NON-Schengen Country Walks? Advice please.

[Anniesantiago]

So I'd like to stay away walking for at least 4 to 6 months and since it's impossible to get a VISA for longer than 90 accumulative days in the Schengen countries, I'm wondering if anyone has advice about routes to walk OUT of the Schengen countries?

I'm looking into a couple of walks in Wales, but that will take no more than 2 weeks.

Has anyone done any walking in other UK countries or ???

I see Cyprus has a walk.. has anyone walked there?

I'm open to suggestions.

I'd like to be on the Pelgrimspad and Camino in May/June and then again in August/September but would like to find other alternatives between June and August.

Help?

 

[Pieces]

Norway is part of the Schengen agreement, but as it is also not a member of the european union, maybe it would be worth looking into if that would open a doorway, they have a ton of routes...

 

[Sojourner47]

Annie - I don't know what the situation is in the UK regarding long term stays for US nationals, but there are loads of good walks over here.
The Pennine Way - about 400kms
The SW Coast path - 1000kms
West Highland Way - 150kms
Southern Upland Way - 340kms
Offa's Dyke - 320kms
Plus lots more. You might be wise to avoid Scotland in the summer (the midge menace), but otherwise it's a good time to walk in England or Wales.There may not be the infrastructure that there is on the Frances, for instance, but then you won't have the crowds, either.Lots of info on the web:
try http://www.ldwa.org.uk or http://www.ramblers.org.uk

 

[Anniesantiago]

Thanks!

 

[Trudy]

There are shorter pilgrim routes in the UK eg Wincester to Canterbury; Ely to Walshingham; there is also a new pilgrimage trail along the St Michael and St Mary ley lines, but afraid I can't find a link to it.

While the following website offers pilgrim tours, it does give an overview of what routes are out there, so it would just mean a bit of Googling of the routes you like the look of to get more information: http://www.pilgrimroutes.com/

There is also the Lycian Way through Turkey: http://www.lycianturkey.com/lycian-way.htm

 

[mikevasey]

there is also a new pilgrimage trail along the St Michael and St Mary ley lines, but afraid I can't find a link to it.

http://www.marymichaelpilgrimsway.org.
This seems to be popping up with alarming regularity since someone told me about it 2 weeks ago.

 

[newfydog]

Have you considered going a few miles up highway 26 to the 2650 mile Pacific Crest Trail? The snow is melting, the trail is quite free of chemicals, crowds, perverts amd dogs. For many it is a spiritual experience. You have the skills and experience to do it.
http://www.pcta.org/

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Pacific Crest Trail is not free, however, of mosquitoes and blisters!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udu6ThiMG8g

Or bear:

Los Angeles County, July 2003 – A male hiker was knocked down by a bear at a remote campsite along the Pacific Crest Trail in the Angeles National Forest. The hiker had just reached the camp, which was empty, dropped his pack on a picnic table, and was looking for a place to hang his food. As he walked back toward the pack, he heard a noise behind him. As he turned he was knocked to the ground by a bear. After standing over him for a few seconds, the bear grabbed the backpack and began dragging it off. The man shouted at the bear and threw rocks until the bear finally retreated without the backpack. The hiker received only minor bruises and was not seriously hurt.

Or mountain lions (from a blog about the PCT):

Mountain lion attacks have been on the rise, between 1990 and 2003 there were seventy-three recorded mountain lion attacks in north America, 10 of which were fatal. One guess as to why this is happening is the ever expanding suburbs are pushing the animals out of their habitats and into the wilds. Supposedly mountain lions usually go for children, which doesn’t make me feel much better considering I am only 5 feet tall. They tend to sneak up behind you and bite the back of your neck, neatly severing your spinal cord. If you see a mountain lion you are not supposed to act afraid (easier to read in your Guide book than do in real life). You are to make yourself big , make tons of noise and act aggressive. You should never run , these are just big cats and a running signals prey. As my favorite line in our PCT guide book says, “if attacked fight back, To flee is to die”.

