you go as long as it is out of Spain and out of Schengen. So if you are caught exiting Spain to Qatar, they could still fine you. It is highly recommended you pay upfront (otherwise you will be banned from returning to Schengen until you pay, and you cannot pay online as far as I am aware). If you don’t have enough money, then you will have to pay at a later date, obviously. Best of luck!
kessy
June 22, 2018hi Lindsey thanks for your previous messages, please I want to know if the Republic of Ireland can access sis alerts? thanks
Lindsey
June 24, 2018Ireland is carrying out preparatory activities to connect to the SIS, but, as is the case for the UK, it will not be able to issue or access Schengen-wide alerts for refusing entry or stay. So your answer is a no.
Donna
June 20, 2018Hi Lindsey
Thanks for your reply, I have made him an appointment for schengen visa and women from spanish consulate has said he does get the freedom of movement rights because of his son. They just wanted a holiday before she returns to work. Daughter cannot apply for fiance visa to UK for him as she earns £1600 less than the requirement , he has already been refused a visa last year for UK as they said they don’t think he will leave the UK. I am going to apply again for UK visa for him see what happens with that. Thing I don’t get how can anyone prove they will leave when their visa is up even people with jobs and homes etc abroad come to UK and go missing there is no guarantee in anything. I will fight on lol 🙂
Donna
Lindsey
June 21, 2018Thanks for the update – My husband is Greek, and when applying for a U.S. visa (back when they needed them), they interrogated him to make sure they were convinced he had enough things happening in Greece so he has to go back (job, home ownership, school, family, invested plane ticket home). This also happens in other countries like UK to help prove someone will leave. They won’t know for sure, but the last thing someone should think of doing is overstaying their visa. Big trouble.
Donna
June 20, 2018Hi Lindsey
I think maybe we have read it wrong, the Moroccan is not a direct descendant he is the father of the UK baby. He is not financially dependent on the child grrrr 🙂 They didnt get far enough to speak to spanish border control, Moroccan border control said no visa your moroccan you cannot leave . Ah well seems like its not looking so good for the schengen visa either as he does not work . Thanks for your replies you been most helpful.
Donna
Lindsey
June 20, 2018Sorry to hear. It’s still worth a shot to try for the Schengen visa. Otherwise, there are more options, but they will take some time to process. Your daughter can always marry him or he should get a visa to visit a family member who lives in the UK: https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/account/register. Of course, your daughter and their son need to be actually living in the UK in order for him to move to someone in the UK. I suggest honestly talking with a UK Immigration representative. Best of luck to your family, Donna. Happy to listen 🙂
Donna
June 20, 2018Hi Lindsey
I was under the impression he is exempt from filling all that in as he is a family member of an EU/EEA citizen, or does his son not count ?
Thanks
Donna
Lindsey
June 20, 2018If he was exempt, then why did they deny him this time? They should have given more information. It says here they must provide him the opportunity to apply. Anyway, I honestly would call the Spanish Embassy in Morocco and speak with an authority that could help answer these questions. It is a bit beyond some of my current knowledge (but I will look more into it for future readers).
kessy
June 20, 2018hi Lindsey please I still want to know if I am banned from the schegen countries, would I still be able to get a visa to visit the eu countries that are not schegen? like Croatia, North Cyprus Bulgaria etc ? thanks
Lindsey
June 20, 2018Cyprus, Croatia and Bulgaria cannot access SIS alerts (and N. Cyprus is Turkish anyway). I have no idea if you will be allowed a visa or not to those countries, or if you are banned from Schengen. You will have to do that research on your own trial and error. Best of luck!
Donna
June 20, 2018Hi Lindsey
just to update you the Moroccan Authorities would not let my daughters boyfriend board the boat, so back to getting a Schengen visa which is a 3 month wait grrr. Can you clarify that he can get the Visa as his son is a UK Citizen and he will be travelling with him, therefore he does not need to fill in all the details about work, accomodation etc ?
Thanks
Donna
Lindsey
June 20, 2018Hey Donna, this is what I had mentioned I was afraid of happening. 😞 I cannot clarify for sure he will get the visa because there is a lot of background checking that happens. But he will most likely always need to fill in information about work and accommodation, so he needs to have everything available to make sure visa authorities are convinced he is only a tourist and not seeking any other type of visa while he is visiting.
kessy
June 18, 2018hi I got an Italy multiple entry 3 months, I entered through Amsterdam and then I went to Spain. I over stayed the visa with 5 months , so I decided to exit and then back to my home in Africa kenyan. at the exit point the border officer did not thumbprint me or serve any papers only a question of why I over stayed I did not respond so well as they were speaking Spanish, so the officer stamped my passport exit stamps and use a pen to stroke the edges of the stamps. please lindsey does that mean a ban ? since I didn’t enter from Spain. I am also want to make a trip to countries that are not schegen, like Turkish Cyprus, or Ukraine or Bulgaria do you think it will have any effect on them if it’s a ban?
Lindsey
June 19, 2018The Spanish guards should have been speaking English to you, as I believe that is part of their jobs due to the number of tourists that go through Spain. I doubt they banned you – they would have had you sign a piece of paper or clearly told you they were punishing you with a ban. Turkey is not part of EU, so that wouldn’t have anything to do with this. I think you would be fine to travel, but you will have to get a visa for those countries anyway, I am assuming – so just try for that and see what happens.
Donna Phillips
June 11, 2018Hi Lindsey Thanks again for your prompt response. All documentation is in English, I.e child’s birth certificates the registration of birth and the one that states both parents, all done legally and witnessed by the correct authorities. On the other end with be the family members who reside in Spain to meet them,(not sure if that would help anyway). They will have all documentation in order health insurance etc. Fingers crossed they get a nice Border Security guard who knows the law.
Lindsey
June 12, 2018It sounds in order then! I wish your family best of luck in their travels. Let me know if you have more questions ❤️✌🏼
Donna Phillips
June 11, 2018Hi Lyndsay thanks for your reply, no daughters boyfried is in Morocco so is she and their son. As I said they tired to get the family version of the visa but no appointments where left Until August and they go next week. Family will be there to pick them up. From what I have read he does need a visa but if he cannot get one in time he can go to border and apply to be let in from there. All he needs to show under the EU directive is that he is a family member of an EU Citizen and that they are all travelling together which they will be
Lindsey
June 11, 2018Hey Donna, yes they do have the EU Directive, but there are stories of non-EU citizens still getting denied, which is why I have mentioned it’s better to get the Schengen short-stay visa beforehand. Please have them make sure all the paperwork and birth certificates have been translated into English or Spanish (not Arabic) so the officers can read everything clearly.
Donna Phillips
June 8, 2018HI, my daughter (UK Citizen) her Moroccan boyfriend and their son (UK Citizen) wish to travel to Spain but have been unable to get an appointment in time for a Schengen Visa. They intend to travel without one with Documents to prove father/son relationship. Do you think they will have any problems with this as they will be exercising the right to travel under the EU Directive, with the father enetering using his son’s EU rights. They are all travelling together.
Lindsey
June 9, 2018Hey Donna, is your daughter’s boyfriend in UK right now, and does he have a UK residence permit? He will absolutely need a Schengen visa to travel to Spain. He cannot just travel off of his child’s EU birthright and spill paperwork all over the border guard’s desk. He needs to apply for this before they travel or border control might not let him through Schengen control. Here is a great site that has all this information: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-family/index_en.htm
Louisa
June 4, 2018Hi Lindsey,
Am I able to send you a private message please?
Lindsey
June 5, 2018Yes ☺️ Visit my contact page: http://www.everyoneinbetween.com/contact/
Scartlet
May 30, 2018HI Lindsey!
Thank you so much for your page! It has calmed my mind considerably!
So my question is this.
I am one of those terrible people who have overstayed their student visa in France (actually it was an aupair visa). Anyhow, when i leave it will be over a year overstay and while i’ve travelled confidently between schengen countries, i am nervous about leaving and flying back to Australia. i also had a Recipisse from the prefecture that extended my visa for 3 months at the end of my visa expiring.
Last year i visited Croatia and travelled there overland from Slovenia. On the train they had a border control for leaving schengen and entering Croatia- but evidently this is not tracked as when i flew back to France they asked me at the Croatian airport how many days i had stayed for in order to calculate how many more days i would be able to visit when i return.
My question is this. Have you heard of any tighter controls for border crossings between Slovenia and Croatia, and does Croatia or Slovenia have a responsibility to enforce visa stay lengths for France?
i have quite a few stamps on my passport from coming and going to France whilst my visa was valid, but the last one is quite clearly there.
