Kronenburg Estates S.L.

A Schengen visa obtained by any of the Schengen Area member countries allows free movement to its holder within the whole Schengen Zone regarding the European Union Schengen members as well as the EFTA Schengen members, up to its validity and period limitations.
According to the type of visa issued by the certain embassy/consulate of any Schengen country there are different restrictions that apply to the particular visa in accordance to the nature of travelling and other relevant circumstances.

1. Uniform Schengen Visas (USV)

The Uniform Schengen Visa stands for a permit of one of the Schengen Area Member Countries to transit or reside in the desired territory for a certain period of time up to the maximum of 90 days every six month period starting from the date of entry. The countries one can travel to, once he/she holds a Uniform Schengen Visa include:

According to the purpose of traveling the Uniform Schengen Visa applies to all of the two categories, “A” and “C”.

“A” category stands for the Airport Transit Visa which allows its holder to travel through the international zone of the Schengen Country Airport without entering the Schengen Country Area. Airport transit visa is mandatory for the citizens travelling from one non-Schengen state to another non-Schengen state through a change of flights in a Schengen Country airport.

“C” category stands for a Short-term visa which allows its holder to reside in a Schengen Country (Schengen Area) for a certain period of time depending on the visa validity. This particular category, according to the holder’s purpose of the travel can be obtained in a form of:

• Single-entry visa allows its holder to enter a Schengen country (Schengen Area) only once for the certain period of time. Once you leave the certain Schengen Area you entered the visa validity expires, even if the time period allowed to stay in the Schengen Area is not over yet.
• Double-entry visa applies for the same policy as above mentioned, however you are allowed to enter the Schengen Area twice, meaning that for the certain period of time permitted by your visa you can enter the Schengen Zone, leave and enter again without any problems. Once you are out of the country for the second time the visa expires.
• Multiple-entry visa allows its holder to go in and out of the Schengen Area as pleased. However, this visa allows its holder to stay in a Schengen Zone for maximum 90 days within half the year, starting from the day one crosses the border between a Schengen member country and the non-Schengen member country.

2. Limited territorial validity visas (LTV)

This type of visa obtained allows you to travel only in the Schengen State that has issued the visa or in some other cases, in the certain Schengen States specifically mentioned when applying for the visa. Apart from these Schengen countries, this specific visa is invalid to any other Schengen country not specified prior. The holder of this type of visa cannot enter or transit through any other Schengen country that is not the first and final destination target.
This type of visa is issued in very peculiar cases such as a humanitarian reason or under international obligation as an exception to the common USV system. This type of visa may apply for individuals who don’t possess a valid travel document yet have to travel to a Schengen area on an emergency of any kind.

3. National Visas

The national visa of “D” category is granted to the certain individuals who are to be studying, working or permanently residing in one of the Schengen countries. The national visa can be of a single entry, granted to the people who are in need of residing in the Schengen country for a certain period of time and for a sole purpose after which they shall return to their country. On the other hand a multi-entry national visa is also granted for certain individuals, allowing its holder to travel in and out of this Schengen country as he/she pleases and also travel throughout the whole Schengen Area without additional visa requirements.

In order to obtain a multi entry national visa, one must meet the certain criteria:

• An international student program will grant a visa for a period of not more than one year.
• An international student that is about to start a full course of studies in one of the Schengen countries. Again the visa is issued for a period of one year with the possibility of extending it.
• A pedagogical work at a higher institution or research center in any of the Schengen countries, regarding the person and its close family members.
• A professional who is traveling in any of the Schengen countries due to its expertise be it a sportsman, an artist or any other professional of its kind with the purpose of sharing its expertise.
• Emergency cases as a medical condition that prevents the individual leave the Schengen Area at the designated time frame.

Difference between Visa Validity and Duration of Stay

Aside of a multiple-entry visa, which enables you to remain in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days within a 180 days period, the validity of your single-entry visa or double-entry visa depends on the embassy. The embassy appoints the number of days you are permitted to stay in any of the Schengen countries, as well as the first date you are permitted to enter Schengen and the last day that you are permitted to remain.

