Citizens living outside the European Union must apply for a visa to a Schengen country if they want to visit it. With a short-stay schengen visa, you are allowed to stay almost 90 days with the schengen country.
If you want to stay more than 90 days, you must apply for a long-stay visa, as it is illegal to live in any country without a visa. So it's better to return to your country of residence and reapply for a work visa or long-stay visa.
How Does The 90/180 Day Rule Work?
This rule of 90 days is simple: once you reach the Schengen country, then either your trip will come to an end, or it will extend. Suppose you enter the Schengen zone on 1st Jan 2022; then you will have to leave the Schengen country exactly after 90 days on 31 March 2022.
Many tourists entering the Schengen country are unaware of the 180 days limit law.
To determine how many days count toward the 180-day maximum, start with the day you entered or exited the Schengen Area and go backwards. A violation of the 90-day restriction occurs when a person spends more than 90 days in the Schengen area within 180 days.
The Procedure For Schengen Visa Application
When you apply for the schengen visa, you will submit the application form at the embassy of the country where you want to go. There are following documents that are necessary for the application process:
- Fill out the application form with all the correct information because any false information may result in the cancellation of the form.
- Flight reservation for visa application or travel itinerary.
- Briefly explain the purpose of your visit to the schengen country in a cover letter. The cover letter should be briefly written.
- Valid proof of accommodation where you will stay in the Schengen country. You may watch the hotel reservation slip or any rental apartment slip. You can also submit an invitation letter from your host friend or family.
- Have a valid travel medical insurance for the schengen visa. It must be 30,000 EUR.
- Apply for the appointment at the embassy and get the confirmation email regarding the day of the appointment.
- Appear at the embassy with all essential documents 10 to 15 min earlier. The appointment booking can be made via the embassy or online and should be done in 2 weeks at the earliest.
Activities On The Day Of The Appointment
- Always be on time on the appointment day because embassy officials don't like applicants coming late. They have a lot of applications, so they don't have too much time for each applicant. Try to be concise in all your answers, and don't try to divert embassy officials' attention.
- The process will involve scanning the applicant’s fingerprints if they have never obtained a Schengen visa.
- After the application verification, the information on the application form will be entered into the online systems of the embassy or consulate. They will take the print of this form. This is a 10 to 15 min process.
Penalties For Overstaying
Although it can be a hassle, all non-EU citizens should respect the 90-day and 180-day stay restrictions. Overstay penalties vary by country within the Schengen Area. Penalties generally include a monetary fine and a requirement that the overstaying individual leaves the country and the Schengen Area within a specified time frame (sometimes immediately).
Failure to comply with the 90/180-day rule may result in future difficulties when attempting to enter the Schengen Area. In addition, it may result in immediate implications of penalties and deportation. These people may be subject to heightened screening at the zone's entrances and exits; in extreme cases, they may be barred from the area indefinitely.
It is important to remember that the penalties will be more substantial if any individual is found engaging in any activities. These regarding work while utilising visa-free travel within the Schengen country. These penalties include immediate deportation, monetary fines and future bans from entering the country and imprisonment in case of any severe cases that may be brought against both the individual and the company for which they are working.
Ensure you get your travel medical insurance and Dummy ticket for the Schengen visa. These two are very important.
No comments yet