If anyone has experience with this, feel free to chime in with a comment also.
Lindsey
May 30, 2018Hi! Love your name 😍. If you are Australian you are a bit lucky with something called a Bilateral agreement. I have a page about what that is here. This could potentially save you from your overstay since Bilateral agreements allow Aussies to not follow Schengen rules to a T. Since Croatia is not in Schengen, they have no jurisdiction over visa stays in Schengen. However, Slovenia is Schengen and could say something to you about your overstay in France. But like I said, with the bilateral agreement and you traveling all around Europe, you might be able to tell border guards about your bilateral agreements with the countries you were visiting. Hope this helps!
Mike
May 20, 2018Hi Lindsay!
Great blog… the best I found about the Schengen Visa. It relieved a bit of my stress actually.
I’m a north-american passport holder, so I did not need to ask for visa to enter Europe for the first time of my life. I entered the Schengen zone (did not even know about this until 2 weeks ago!) via Paris, France in December.
Since that time I have been working to obtain my NHR (done) and Golden Visa in Portugal. I obtained my NHR status in December (includes a PT address, Tax Number, etc.) and my lawyer never told me about the 90 days visa or the Schengen zone. The NHR status is pretty confusing because it looks like you are “all set” as a Portuguese fiscal resident. But that’s it… fiscal only, not related to the immigration!
Since I’m north American I’m used to get stamped by immigration to every country I visit outside Europe… The fact I went back and forth to Switzerland, plus my NHR status made it look ‘OK’ to me. I was surprised that there was no immigration control but I *thought* I was all fine.
That is until my Portuguese lawyer told me I overstayed the 90 days two weeks ago. He told me he would try to get me an 90 days extension but actually that did not work since I was already overstaying. I was quite upset because money is not an issue and it would be very easy to obtain. I’m looking at apartments right now for the Golden Visa which is an important investment. I don’t want to leave until I buy one or two so all the documents and investment are done so we can start the Golden visa process (which is not done online by submitting documents)
I consulted another immigration lawyer and she told me that overstaying by 90 days or 110 days would not make much difference so I decided to complete the process, and expect to buy properties in the next two weeks before going home. (will leave power of attorney during my 90 days outside the Schengen zone and will come back after 90 days to complete the application when they do the bio-metrics check) — That is the part my lawyer is afraid of… they might see I overstayed… but HEY at this point it would be ridiculous especially if I left the zone for 90 days and invested a large sum in the country to get the permanent residency IMO.
Either way, it’s a catch 22 at this point… leaving without the investment would stop the process entirely and I can still be caught. So I decided to complete the investment before so at least the application can proceed during the time I will be out of the Schengen zone. On top of this, I need to invest as I sold my home in my citizen country. Otherwise I’m in a ‘No man’s land’. I understand the risk, but the properties will be rented so even if I get banned (which I believe from your blog would be far-fetched), I will have enough rental income to live offshore.
My concerns are…
1. Quote from you “…Also, try leaving from a Schengen country you haven’t spent much time in (like Italy).”
How the PT authorities would know how many days I stayed in PT since they did not control me at all since my entry in France? Do the airplanes like TAP Air Portugal scan my passport and report my entries/exists to the country authorities?
I was thinking about leaving Portugal and make sure I have at least 2K on me, with all documentation of real estate purchases, etc… I think it should help my case since I’m legitimately trying to obtain my permanent visa by investment since a few months now. BUT, your quote suggests I should maybe leave from Spain or another country? (where they would not give a heck about that paperwork)
2. I’m not too worried about leaving… as I mentioned I will have extensive reasons/documentation to explain the reasons I ‘overstayed’ and I would have obtained the extensions for sure if my lawyer actually did a better job of informing me. I will also enough money on me in case they fine me. (thanks to this blog)
3. Coming back after 90 days; It seems some countries record the entries/exists such as Portugal. Would it be better to come back in the Schengen zone through Spain, as they have would have no record of any entry/exit if I leave the Schengen zone from Portugal? Or since I applied for the Golden Visa, I better just enter PT directly?
What is your point of view. This is irritating me… but I need to deal with this now and want to make the best moves possible!
All this proves that even if you deal with lawyers, the Schengen zone visa & SIS should be a lot more easier to understand. Having a simple entry stamp from an EU country without any heads up is confusing for north American. (should not be an excuse though)
Thumbs up for your blog, now I understand a LOT more how this work!
Thanks a lot 🙂
Lindsey
May 29, 2018Hey Mike! Sorry to hear your lawyer gave you wrong information. This is all too frequent according to people I’ve spoke with. It also is horrible that a lawyer told you it was “okay” to overstay your tourist visa by a couple of weeks. To answer some of your questions:
(1) How the PT authorities would know how many days I stayed in PT since they did not control me at all since my entry in France? (They wouldn’t. And the airlines do not report your stamps to authorities…you would go through border control after security and the border agents would see it. My quote indicates it’s better to leave from a country in the south that you didn’t enter from, but that also means to exit at your own risk!
(2) Would it be better to come back in the Schengen zone through Spain (If you were out for 90 days, then you would have followed the rules and where you enter would not matter. Unless you had been stopped before, then you need to follow whatever instructions they advise).
If you get the Golden Visa, none of this would matter because you have a visa to re-enter on instead of a tourist visa. If you have more questions, please feel free to send me an email here!
Silvia
May 20, 2018Hi Lindsey,
I hope u r doing well!
Well, my case is a bit complicated. Please give me a help if u can. As a Brazilian citizen I don’t need to get a visa to travel to Europe. It is give me once I am in the country already. I’ve been in Denmark in 2017 as tourist for some reason that I prefer not mention, i left Denmark and travelled to Ireland. The case starts now 😒. I left Denmark with fake document. When I arrived in Ireland I was caught by immigration border. They send me back to Denmark and there started my issues. I was send to prision for 30 days after that they deported me to Brazil. They said I am not allowed to comeback to shengen area for 6 years. Lindsey, I would like to know how is the procedures in this case. How does it works? If I go to France (for exemple) and I give my passaport for the border checking do you think it will get the alert straight way and I will ve refuse to enter or do they need to check on me?
Thank you for your attention sweet heart.
Lindsey
May 20, 2018Hey Silvia, thanks for stopping by. This is a pretty serious case, unfortunately. All of Schengen/EU will have you in the SIS system and will be alerted if you try to re-enter in France or any country. This means that if you were to fly over to Europe and try to re-enter, the border guard will automatically turn you around and put you on the next plane home. Sorry to hear, but this is the consequence. You can try to get an immigration lawyer if there is a reason you need to be in Europe, however, I suggest taking this consequence very seriously and not trying to keep re-entering. 😮 Best of luck to you.
Malika
May 11, 2018I’m an American citizen and I gave birth to two children in Prague Czech Republic. Both of my kids also have their US citizenship. I was in Prague with my kids and my fiancé waiting on some kind of papers/visa to be issued to me so I could stay in Prague and nothing was being done fast enough and my time to leave Prague came ( the three months I am allowed to stay in Europe without any visa) however my lawyer in Prague told us that I should be fine waiting in Prague while we wait for one our kids permenant residence (one child has Czech perminant card and still waiting on the youngests perminant card .) On 19/04/2017 I had to fly to America and in Switzerland I got stopped and was told to sign a removal note for not leaving schengen borders in time. From what I understand I am not allowed to come back into schengen for two years. Now here is my problem, my kids live in Prague along with my fiancé who has Czech perminant card and I need to be with my family. Is there anything I can do? Please let me know my options.
Lindsey
May 11, 2018Hi Malika. Thanks for writing in. This sounds like a pretty serious situation which needs an immigration lawyer. Since you are the mother of two children that are waiting for you in Czech, you will need to file some sort of appeal on the decision that is banning you from re-entering Schengen. I would contact the Polish Embassy in the U.S. and an immigration lawyer to find your options on how to proceed. I wish you the best of luck!
Elena
April 25, 2018Hello Lindsey,
I also have a question. My boyfriend is American, but he came to Poland in May 2017. In the summer he had a trip to Ukraine for 2 weeks, but came back to Poland again. He did not apply for visa and that is why he is satying in Poland illegaly now, for like 9 months.. We are thinking now what we can do with this. What if he says that he lost his passport and try to make a new one (here in Poland in the US Ambassy if it is possible)? In the new passport he will not have any stamps, and basically no one will know when he came. What do you thik about this? I was reading different forums in the internet and found that most probably they do not have the information about his stamps, etc. in the system. So, then he could apply for a visa? or go to Ukraine again and then come back with new 90 days of residence permission without visa?