 

[jl]

One of the things that is on my "to -do" list is the End to End - in the UK. There is no set path, but you go from either John 'O Groats to Land's End (I think they call themselves jogle's!), or alternatively the other way round (lejog's). The distance varies (and therefore the time required!) depending which combinations of paths you choose. Some seem to go around the coast (longer), others go the most direct way possible. Although I have a couple of guides for the end to end I think the best way would be to choose where you want to go and then chase up the paths in that area. There is a very good over view map of all the long didstance paths in the UK. There are also several good books written by "end to enders". There are also several books written by people who have walked all the way around the coast of England (one woman ran it!), Cheers, Janet

 

[Anniesantiago]

Newfydog, the PCT is nothing like the Camino. It is not supported at all. You must carry a lot more food and water, make excessive plans shipping food ahead, and I certainly wouldn't suggest it for a woman alone unless she was related to Daniel Boone! Lastly, I'm trying to stay in Europe and not have to fly home between Caminos, which is why I'm looking for walks in countries which are not Schengen.

Since posting this I've discovered several walks including Offa's Dyke, which is in Wales, where I have friends. There are other Welsh walks also. And yesterday, while browsing in Goodwill, I bought a touring map of Ireland for $1.99 which has several nice walks on it, including Bheara Way, Western Way, The Dingle Way, The Kerry Way, The Beara Way, and The Wicklow Way. I'm also exploring The Pilgrim's Way in Wales and the Two Saints Way in England.

I might just be walking forever! YAY!

 

[newfydog]

I certainly wouldn't suggest it for a woman alone unless she was related to Daniel Boone! !

It was walked by a 49 year old mother of four back in 1976. Maybe Daniel was one of the kids.
http://www.pbase.com/mad_monte1/image/96364219

Here's another woman who soloed it teaching a course on backpacking with kids, right in your neighborhood.
http://www.rei.com/event/27792/session/34286

And here's a book on the experience of another: Piper's Flight: A solo woman's journal on the Pacific Crest Trail
http://www.amazon.com/Pipers-Flight-wom ... roduct_top

Of course, that doesn't keep you in Europe, but don't be so dismissive of what is in your own backyard.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hi Newfydog

I don't mean to sound dismissive.
Those gals probably WERE related to Daniel Boone! :lol:

However, I asked for specific information and you gave me absolutely non-related information.

Perhaps my message wasn't specific enough.
Here is a more clear message so you can understand my question:

I am going to be required to be in Europe in May/June and again in August/September.

I do not want to have to return to the USA for financial reasons as well as for personal health issues. I am handicapped and have difficulty flying.

I can only stay in the Schengen countries 90 days within a 180 day period
I NEED to be in that area for 120 days or more

Therefore, I am looking for walks close by that are OUT of but NEAR the Schengen countries -
I am ONLY looking for walks close to (but out of) the EU.

Thanks
Annie

 

[SabsP]

Annie,

I walked in TRNC, the turkish republic of northern Cyprus. Lovely nature and surroundings. Guess the Greek part will be as beautiful, although more touristy.
http://www.walksnorchidsnorthcyprus.com/walks.htm

Greek part is easily reachable from UK with lowcost companies whereas for the Turkish part you will always have to do an expensive stopover in Turkey.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Sabine, isn't Greece part of the Schengen group? I need to check into that.

Looks like Cyprus is required to implement Schengen rules.

 

[SabsP]

Greece is part of Schengen but Greek - Cyprus is not. Certainly Turkish part isn't.
http://www.schengen.dk/

 

[newfydog]

OK, here's a nice long one, part Schengen, part out of it, 6,800 km from the Finnish Russian border to the Black Sea:

http://www.ironcurtaintrail.eu/en/index.html

20 nations are part of the Iron Curtain Trail project, among them 14 members of the EU.