This is the point where many people get confused, because they do not realize there is a difference between visa validity and the duration of stay in a visa.

Duration of Stay – is the maximum of days you are permitted to remain in the Schengen. The first day you enter Schengen is counted as “Day 1”, even if you enter just a few minutes before midnight. Whereas, the “Last Day” is counted the day you leave Schengen, even if it is just a few minutes after midnight.

Visa Validity – on the other hand, is the period of time from which to which you can use your visa to enter and stay in the Schengen Area.

Example: the duration of stay in your visa is 10 days, whereas the validity of your visa is from 1 January to 20 January. In this case, you can enter the Schengen Zone anytime within this period. You can enter i.e. on 3 January and leave on 12 January. On the other hand, if you enter on 15 January, you will still have to leave on 20 January, despite of not having spent the number of days you were permitted to stay.

On the other case, if you have a double-entry visa, with a visa valid from January 1 to March 1, and a duration of stay of 10 days, then you can enter the Schengen Area twice within this period. You are still not allowed to remain more than 10 days during both trips. If during the first trip you stay 7 days, then in the second trip you can stay for three days at most. If you make just one trip and spend 10 days in any of the member states, then you have no right to enter the country despite of the fact that you visa is still valid.

As per a multiple-entry visa, if i.e. you have a three-year multiple-entry visa, which becomes valid on January 15, 2018 then you will be permitted to enter and leave the Schengen whenever you want until January 15, 2021. You should not forget that there is a rule of 90 days limit per each 180 day-period.

90/180 Schengen Visa Rule

Another point where most multiple-entry Schengen visa holders get confused, as well as the nationals of the countries that are permitted to enter Schengen visa-free. Most people think that the 180-day period starts on the day you visa becomes valid, which is not true.

Actually, the 180-day period keeps rolling. Therefore, anytime you wish to enter the Schengen, you just have to count backwards the last 180 days, and see if you have been present in the Schengen for more than 90 days throughout that period.

How to read a Schengen Visa Sticker?

All of the information explained above is given in your Schengen visa sticker affixed in your passport. Many people get confused because they do not know how to read.

Valid for: here you will find the countries where you are permitted to enter with this visa. If it writes “Schengen States” then it means you can travel throughout the whole Schengen Area during the permitted period. Whereas if it particularly mentions just the name of one or two countries it means you are permitted to enter and remain only in the specified member states. If there are countries listed in the brackets, then those are countries that do not recognise your passport or travel document and have therefore been restricted from the visa.

From: the first date when you are permitted to enter the Schengen territory.

To: the last date when you must leave the Schengen territory.

Type of Visa: one of the Schengen visas which are: A-Airport Transit Visa, C-Short-Stay Visa, D-National Visa.

Number of Entries: which can be either single-entry, double-entry or multiple-entry.

Duration of Stay: the maximum of days you are permitted to spend in the Schengen Area within the given dates of visa validity.

Issued in: the city where you obtained your visa.

On: date of visa issuance.

Number of Passport: your passport number.

Surname, Name: your name and surname.

If you stay longer than the amount of days listed in your visa, you might be fined and future Schengen visa applications are subject to further review and possible refusal. The processing time for future visa applications may also be extended to 30-60 days. Depending on the amount of days you stay too long, you could risk being banned for 2-5 years.

Schengen Visa Extension

Short-stay Schengen visa extensions are permitted by the regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (EC) No. 810/2009 of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Journal of Laws of the EU of 2009 L243/1). However, you will have very low chances to get one, if you do not have a strong reason as the basis of you application.

According to the Schengen visa policy, acceptable reasons to extend a Schengen short-stay visa are only the following:

• Late Entry
• Humanitarian Reasons
• Force Majeure
• Important Personal Reasons