Or are there any other options of what we can do?
Thank you!
Lindsey
April 29, 2018Hello! What visa are you speaking about? Usually if it is anything other than a tourist visa, the person needs to apply from their home country. Poland has a bilateral travel agreement with America, so this means your bf can legally stay in Poland for up to 90 days, leave, and spend another 90 days in Poland. But this is only for touristic purposes…if he wants to work or reside in Poland, he needs a proper work and resident visa which he might need to go home for! He should contact the Polish Embassy in America to ask about his options. Best of luck & here is my post about bilateral agreements: http://www.everyoneinbetween.com/2018/02/how-to-travel-in-europe-legally-with-bilateral-agreements/
Ruby
April 21, 2018Hi! Lindsey, I am Filipina and im overstaying right now in France for 4 months on 7th of May. I was working in UAE but i got chance to get schengen tourist visa for 7 days. But i planned to go back in UAE on tuesday 24 of April. I still have active employment visa in UAE and no issue about that. What im worry now is the penalty in immigration but i don’t have money to pay. I went in Prefecture de Police the receptionist told me i can exit any time but without explanation regarding the penalty she just given me one paper to email that site but 2 weeks now no reply. I tried to call the immigration and CDG airport to inquire but all answered by operator and told me just go tk website.. i booked already today Miss Lindsey the ticket. Might be do you have any idea pls do reply highly appreciated. Thank you
Lindsey
April 24, 2018Hey Ruby. I suppose today is your flight date. Do you have a good reason why you overstayed 4-months? This is what the border guards would ask you. Also, if they do not say anything to you when you apply for another Schengen visa in the future, it may get denied due to your overstay. Keep us updated if you get stopped, because many of my readers are curious over this. Best of luck!
Ahmed
April 19, 2018hello again
How can I know if I banned or not ? – because they did not make any procedures at Paris CDG airport
sorry for 2nd question
thank you very much
Lindsey
April 24, 2018If no one stopped you or said anything to you, you probably do not have a ban. But when you apply for more Schengen visas, they are able to know your exit and entry dates because you have to submit this information. You only really get bans if you are caught in the act, or continue to overstay after warnings.
Ahmed
April 19, 2018Hello lindsey
I got a hungarian visa then went to Budapest ( hungary ) for 4 days then went to France for 1 year ((( 1 year over stay then left france from CDG airport to my country Egypt , did not pay any fine there
I do not know if I banned from entry or not becaue I will try to get a visa from SPANISH EMBASSY and pass from there to France again
PLZ tell me is it easy to get another visa from another Schengen country like Spain or not ? and if I got it is there any problem for me at madrid airport ?
thank you very much
Lindsey
April 24, 2018Hey Ahmed, when you re-apply, they will probably question your overstay. This could definitely affect you getting a future visa, even if the border guards never said anything to you. I suggest just applying again and seeing what happens.
Anonymous
April 10, 2018Hi Lindsey, I’m from the Philippines. Thanks for this article. Btw, I’m not sure if you have a large idea about my situation but still I want to try my luck. ☺️ I entered in France with valid schengen visa and I overstayed but in Italy, in fact I’m still here for more than a year now. And I’m planning to go back in my home country. Will there be any problems in the immigration when I go back? And also, is there any chances that I can get another schengen visa if I apply to other part like Spain? But I’m not planning to stay long again, but just to have quick vacay.
Lindsey
April 10, 2018Hello! Thanks for stopping by. You most likely will be stopped by border guards since your citizenship needs you to apply for a Schengen visa. It’s hard to find a loophole for overstaying such a long time on your visa. If they do catch you, they can either fine you or issue you a 1-5 year ban from re-entering Schengen countries. If nothing happens on exit, when you re-apply for another visa, there is a big chance you will get denied a future visa. Best of luck!
C-Mo
April 5, 2018Hi Lindsay! As a US citizen who lived in Europe in the 80s and had a work permit to teach English, I’m finding this new stuff mind-boggling, to say the least, so thanks for all the great info.
I saw your page that mentions bilateral agreements but doesn’t give details of what they are and how they work. When I was exiting via Norway in January ’18, border patrol agents at the airport notified me that these agreements exist between the US and some countries which allow us to stay more than 90 days. They said we had over 90 days only if we left one country and went to a different one that honors the agreement.
Do you know more about this/if this is the case/how to do this without getting hung up in some way?
I talked to the German consulate here in the US but they just told me to apply once I’m in Germany for a residence permit. The person there didn’t seem to know about Schengen other than that we don’t need a visa. That said, she did tell me she was filling in for someone else and I should call next week again.
I’d like to stay in Germany for 6 months or even a year, if I could, but am getting no useful info online from the official German or Schengen websites.
I realize you’re not giving legal advice but even a pointer in the right direction would help immensely.
Thanks again!
C
Lindsey
April 10, 2018Hello! Europe is such a lovely place to live, no wonder you want to come back and soak it in! My article about bilateral agreements is a work in progress since the information is so spread out and scarce. It is so sad official authorities like consulates would be confused on the Schengen Agreement for travelers. This is exactly what causes panic and problems for innocent travelers who want to follow the rules. Basically what embassies recommend is spending your days in Schengen, and going to the country that has a bilateral agreement with your country at the end of the trip. This is true that you can apply for your German resident permit when you enter Germany.
Paul
March 17, 2018Hi, how are you> I’m from South America, and I have a question,,, I’m planning to maybe go to Spain,,, if I go there with a tourist visa,,, and overstay,,, and then I meet a girl who’s a EU citizen, and we get married, could I still get the residence that way,,,? ( considering that I would’ve overstayed by then,,,,) could this be possible?,,, if you could Please answer me and advice me, I’ll be Really Grateful, Thank You for your time.
Lindsey
March 18, 2018Hey Paul, thanks for writing in. First, please do not plan on overstaying. You cannot just overstay and then get married because that would be changing a visa, and you technically would not have a visa if you overstayed.
BellaMac
March 7, 2018Hi Lindsay,
Thank you for the information. Things change so fast and it is hard to find updated information so this is great.
I am a US passport holder and have overstayed the 90 days here in Cyprus (by a few years – last went to US in 2012), which is not part of Schengen but is part of the EU. My passport expires this July 2018 and I am not sure if it is better to go to the US Embassy to renew or to just bite the bullet and make a trip back to the US to renew my passport over there and hope that I don’t have problems with my over staying when I leave. I am self-employed and don’t have a lot of money in the bank so getting a formal process going has been difficult. I am working on possible long term solutions to be able to stay but with my passport expiring that has become the priority. I have made a home here and have cats and my stuff in a flat and I am just afraid I’ll be stuck not being able to return.
Any advice on if I should go to the US Embassy here in Cyprus and try to renew or would I be better off making a trip to the US and renewing. I was also thinking that it may be better to leave from the airport in the North (Turkish Republic of Norther Cyprus that only flies to Turkey and then can go on to the US from there).
Any advice would be great.
Sara
March 5, 2018Thanks for your awesome website! Could you please answer a question for us “digital nomads” out there? My situation – I am a 35 yr old American woman who works through my computer for a US company. I would like to spend the next 2 or so years in Shengen countries and would like to have some idea of the level risk I’m taking if I make the (bad) decision to overstay on a Shengen 90 day visa. I understand this would just be based on what you’ve heard/experienced, not anything official.
– I’ve heard are more lax for Americans who are there only for touristic reasons (Spain, Italy, France) What
is the % chance I might have an issue even in these countries? Are these the most lax countries?
– If there’s any issue, what is the % chance it’s just a fee?
– If there’s a fee, what is the % chance I could have trouble w/ re-entry after 90 days away?
– If there’s an issue, what is the % chance it’s a ban/blackist in addition to fee, and for how long? This is
what I’m most concerned about, yikes!!!
– Is taking a ferry or train to a non shengen area country and flying out of there a good solution? If so,
what are the odds of success?
– Is flying within European countries while overstaying a visa just as risky (if not more) then attempting to
fly out of EU while overstaying a visa?
– Is there less concern w/ one’s visa/passport while using train or ferry travel? Or might there be strong border enforcement, regardless of air, train or water travel?
Thank you!!! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate input here.