The path starts at the Barents Sea along the Norwegian-Russian and Finnish-Russian border, passes a short stretch of the coasts of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Kaliningrad, Poland and the former GDR. From Lübeck to the three-nation border (Saxony-Bavaria-Czech Republic) the path follows the former German-German border. Then it follows the highlands of the Bohemian Forest, passes Moravia and the Slovak capital of Bratislava and crosses the Danube near Vienna.

It then follows the southern border of Hungary via Slovenia and Croatia. Between Rumania and Serbia it follows in the main the Danube, and, via Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece to end at the northernmost point of Turkey on the Black Sea coast.

The path traverses many national parks with interesting flora and fauna and connects many unique landscapes which, because they were either with the border areas or close to them are hardly touched. The path also connects many monuments, Museums and open-air establishments which remind us of the history of the division of Europe and it’s ending via a peaceful, a “velvet” revolution in Eastern Europe.

Got to say, we crossed that trail on our Prague- LePuy route and it was pretty interesting.

 

[mikevasey]

Have you thought about walking to Rome. It may not fit in with with your needs to be at certain places, but if there is a possibility, what a walk that would be. On the roads to Rome website they say it is a 80-90 day walk from Canterbury. You could start in another part of the UK or Ireland and take various connecting routes.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hi Mike, I'm afraid the walk from Canterbury would only keep me out of the Schengen area for a few days. But I'm looking at this walk, also. Thanks

 

[jirit]

I would stick to Ireland, Wales and England since none are part of the Schengen region

And you need to stay out of the Schengen region for at least 90 days (the exact rule is 90 days within a 180 day period) and being June to August, the rest of Europe will be busy and hot

There are a number of great long distance walking trails in these countries including the ones already mentioned:

The Ulster way in Ireland
The Cistercian Way in Wales

Both of these will keep you busy and walking for 2-3 months

 

[Anniesantiago]

Thanks everyone.
I've pretty much narrowed it down to Wales and Ireland.
I'm looking at the Wicklow Way and Offa's Dyke as well as a few others.
I think the walking will be nice and cooler in the UK.
If anyone's done any of these walks, I would appreciate advice, links, etc.
Annie

 

[nellpilgrim]

Hi Annie,
Theres also the Irish Coast to Coast walk which incorporates the Wicklow Way at it's start and the Kerry Way at the end (the Kerry Way is a cracker but I'm a little biased as I'm a kerry woman :lol: ) Looks like you'll be like Balaams Donkey spoilt for choice!



Nell

 

[sillydoll]

I walked the Wainwright's Coast to Coast (St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay) in 2001.
You could do the CtoC - about 190 miles - and then go south and do the National Thames Path (184 miles) That'll take you about a month. Perhaps you could walk the St Paul's trail or the Lycian Way in Turkey?
http://www.lycianway.com/
Whichever walk you do Annie, none have 'cheap' accommodation and all will be quite costly.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hahahaha! My brain is beginning to ache.
I do have friends in Wales where I can probably hang out for a week or two.
So now I'm looking for a two-week walk.
There's also the possibility of finding a house sitting position in the UK somewhere.
In the end, if I have to fly home in the middle, maybe I'll explore the East Coast of the USA for a month.

 

[jirit]

I would not recommend walking either trail in Turkey during the summer months unless you love extreme heat. Further more only the Lycian way is signed properly and you need to factor in some possible free camping since there is places with no accommodation along the sections of the route

 

[Whalleyranger]

There's also the Trans-Pennine Trail which runs from Southport through Liverpool and Manchester into Yorkshire to finish on the East Coast somewhere (Hull?).

It also has spurs running north and south to Leeds and Sheffield, and is mostly flat so is quite accessible. My disabled father has walked a good portion of it.

