American Passport/won't get Schengen/will 90/180 rule apply?
Replies: 15 - Last Post: Oct 12, 2012 9:04 PM Last Post By: Nice_But__
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American Passport/won't get Schengen/will 90/180 rule apply?
Hi,I wonder if I don't get the Schengen Visa. Will the Schengen Visa 90 days within 180 days period still apply to me? I hold an american passport. Can I just go to France for 90 days without a visa, then Switzerland for another 90 days, then back to France for example?
Any response will be appreciated.
Junebug
1
You could go to a non schengen country, Switzerland is not one of these. I don't see why you can not use use the 90 in 180, i suppose it depends why you did not get the via in the first place eg police record2
As an American citizen, you are eligable for the visa waiver program; e.g. You don't have to get a visa for Schengen.The Schengen area consists of 26 European nations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area
The schengen tourist visa ( which is waived in your case) allows you to stay 90 out of 180 days in the entire area. All entrypoints are interconnected; you can't spend 90 days in France and then spend 90 days in Switserland and think somebody won't notice. However, you can do what #1 said.
3
Can I just go to France for 90 days without a visa, then Switzerland for another 90 days, then back to France for example? No, you cannot.4
The Schengen Visa Waiver program under which you'll be entering uses the 90/180 rule. As noted above, Switzerland is part of the Schengen Zone. So the answer to your question is no. After spending 90 days in the Schengen Zone, you'd need to leave it for 90 days before legally returning.It sounds like maybe you're confusing the Schengen Zone with the EU.
6
Hi msjkwaranat!Welcome to TT!
Will the Schengen Visa 90 days within 180 days period still apply to me? I hold an american passport.
Yes, they'll do.
Can I just go to France for 90 days without a visa, then Switzerland for another 90 days, then back to France for example?
No, you can't because Switzerland is also part of the Schengen Area.
I wonder if I don't get the Schengen Visa.
As American, you don't need a visa to travel in the Schengen Area as a tourist but you'll need to respect the 90 days within 180 days rule. The info provided above was provided assuming you will be traveling as a tourist and you aren't banned from the Schengen Area.
8
Just to give you all more info. Just in case you can give me more advice.As a few people have already mentioned, Americans do not need to get the Schengen Visa to enter the Schengen Area for tourism purpose. Therefore, I won't get it--just to save money. It's my dream and an unfinished business of being able to speak French and live in France--no plan to live there long term.
Unfortunately, I can't really be in France longer than 90 days. So, I thought another French speaking country should be alright. Getting a French work visa would be very tough, and getting a student visa will require me to go back to the US--lots of money will have to spend there. I'm living and working as a teacher in Thailand at the moment, by the way.
9
Just to clarify your point about not getting a Schengen Visa to save money: nationals who can enter Schengen under the visa waiver scheme, cannot apply for a Schengen Visa and even they could, it wouldn't have any added value to do so.For Americans the options for extended stays in Europe are either dividing your time between Schengen and non-Schengen countries, making sure you don't spend more than 90 per 180 days in the Schengen Area; or apply for a national visa - which are only valid for longer stays in the country that issued them, and require a solid reason (study, work, marriage). AFAIK there aren't too many countries with which the US have bilateral working holiday visa agreements, though.
10
Apparently, French is not an official language of any countries on the Mediterranean coast of Africa, though you'll certainly find some French speakers. It is an official language--seldom the only one--of several African countries further south.You might also want to look into the Channel Islands, especially Guernsey.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_where_French_is_an_official_language
13
Here you have a list of all oversea departments and regions of France - they are also all part of the EU, French is spoken and the money is Euro..That info isn't accurate. The overseas departments (Reunion, Guadaloupe, Martinique and French Guyane) are part of the EU (Mayotte is an overseas department since last year but isn't part of the EU) and have the Euro as currency. The rest of overseas territories (overseas collectivities, sui generis collectivity, oversea territory...) aren't part of the EU, except the overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélémy and Saint Martin.
French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna don't use the Euro but the CFP franc.