Lindsey
March 10, 2018Hey Sara! Cool opportunity to travel and work from wherever! However, I really do not suggest purposefully overstaying. I can try to answer your questions: 1. It’s not lax for Americans by law – it is laxer because you come from a rich country and travel a lot. But if you’re caught, Americans able to get fined/deported like everyone else. 2. Most of the time it’s just a fee of up to 1500 euro (on the spot) and then they ask you to leave ASAP. They will also put it on your travel record, so you can be watched more carefully in the future. 3. See #2. 4. There are no statistics for this, but unless the officer sees you are a repeat offender in the future, usually you don’t get deported. 5. If you go by boat to a non-schengen you still have a chance of getting fined because there are border guards there too. 6. Flying between Schengen countries isn’t risky because there are no border guards. Unless you are going to Germany or France. They sometimes have border checks in their airports even with Schengen-Schengen. If you fly out of Schengen, then do not plan on returning within 90 days. 7. I would say more concern with train or ferry. These are cheaper options that illegal immigrants take, and their border guards have more one-on-one time with you to fully check your passport.
Niazekora
February 28, 2018Hi Linsey, thanks a lot for your blog It’s really interesting and helpful. I am from Madagascar, I left my country on 2014 with a multiple entries because I receive death threats from my baby dady he is working in the government and unfortunately in my country corruption and abuse of power is still very present so I decided to go to France where my mom lives. The second month of my stay I applied for a refugee or person in a danger visa and they gave me a paper to stay legally in France untill I get the final decision this process is very long. During this time I had a boyfriend and after one year of relation we decided to get married. Once married the prefecture ask me if i want to pursue the refugees process or to get a legal stay by mariage. The most easy way was the mariage because it will allow me to work and I have to be aware if I have a legal stay with my refugees paper i couldn’t go back to my country anymore and I have a son there.
So we decided to go with my status of E.U wife, the prefecture advice me to go back to my country and apply for a new visa but during all that process my paper was expired and they didn’t want to renew it they just suggest me to go back to my country and apply for a new visa so that’s what I did.
Once I get to the immigration they ask me to paye a fee of overstay (I didn’t know about that fee) so after I explain my situation they were cool and let me go without problem. I applied a new visa in Madagascar and it was rejected I didn’t do anything after because I felt spoilt and at the same time I was afraid. Now my marriage is in danger my husband is about to give up after 2 years distance relation he lost is job one year ago and have some financial issues, actually iam leaving in china and have a great job. I want to apply again for a shengen visa from another EU embassy in china but iam afraid that they will find that I was overstay in France and will rejected.
What should I do? Please help me
Mat
February 24, 2018Hi Lindsey, first of all, thank you for the informative page!
Do you think that if you’re not registered in SIS and you changed passport since last time you went to Schengen, you will be more or less be free to go for new 90 day period? I mean since they don’t register.
Note: the person has 90 day visa free entry to Schengen.
Lindsey
February 25, 2018Hey Mat! Even if passports change due to expiration dates, the biometrics in the chip of the passport stay the same. So it would be easy for customs to look up any previous travel records if they person had overstayed. However, if your friend got a new passport while overstaying IN Schengen…customs will be looking for their entry stamp on exit, and might ask to see the old passport. But if they got a new passport outside of Schengen, I don’t think they will have a problem re-entering, as long as it is within the 90/180 rule.
Dave
February 20, 2018Hi LIndsey, Thanks for making such an informative blog. Here is my situation:
I studied abroad in Portugal from August until December. I entered Portugal via London from the USA. I could not get my student visa in time and once I got to Portugal the government said I had to go back to the USA to apply for the Student Visa. I was forced to continue studying abroad on a tourist visa as the flights back home were too expensive. I was able to go in and out of the Schengen zone multiple times in order to limit the amount of days in the zone. In total I stayed 99 days in the Schengen Zone. I flew out of Spain and was fortunate enough to not get fined/caught by the border guards. I made it fine to the USA, but now my question is: Will I be able to enter the Schengen Zone as a tourist again after the 180 days?
Lindsey
February 20, 2018Hey Dave! Thanks for finding me and writing in! First of all, who forced you to study illegally on a tourist visa? Next time, you should never enter a country without the proper visa. It can have bad consequences for your future in obtaining visas abroad. You were lucky to get out unscathed! If you stay out of Schengen for 90 days, you will be fine to return for another 90 days. If you were not caught on exit, as an American citizen, it’s unlikely you will be stopped at the entrance for a previous overstay. It went undetected. You can always use my nifty Schengen Calculator to help you determine your days for your next trip!
diego
February 18, 2018Hi Lindsay, I´m a cruise ship crew member from South America. At the end of my last contract, I decided to stay in Europe with my girlfriend (european), refuse the flight ticket from the company to go back to my country, and spend my vacations at my girlfriend´s. As the Visa Schengen for my country is not mandatory, I used only with the entrance stamp on my passport to stay. We made voluntarily a sort of “declaration of presence” at the police station , seen that I was not staying in a hotel, to be clear of where I was going to be all the time, just in case. Before running out my 90 days or permanence, I bought a flight ticket back to my country and here I am. Now that I want to go back to see her, my agency says that there is some problem with my immigration issues, that I might not be admited into the Schengen territory. I wonder why! I informed the police, I talked with my company and I didn´t overstay. Do you have any clue? Thanks in advance.
Lindsey
February 18, 2018Hey Diego, thank for sharing your story! You didn’t mention what country you are from that would allow you the visa waiver into Schengen? If your country of residence does allow you to stay 90 days without having to apply at a consulate or online, I’m not sure why your agency would think there was a problem, or where they would even look to discover this. You can also use my Schengen calculator to make sure you 100% did not overstay: http://www.everyoneinbetween.com/schengen-visa-calculator/“>
Ari
February 17, 2018Hi Lindsey,
I’ve found your blog to be really helpful, but I am still unsure of what to do in my situation. I am a young American citizen and have been staying in Spain on Schengen visas since last March. I stayed my 90 days, from March to May 2017, then went back to the states for 90 days. I came back Spain at the first of September 2017 on a new Schengen visa, and have been here since. I had arranged most of my work visa papers over the summer while I was in the US, but came across so many issues and delays in the process as I was going through it relatively blindly on my own, and was unable to apply over the summer. I planned to go back to the states to apply in November, but several of my documents were lost during that time, and I would have had to go through the painstaking, time consuming and very expensive process of gathering them in the US all over again. I met someone and fell totally in love with them here in Spain, and that’s the main reason why I have chosen to stay over my travel visa here. We have discussed marriage to possibly allow me to stay in the EU legally, but he is an Icelandic citizen living in Spain, so our marriage would not grant me EU citizenship or legal residence status, to my understanding.
I have been back in Spain since September, so I am now about 2 1/2 months over my 90 day visa. I have applied to universities in The Netherlands for this coming fall, with the hopes of being able to study and stay legally as a student with a valid residence permit, which the university will arrange. My partner has been planning to move to Berlin for some time, and we have decided to go together, and spend the summer there until I (hopefully) begin university in the Netherlands in the fall.
I was hoping that I could get out of the Schengen zone before we go to Germany, and come back in and “reset” my travel visa status, until I get my legal residence permit from university in the fall. I am nervous that if I don’t somehow manage to get out and back in and overstay through the summer, it could interfere with getting that legal student residence permit/status in the Netherlands. Are you aware of this happening to anyone? What should I do? I am aware that it is best to fly out of a different country than the one I came in through, which was Spain; would Italy be okay? Also, I was thinking I could try to fly to the UK and back, but I have read that UK immigration is a bit strict, and this may be risky. I need to avoid getting banned at all costs in order to stay with my partner! Is there somewhere else I should try to fly to and then back into Spain? Should I fly back to the US and then try to come back into Spain? Do I need to come back in through another country like Italy or France, since Spain is the country I’ve overstayed in? Please help!
Thank you so so much for your time and effort in advance, all the best. x
Lindsey
February 18, 2018Hey Ari, if he is from Iceland, you just need to get a cohabitation visa and move to Iceland with him. That is the only way for you two to be together and for you to permanently legally stay, work and set up a life in Europe. Simple! https://utl.is/index.php/en/spouse-or-cohabiting-partner. This visa would not grant you the right to stay in any other European country, though. Also, there is no “resetting” of the visa unless you stay out of Schengen for a full 90 days. I am definitely aware of Americans getting caught overstaying, paying a fine, or being banned from re-entering for a couple years. I recommend biting the bullet, and flying back to the US and stay for 90 days before returning to Schengen countries. Or, fly to UK, and stay there for 90 days. I did that 10 years ago despite being in my relationship, and guess what…90 days apart from him back then and getting proper paperwork doesn’t mean anything today (as we have been together now for 10 years 😀 and legally living in Sweden) I know it sounds tough, but rules are rules, and you need to abide by and respect the rules of other countries (especially if you want to have a future visa in them!!). Also, try leaving from a Schengen country you haven’t spent much time in (like Italy). If you have more questions, you can definitely email me on my Contact page
Launischer
February 17, 2018Hi Lindsey! I love your blog and would like it to thank you for all of the useful information you provide! I’m an American who has been studying in France for a year and a half. The first year, I entered on a student visa. When it finished I went home and received some misinformation from the consulate about renewing it for the second year of my studies. I was told I needed to apply for renewal in France so I entered France this time on a regular tourist visa and began my semester. After many of appointments and waiting for responses from the consulate here in France, I have recently leaned that they will not renew my visa and that I need to go back to the US and restart the process. The problem is, of course, now I am 2 months past the 90 day Schengen limit. My question to you is what can I expect to happen at the airport with border officials and should I plan to receive a fine? Should I plan to arrive well in advance to avoid missing my flight due to questioning?
The consulate here has been particularly insufficient and I’ve had a really hard time dealing with them.
Thanks for your time!
Lindsey
February 17, 2018Bonjour! Sorry to hear about your situation. I can imagine what a let down it feels like with the misinformation by the official consulate. Do you have it in writing (emails?) that the consulate told you about renewing in France? Or paperwork giving you proof of appointments and emails from the consulate while in France? Anything that proves this, can be shown to the border guards if stopped to plead your case on why you overstayed. You might be stopped by border guards, and honestly, they might not even think twice about it and you pass through unscathed. It is based on luck. But you do need to leave as soon as you can, unfortunately, to not wait it out any longer. Best of luck to you and your travels!
Roxane Mitchell
January 29, 2018Bonjour!
My situation is a little different. My american husband is on deployement so I took my children to stay with her in France for a while making the 7 months deployement a little more bearable.. i then decided to stay longer (my mom is going through cancer treatment and i didn’t have the heart to leave). My plane ticket is booked for March (7 month after my entry in France) and my kids only have their american passeport to travel with. How much trouble will we be in when showing up in Nice? I am obviously fine since I’m traveling with à European passeport along with a green card but the kids are not..
Thank you in advance for you insight
Lindsey
January 29, 2018Hi Roxane, sending lots of good vibes to your mom. Unfortunately, there is not much information floating about for kids overstaying visas with their EU parents. Are your kids under the age of 18? If yes, then I think they won’t get in trouble, but you might get a stern talking to since you are the guardian. I suggest calling the American embassy anonymously in France to ask. Best of luck!
Louisa
January 26, 2018Hi Lindsey, thanks for your reply again.
We are not thinking of going to the U.K. ( my country) we are thinking about going to a different country in the Schengen zone.
Lindsey
January 27, 2018Yes, I understand. But my answer is still the same. 😊 Here is the EU Council’s information on this: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-family/index_en.htm
Louisa
January 26, 2018Hi Lindsey,
But we can go together for a holiday for up to 3 months in an EU country can’t we if he travels with me?
Thanks
Louisa
Lindsey
January 26, 2018Not necessarily. They might give him limited days ie: He can stay 35 days between the issue date and the expiry date. So when he applies, he will need to have concrete plans of where he is going, staying, and how long his trip will be. The UK is not in Schengen, so it is different rules even if he is accompanied by an EU citizen.
Louisa
January 24, 2018Hi Lindsey,
Thanks for your reply,
Sorry I think you may have misunderstood me but my husband is currently in Iraq and I am in the U.K. and we are going to apply for the Schengen EU visa for him from Iraq to go to a different country with me not the U.K. then I would be exercising my free movement if that makes sense?
Lindsey
January 25, 2018Hey Louisa, I understood your situation. You as a UK citizen can move freely, but him as your spouse cannot. If you are looking to move to another EU country to live/work, you need to first register yourself, then invite him for that specific country. This won’t be an issue to get the visa due to his asylum rejection in UK. ☺️
Louisa
January 24, 2018Hi Lindsey.
I am a U.K. citizen and my husband is from Iraq.
We have a U.K. marriage certificate as he was in the U.K. until he was refused asylum and removed a few years ago.
We are now going to apply for a Eu spouse for him so we can travel to a different country for a while.
Do you think the application is likely to succeed? Is there any reason why it shouldn’t.
He has never applied for a visa before.
Lindsey
January 24, 2018Hey Louisa! I think you should be fine when applying for a UK spousal visa – it is different than the asylum. However, he will need to obtain a Schengen Visa if you decide to travel to a different country outside of UK.
Roxas
January 14, 2018Hello, thanks for this information!
So, of course I’m commenting because I’ve overstayed my visa. I’m from the U.S., and I’m in Spain, but in a small town at the very end, where Africa (Morocco) lines the horizon.
Word on the street was, many people (of any nationality) overstay here in this town just by hopping over to Tangiers, on a 1-hr ferry, every 3 months, and Spanish border control doesn’t bat an eye. Well, my problem is, I was short on funds at the end of my last 90 day period; by now I’ve overstayed by about 5 months, and I still don’t have enough money to go back to the U.S. I have barely enough money for groceries at the moment. I can’t get financial help from home. Emailing embassies here has led nowhere.
I don’t know what to do: risk it and attempt another run to Tangiers in February when I have more money, thereby at least giving me another 3 months in my passport…or fly out of nearby Gibraltar (U.K. territory) — but I don’t know where I’d go after that. Possibly the U.S. I suppose, or maybe just somewhere nearby in Africa? I don’t know. All that assumes I even have the money for a plane ticket any time soon!
Lindsey
January 15, 2018Hey! Spain is beautiful ☺️ However, people gave you very bad advice. Due to the Schengen Treaty, these “visa runs” do not exist. Since you can only be in all of Schengen 90 days in a rolling 180 day period, your friends should have said: “you need to hop over the border & not come back for 90 days.” If you do not have money to survive in Spain, you should also think the same thing for your next destination…since working is illegal on a tourist visa everywhere, you 100% need to go home where you can legally gather cash. The US can lend temporary financial assistance abroad. Please see info here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/emergencies/emergency-financial-assistance.html
Anonymous
January 12, 2018Hello Lindsey,
thanks for your prompt reply.
My nationality is morocan. Do you have any idea about the fine fees pls.
how about if i dont have the fine amount will it still be problem to exit.
Thank you
Have great evening
Nayoumi
Lindsey
January 14, 2018Hello Nayoumi! Morocco is beautiful! Can’t wait to go back. As for overstaying in Schengen, the fee can run up to 1500 euro and they can also place a ban on re-entry, or deny future visa applications. Best of luck!
Anonymous
January 12, 2018Hello Lindsey,
i would like too take this opportunity to wish all the best for 2018. may this season bring you health, wealth, happiness & prosperity.
i am actually in Belgium and over stayed for 8 months, i joined my fiancee to get married but once here the municipality said that he must be working to get married, unfortunately he could find job for the 3 years.
can you pls advice any solution please. i am thinking to leave the country but i am afraid to exit in case they arrest me at the airport.
looking forward to hear from you.
Nayoumi
Lindsey
January 12, 2018Hello! Thanks for writing in, and happy 2018 to you! First of all, you won’t get arrested. I am not sure your citizenship, but they will either stop you and speak with you over the matter and give you a fine, or they won’t say anything. The problem when they don’t say anything is you could still have a problem in the future for trying to get another visa. They could deny it. My suggestion is to leave and take your chances and get married in your home country with your fiancee. Then he will be able to invite you as his spouse.
Mohsin
December 17, 2017Hello , I’m a poor young guy from Pakistan , I need help with Schengen Visa
Lindsey
December 17, 2017Hey Mohsin, Schengen visas are about €60, however, you do need to have enough financial funds to be able to visit Europe for touristic purposes. I suggest contacting the embassy in Pakistan of whatever country you’d like to visit, and speak with an agent. Best of luck!
Asim
December 8, 2017Hi, I went to Portugal through Germany from London on December’2014. From the beginning I was in Portugal, got a job, provided taxes to Portuguese government. Finally, I had completed my finger prints on November’2015 against my job Contract. But, it was delayed to deliver the residence card. In November’2016 my father was getting very sick and therefore I’ve to leave immediately without my residence card. I paid my taxes continuously before my leave. Now I again want to go back to Portugal with Schengen Visa. Does it possible without having any trouble??
Thanks
Lindsey
December 8, 2017Yes, you definitely might have trouble obtaining permission to enter back into Schengen or Portugal. You entered Schengen through Germany…so if you enter again through a country that is not Portugal, it looks like you completely overstayed your Schengen visa by a couple years. Depending on if you need to apply for a Schengen visa or not, it could get denied. However, you can appeal with all the paperwork proving that you were in the process of receiving a residence permit (type D). I suggest calling the Portuguese embassy in your country to ask what happens if you leave Portugal when you have a pending permit, and how to re-enter. In the future, you might have to enter directly from a non-Schengen to Portugal with a residence permit already approved.
Shiva
December 6, 2017hello Lindsey,
how long will the data of person remain in schengen information system? and will the sis play a role in getting a visa?
Lindsey
December 6, 2017The information of a person stays in the SIS a bit more than 10 years. If you are on the SIS list, it is most likely you will be denied a visa depending on the circumstances for why you are listed in the SIS.
Anonymous
December 3, 2017hello lindsey,
have a good day! i’m a tourist schengen visa and already xpired for almost 3 years. it is possible to go back to my home country? what will be happen. please me what to do.
more power to you!
Lindsey
December 5, 2017Hello! Thanks for telling your story. Wow, 3 years? Of course you can go back to your home country, the question is can you get back into Schengen! The agents will either stop you at the border and give you a fine to pay on the spot. Or, if they do not stop you, when you reapply for another Schengen visa (if you are from a non-waiver country), you will be denied a new visa.
Chai
December 2, 2017Hi, what an informative blog! Curious how you know so much about the SIS.
I have overstayed my tourist visa in Germany with our sons and have effectively killed our family sabbatical. I had been trying to apply for temporary residency, but due to many factors, bad info from the govt office workers (I was told there was a grace period) and unavailable appointments, life, the time expired before I was able to book a our temp residency permit. I have a request in to an immigration lawyer, and will try to contact the US Embassy, but my gut tells me we will have to leave.
My husband entered later and is still valid here. Need to see if he can keep the boys here in school, or if they too need to leave. When one or all of us leave S hould we take a train or drive out of Germany to a direct flight home? Or, if flying back out of Berlin – would we raise the odds of fines and blacklisting.
Thank you for any insight on process!
Lindsey
December 5, 2017Hello! I have a lot of research, stories from people like you, and some first hand experience. 😅 This is a tricky situation because it seems you had tried to live there on a tourist visa before getting permission. So I believe you will have to leave. I suggest heading out from another Schengen country other than the one you entered on, however, I believe Germany might still have their border checks everywhere because of the refugee crisis. So you might get stopped either way. But honestly, depending on how long you overstayed, they might not look twice since you’re a family from the US. You can always tell your story as well and say that you were given false information from official sources. They might let you go without a fine. But they won’t ban you or anything for this.
Lynx
November 20, 2017I’m Swedish and he’s from Ukraine. He never overstayed the 90 days with any of the visas or new passport, but together it becomes more. Thanks again!
Lindsey
November 20, 2017There haven’t been any new countries becoming Schengen for awhile now. So whatever country you’re speaking about, that must have been years ago. Regardless, passports are linked (so they can see old visas), but if your boyfriend never got in trouble, and was issued a new visa to visit, he shouldn’t have an issue when re-entering. However, if you applied for Sambo, he is not allowed to enter Sweden while the visa is processing!
Lynx
November 20, 2017Hi Lindsey, thank you for this great post. 🙂 Do you know about the rules with countries that recently got visa free to Schengen?
My boyfriend has been travelling a lot on different tourist visa with his old passport and suddenly when the country got visa free to Schengen he got a new biometrical passport and went back here. He has now left the country but will soon be back. On the new biometrical passport it looks like he stayed 50 days, but actually he overstayed with 20+ days during 180 days. Do you think they will see this or will it be hard since totally new passport?
We recently applied for sambo visa :)) Kind regards!
Lindsey
November 20, 2017Hello! Thanks for leaving a comment ☺️ Which country are you speaking of? And what is your boyfriend’s citizenship? What year did he overstay?
may
October 27, 2017Hi Lindsay
Is there any other option to make my visa granted,do I need support letter from a lawyer?to the approval of my documents, thanks hope for your rply soon..may
Lindsey
October 28, 2017Hi May, please try to reply to the thread so others can follow along. Otherwise, you can email me privately in my contact form. You need to apply in the first place to see what the decision even will be. I’m not sure what a lawyer can do since what you did was overstay your visa in another country. A lawyer cannot “pardon” this. It is always up to the immigration board to decide. My advice is to just apply. The Migrationsverket website about sambo visas are here. If you want to learn about what the Swedish Migration Board says about appealing denied decisions, please see their information: https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Private-individuals/Protection-and-asylum-in-Sweden/When-you-have-received-a-decision-on-your-asylum-application/If-your-application-is-refused/If-you-want-to-appeal.html
may
October 27, 2017Hi Lindsay
I’m her again sorry I ask a lot of questions, how to appeal there decision, do I have to write a letter in beg them,how can you teach what to do .,because as of now I want to registered to application portal Norway to set appointment,.in I don’t know what to do.?pls help tack
Lindsey
October 28, 2017May, before you were speaking about your overstay in Denmark. And then you started speaking about moving to Sweden. And now you are mentioned registered for an application to Norway? You are confusing me for what country you are applying to live in. All of this information is connected, so they all can see where you are applying to get visas. You should really stick to the country you want to live in because you have a purpose to be there. ie: your Swedish boyfriend in Sweden.
may
October 27, 2017Hi Lindsay
I overstay in Denmark for 4 years in i go home on my own free will,i pay my fine at the immegration but i have stamp in my passport that i overstay,.i was now at my home country,then after 5 yrs my swedish bf planning to invite me for a tourist visa in sweden do you think my visa will be rejected regarding of my overstay in Denmark..do I need a waiver from a lawyer regarding of my overstay.thanks hoping for your rply,soon.
Lindsey
October 27, 2017Hello! Thanks for writing in. They could definitly reject you based on your overstay in Denmark. For this, you would need to appeal their decision. I’m not sure if an immigration lawyer has an jurisiction since you did break they law and they caught you for it. However, you did pay the fine, so that would make a difference since you are applying for a Swedish sambo visa. Please know, that Swedish sambo visa processing is now 12-24 months in waiting time, and you cannot enter Sweden during this time.
Shanelle
October 26, 2017Hello Miss Lindsey.. I have my concern about my staying here in Schengen Country.
I was from the philippines and i arrived Netherlands last 23rd of july. Since my visa stated that my visa is valid at 22nd of july until 4th of november i booked a flight back to my country at 2nd of november. However, its that would be fine? I dont want to stay illegal and planning to come back again after 3months..
I hope for your positive and quick response. Thanks and Godbless always!!!
Lindsey
October 27, 2017Hi Shanelle, validity of a visa is different than how many days you are allowed to stay within that time period. You can see an example of for Situation E on Top Questions About Overstaying Visas. Please check if your visa allowed you to stay only a certain amount of days within your visa validity. It sounds strange that you are allowed to stay over 90 days. If your are allowed the 105 days within Netherlands, then your flight on Nov. 2nd should be fine.
Bay
October 17, 2017Hi Lindsey,
Your blog is amazing and am so glad I found it.
I have a US passport and am studying in Lisbon, Portugal. My tourist-visa expires on Dec 1st and am overstaying 16 days while flying out of Barcelona.
Would I raise any red flags if I fly from Lisbon to Barcelona, Spain because my tourist-visa is overstayed by 15 days? Or would I still be able to move freely within the Schengen zone?
I have a flight that leaves the next day from Barcelona to USA.
Thank you
Lindsey
October 18, 2017Hey Bay! Thanks for the kind words 😊 First of all, you should be on a student visa, not a tourist-visa if you are studying. I suppose if it is less than 3-month course, most schools don’t require the full student visa, so that’s why? You can use my Schengen Visa Calculator to see/plan your days. However, if you are over 90 days, you cannot still roam around Schengen freely. You need to leave Schengen in order to not potentially be fined. Best of luck!
lljm
August 31, 2017Hi Lindsay!
I have a friend who overstayed her 90 days in greece and is saying she may be black marked, we are applying for the D2 visa as that is what she was doing before and will continue to do when she goes back, but I was wondering, could she still potentially enter a country like belgium, do the visa application there at the embassy there and if she gets approved go to greece if not then she can take the local flight and not worry.
Hope to hear from you soon since this is all currently happening and shes on a flight back to NY so I want to give her as much information as possible!
Lindsey
September 1, 2017Hello! If she is already on a flight, did she tell you if she got blacklisted? If control never said anything to her or gave her a fine, she is not blacklisted, but she needs to stay out of all Schengen countries for 90 days from her exit. This will decrease the risk of them refusing her entry next time in any Schengen country. Belgium is part of Schengen – if she overstayed in Greece, due to Schengen law, she is not allowed to enter any Schengen country (90 days in, 90 days out in 180 day period). So she could probably do the D2 visa for US anywhere in the world….except a Schengen country for the next 90 days.
Latifah
August 30, 2017Hi Lindsey..How are you?Greeting from Malaysia.
I just come back from Gothenburg(exit from Paris) on 25/8/17 to visit my boyfriend and probably go back to Gothenburg again in November 1st 2017.Is that allowed or I already break the rule?
I plan to apply a visa(moving with someone in Sweden)but lots thing need to be done.What is the best solution for me without having to go through the visa process.
Thanks in advance.
Lindsey
August 31, 2017Hek hej Latifah! It depends on how long you stayed in Sweden to visit your boyfriend. Did you overstay your 3-month tourist visa? If you can reply with your date of entry to Schengen, then I can give better advice. As for applying for a Sambo visa, since I have gone through this process myself, I have an entire blog post dedicated for this. When you apply for the Sambo visa, just make sure you stay out of the country while it is processing. You will need to apply from Malaysia. Here is a link to Live in Sweden
Latifah
August 31, 2017Hi Lindsey..thank you so much for your reply.I was in goteborg on 10th August 2017 and exit on 25th August 2017 only 16 days from paris CDG airport.i called the Sweden embassy in Singapore and they ask me to apply for residents visa and it tak probably 2 years to approve because this is new applications.Its impirtant for me to go there on November because we share a birthday.plsease i really need your advice on this .thank you so much in advance xx.
Lindsey
September 1, 2017Hey Latifah, if you only stayed in Sweden (and all of Schengen) for 16 days, you still have 74 more days to spend until around February. But once you apply for the residence (Sambo) visa, you cannot enter Sweden while the visa is being proceed. That means you will not be able to visit your boyfriend in Sweden – you must either visit each other in another country, or he comes to Malaysia. So if you have not filed your application yet, it would be fine to visit your boyfriend in November. 😄
Latifah
August 31, 2017Hi again Lindsey..i forgot to mention to you that Swedish Embassy in Malaysia not handeling for visa applications..Swedish Embassy in Singapore did.
Ashley
August 12, 2017Hi Lindsey,
I have a question regarding travel to France. I was in Paris from June 2nd-July 27th for a summer program, traveling just with my passport. I decided I wanted to stay in France and landed an au pair job. I returned back to the U.S. on July 28th and I have an appointment to get my visa on August 28th. But I realized I won’t have all the paperwork back in time for my visa appointment and I will also have to wait three weeks after the appointment to return back to France, which is complicated for a number of reasons.
I know several au pairs who have gone to France in September, came back to the U.S. in December for a few weeks over the holidays and got their visas and then returned until December of the next year. This works because they were on their 90 day Schengen Tourist Visa, and the families just paid them their pocket money under the table, no problem. But because I was just there for 60 days and will only have been back for 30 days, my 90 days will technically be up at the end of September if I go back at the beginning of September. But I have read that if a fly through Italy or Spain I probably wouldn’t have a problem in December, and that many border control officers will only see that I entered in September and am leaving 90 days later. The thing I am most worried about is submitting my passport for my visa in December and having them add all the days up and figure out that I way overstayed my tourist visa. Can you give me any advice on this?
Thanks,
Ashley
Lindsey
August 14, 2017Hey Ashley – Are you allowed to be in France while your visa is processing? Technically, you can be in Schengen for 35 more days until November 29th (That will make 180 day period, and since you already spent 55 days from June 2 – July 27th, this means you have 35 left to complete your 90/180)
So no, you cannot stay in 100% in France or any other Schengen up until December. Schengen law = all countries you get only 90 days. Soo, you can only stay another 35 days until November 29th. Then you need to either stay 90 days out straight or re-enter on your au pair visa. The Schengen system works on a counter system – as in during a 180 days period, while you are IN Schengen (it counts) and when you leave Schengen (it pauses on that number, in your case, 35 days), until you come in again within that 180 day period. Make sense?
Kristina
August 10, 2017Hi again, Lindsey!
Sorry ignore my previous comment — I think I figured it out with my University over there. I also just wanted to let you know that your blog is super helpful! It is a wealth of info when planning to live in Sweden for awhile.
Thanks again! 🙂
Lindsey
August 10, 2017Oh, great! What did they tell you just so I can be more helpful in the future? It is my notion you need to have the residence permit before you enter, is this what the university also said?
Kristin
August 11, 2017Yes, and it’s a bit confusing because they seemed to have changed the process up a bit (including not being able to contact the embassies and consulates to ask for help/information regarding this issue). It turns out the migration agency notified the university that it was accepted, but the Swedish embassy in the U.S. could not offer any info on this or send a copy of the document stating that it had been approved–that is where the confusion came in! So basically an approved residence permit before leaving and an appointment to have biometrics taken after having arrived in Sweden are needed before entering the country, but the trouble is trying to find out whether or not the residence permit application was accepted before leaving!
Lindsey
August 11, 2017I totally feel you! I live in Sweden, and they actually are really vague about everything – so I am not surprised in this situation. Usually, the resident permits can be granted in a couple weeks – a couple months. My suggestion is to get all your biometrics and applications done (I think the application is done online) and keep on them to make sure you get the information you need. Best of luck, lady!
Kristin
August 10, 2017Hi Lindsey,
I’m so glad to have found your blog! I will be living in Sweden for a year and just have a question about the shengen visa. I did apply for a student residence permit and it was settled pretty quickly, but I never received any physical proof that it was approved. I do have an appointment for getting the actual visa once in Sweden. Being a U.S. citizen and not needing a visa to enter the country, I was wondering if I will be able to enter Sweden (since I’m staying over 90 days) without this proof that I’m allowed to get a visa once over there? Will my passport and university admission letter be sufficient at the time being?
Thank you for your time!!
Lindsey
August 10, 2017Hey Kristin! Välkommen till Sverige! 🇸🇪 What do you mean by your resident permit was “settled pretty quickly” but you don’t have physical proof it was approved? I do know that you need to have your residence permit before you enter Sweden. I suggest calling the closest Swedish consulate to you and ask what are the next steps in giving your biometrics and getting the permit into your passport.
Muskan
August 5, 2017I m so glad I found you. I have a question n i hope u can help me. I m a US citizen but i have overstayed in Denmark over 5 years now. in 2013 we came to Sweden n moved to Denmark, My husband had applied for political asylum in Denmark on 2013 n finally on June 20th of 2017 they have denied our case n asked us to leave. my son was born here in Denmark n i want to apply for his US passport, do u think it will be a problem to get his passport and do u think they will ask me why i have over stayed in Denmark? If i do get his passport do u think it will be a problem at the airport when i leave the county? Thank u.
Lindsey
August 6, 2017Hey Muskan, thanks for writing in. This is indeed a very tricky situation and goes a bit beyond my knowledge of Schengen tourist visas. You should just go back to the U.S. and apply for your son’s passport there since you have no legal right to be in Denmark anymore, then this also means your son has no right to be there (since he technically only is allowed 3 months stay on a tourist visa in his U.S. passport). So really, you will be making your son overstay illegally as well if this situation is not fixed. Is the U.S. an option for you? If your husband is not a U.S. citizen, you can apply for a marriage visa so he will be allowed to come and live legally. I see this as a very serious matter by overstaying when the migration has denied your case. This can jeopardize if anyone gets sick and needs a doctor, you will not have access to healthcare if you are ‘underground.’ Also, if caught, you may be banned from all the European Union countries, so it is important to think about the future of the family. I really wish you the best of luck.
Anonymous
July 24, 2017Hello, is Croatia part of Schengen or not? you mention that it is, but when i google it is not.
thanks
Lindsey
July 25, 2017Hello! Hmm, not sure where I mention this. Croatia is part of European Union, but not Schengen just yet. It is a candidate to become part of it!
Mary
July 24, 2017Dear Lindsay,
I’ve been traveling back and forth between USA and Germany for the past year July 29, 2016- July 24, 2017. I overstayed my 90 days on two occasions, the first I overstayed by 4 days (by accident, I counted the days wrong), the officials stopped me but didn’t fine me, they said I shouldn’t worried, that 4 days overstay was fine. I came in to Germany a month later and had no problems coming in, that time I overstayed by 35 days or so, and I didn’t have any problems. Then I came back into Germany two weeks later and also didn’t have any problems. But as I was leaving this last time back to USA through Switzerland (flew from there because it was cheaper), I was stopped by officials and this time I was fined 350F and the officer said I might be denied entry next time (I paid the fee in that very moment). My question is, from your knowledge what truth do you think is into that, do you think they’ll have record of my over stay and I will be banned from coming in? I have plans to come back in two weeks. And one important detail is that all my trips were made with a Latin American passport, but my next trip will be as a USA citizen, so my passport will have zero stamps. I’m a bit nervous that I will be denied entry, and furthermore I plan to apply for a student visa later this year, but now I fear I might also be denied my visa later on. What are your thoughts, please?
Thank you!
Mary
Lindsey
July 24, 2017Hi Mary! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your interesting experience. There is a lot of truth to what the officer said. The fact that you were fined and payed money means that now they have record and proof of your overstay. This will follow you around for a bit. Coming in on a different passport (especially U.S) may help to slide by for sure, but do not overstay, because if they catch you and they are able to lookup if you have other passports, it could become a worse situation and lead to banning. I do know that applying for visas in the future might be more difficult, since I had a friend recently go through this for Sweden (they were from India). But you need to just stop for a moment and think about why you are coming back and forth so much on a tourist visa – as this is not typical tourist behaviour. Border guards can start to think a lot of things if they have records of you coming and going so often – illegal work, taking from their healthcare system, etc. If I were you, I’d look into long-term visas before making your next trip (like you mentioned a student or even a resident visa) that are available for you, and work on not overstaying anymore tourist visas that could potentially jeapordize your future processing of visas. Hope I could help a bit!
Alien Vision
July 20, 2017Hey Lindsey,
I have put myself in the worst situation ever. I am an Indian citizen. I have been travelling to Europe with the Swiss visas since 2011. I do not work there, as its against the law, when i have a visitors visa. I’ve had 5 different visas untill now. The last one in 2015 was a 2 years multiple entry. So, I entered Switzerland in April 2016 & made an exit on 25th Jan 2017, from Switzerland. (My girlfriend is from France, so most of the time, I was in France).
I got controlled over the immigration counter & they asked to pay the fine of 350 CHF. However, as i had not been working in europe, I cudnt pay it at that moment of time. Thought I would pay on my return. The border police were “ok” at that time. My two years visa expired on 15th June. So now, I applied for another visa, ironically from the swiss embassy. And…. yea, they said I am in the SIS!!!!!! So of course they refused my application. My girlfriend is France & all I want is to go see her. But with the SIS alert, its not easy anymore for me. I really want to pay this fine off, but is that gonna help me get outta the SIS??? Do i need to fix this with a Swiss lawyer? And…… if i apply for another country with a bussiness visa, u think that can work???
Any kinda help from you is totally totally appreciated.
Sammy.
Lindsey
July 21, 2017Hey Sammy – Sorry to hear that, but we really appreciate you sharing your story since most people do not get to hear about the consequences. I suspect they put you in the SIS because you never paid the fine on the spot, which makes you an ‘outlaw’ in their eyes if you have an overdue fine. The SIS is for Schengen countries, so if you apply for a visitor’s visa in any of those countries, your name will be flagged and could end up in the same scenerio. You will need to consult with a Schengen lawyer about how to go about paying for this fine before you apply for any other visas, and what will happen to your future of travel within Europe once the fine is payed. From what I have heard, if you have a record of overstaying, especially in the SIS, the record will follow you around for a very long time.
nasir
July 14, 2017hi lindesy, this is very informative article thank’s.but i have some issues about visa to poland. i have permanent residence permit in belarus and i got first visit visa to poland in 2013. when i enter into poland then from poland i went to sweden i seek asylum there after convert to work permit and my work permit validity had finished beginning of 2017 . then i came back to belarus . now i am in belarus. by the way i had entry seal record from poland in old passport what i do not use now and i had exit seal record in my new passport from sweden. i want to know if apply now for polish visa again does this record will affect ? how long polish national immigration police keep entry/ exit record? almost four years passed i got the last visa from poland.
Lindsey
July 14, 2017Hi Nasir – this seems like a more complex situation that extends beyond my knowledge. If you apply for a new Polish visa, they should have records in their system of when you last visited. Also, I believe they ask this question on the visa applications. I suggest calling the Polish embassy in Belarus to seek official information. I wish you luck!
Kennedy
July 6, 2017Hi Lindsey!
Thanks so much for the information! I had a question for you. I’ll be staying in the Schengen area this fall on a Student Visa issued by Italy. I plan to fly into and out of the area via Spain. My Student Visa expires on the 17th of December but I have plans to travel until the 29th in the Schengen area.
I understand that I’m allowed 90 days of travel time in the area due to the tourist waiver. Do I HAVE to leave the schengen area once my visa expires, then go back in to activate “tourist time”? It would really throw a wrench in my trip, not to mention be extremely expensive around christmastime.
If it’s necessary that I exit and return to the schengen area, would it be ok to do this around a week before the visa expires? I would still be finishing up finals as a student in Italy, but from what I understand I’m allowed to study in the Schengen area as an US citizen(given that it’s under 90 days) using my tourist waiver.
Thanks so much!
Lindsey
July 8, 2017Hey Kennedy! So cool you get to study in Italy. You will absolutly love it. Also, I am happy to know you are seeking information and trying to understand your visa. This question is actually really tricky since there isn’t a lot of official info about it. However, I do believe that you are allowed additional tourist time after your visa expires. My advice is to contact your student abroad office and ask them the legal rules of your student visa.
Anonymous
June 17, 2017Hi Lindsey
Thank you for your quick response and yes we are residents of USA. I will look into returning from Spain but I guess that it would be better to drive there rather then fly? Or maybe a train would be the best choice? Thank you for all of your help
Lisa
Lindsey
June 18, 2017It wouldn’t matter if you flew there, because going to a schengen country from another schengen country is like going from Texas to Arizona. There are 0 border stops because it is treated as the same ‘border’. The most important thing to remember is do not pass into a non-schengen country while driving or flying (schengen > non-schengen > schengen). This is like going from Califonia > Mexico > Texas (there would be a border stop, and re-entering is where you have the issue if overstayed). You want to make sure when you leave Schengen, you are on a flight straight back to the U.S. Therefore, if they catch you leaving, you are already on your way out.
Fahim
June 16, 2017Hey Lyndsey hope u are doing good,
I have write to u here before about overstaying a shengen visa by 1 month and when I was exiting from Spain I was luck on the border they don’t scun my shengen visa and no body stop me only stamp of exit date
I have stay out of shengen almost now 7 months and I apply again for shengen visa and was lucky I get it
My question is do you think I will have an interview or denied entry When i will be entering from paris France
Lindsey
June 17, 2017Hi Fahim – Welcome back! I remember you, and happy to hear everything went well 😊. They have already approved your new visa, so I do not think you should have any issues returning. Usually they would deny you a new visa while it is in the processing stage. However, please be aware of the visa rules for your new visa. Do not attempt to overstay again, because you might not be as lucky the next time around. I would make sure to have your return ticket printed and ready to show the border guards if they question you. Best of luck!
Lisa Skiffington
June 15, 2017Hi Lindsey,
My son has been in Italy for 3.8 years at a community for drug addiction. We did not acquire a visa as Italy frowns on outsiders taking up a spot in their health care communities, which is understandable. He has finished his program, doing fantastic, and has been accepted to a college in Firenze beginning in October. I am on my way to pick him up next week and was going to fly out of Italy and hope for the best. When he first came he flew through London, then into Bologna. Then remained in one place in Rimini for the almost 4 years. Just wondering if it would be better to fly out of Spain? Or take my chance with Italy? Also if they question us what would be the best thing to tell them? Thank you for your help.
Lindsey
June 15, 2017Hey Lisa, thank you for stopping by and it is fantastic to hear about your son’s recovery. You didn’t mention your citizenship, but assuming you are North American, I would say they best place to fly out would be Spain in this case. I am assuming you realize that overstaying the tourist visa is very risky, and could hurt his future travel if caught. Knowing this, make sure he does not return and go to school on his tourist visa. If he tries to, they could potentially not let him back into the country because they will see he overstayed in Europe from before. If he is attending a college, they should offer student visas. If he is caught in the country on an expired visa, they could deport him. If they question him this time, there are unfortunately not many things to stay if someone has overstayed by almost 4 years. Either border control won’t say anything, or worst case – they could fine and ban him from re-entering Europe for a couple years. Although, I have heard cases where they don’t say anything on exit, but on re-entry they only give limited tourist visa stays (instead of 90 days, they give 30 days), or they could not let him re-enter.