 

[jeff001]

You might be able to find a housesitting opportunity here:
http://www.caretaker.org/

 

[Anniesantiago]

Ok. It's been decided (I think ?)
I will leave in early May and walk Deel 1 of the Pelgrimspad.
Then I'll make my way to SJPP (probably via Amsterdam/Paris/Bayonne) and walk to Santiago, after which I'll return to the US.

When I return to walk in August, perhaps I'll walk in Wales or Ireland.
For now, I'm booking my flight before I change my mind.

 

[dougfitz]

Hi Newfydog

snip

I can only stay in the Schengen countries 90 days within a 180 day period
I NEED to be in that area for 120 days or more

snip

Thanks
Annie

Annie, your statement here is not quite accurate. It is possible to apply for a national visa that is valid for longer than 90 days. See the European Commission Home Affairs page on visa requirements http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/borders/borders_visa_en.htm for some further detail. This may provide an alternative that is workable for you.

Regards,

 

[Anniesantiago]

Doug, below is the response from the consulate to my letter of inquiry, short and clear.
If you know something different, I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks,
Annie
*******

De: . Con. San Francisco
Enviado el: lunes, 01 de agosto de 2011 9:23
Para: Santoyo Perez, Adrian
Asunto: RV: Quesitons about VISA requirements

You can only be in the Schengen State for a maximum of 90 days within a period of 180.

Consulado General de España
Consulate General of Spain
1405 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
T. 415 922.2995
F. 415 931.9706
cog.sanfrancisco@maec.es
http://www.maec.es/consulados/sanfrancisco


***********
Hello,
I am a 59 year old woman from Portland, Oregon.
I plan on leading a group of people on portions of the Camino Santiago two separate times in 2012.
One trip will be from approximately May 25 until June 16.
The second trip will be from approximately August 24 to September 15

I have a current passport but I understand I am only allowed to stay in the country for 90 days.
I would love to be able to go walking on my own between these two tours.
Is it possible to get a VISA for 6 months instead of 90 days?
If yes, how do I apply for that and what are the requirements?

If no, can you tell me if I can go to the UK for a month or 6 weeks, and then return to Spain to do my second tour without problems?
Are the 90 days CONSECUTIVE in other words?

I'd much prefer to stay in Spain and walk on the various routes of the Camino.

Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
Gracias!
D. Carvalho

 

[nousername]

Annie, your statement here is not quite accurate. It is possible to apply for a national visa that is valid for longer than 90 days. See the European Commission Home Affairs page on visa requirements http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/borders/borders_visa_en.htm for some further detail. This may provide an alternative that is workable for you.

Hi dougfitz,

Thanks for the link on visas for longer stays.

I do believe that its an international 'trend', where residency is implied after 90 days stay, and that the information obtained at the url supplied may refer to the 27 different often complex national procedures to get residence and work permits.

http://cmr.jur.ru.nl/cmr/docs/sa.21.pdf page 190 may also be of interest

One might then also decide to "Study the camino" for 90-180 days http://www.scu.edu/studyabroad/options/ ... celona.pdf

with an application form located here
http://www.maec.es/es/MenuPpal/Consular ... -%20EN.pdf

Anniesantiago,

If the group members recieve a 'certificate' I would not hesitate to tick 'Accreditation' on page 2 item 20 on the application form! :wink:

 

[dougfitz]

Annie

The Spanish Embassy web site in Canberra refers to a 'National visa' and outlines the procedures for making an application. I presume that there will be similar information available from the Spanish missions in the USA, but the Australian link is -->> http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Embajada...tsEntrSpainVisas/Paginas/visas_emblondon.aspx.

The form itself suggests that arrangements can be made for multiple entries during the period of the visa, but how that works within the Schengen arrangements is not clear.

nousername's suggestion that longer stays are considered residency appears to be correct, particularly in the requirement to demonstrate you have the financial means to cover subsistence costs.

I am not sure about the IES materiel - it would only seem relevant if you can establish your bona fides as a student and meet any other requirements. Otherwise, you might be better advised to see what needs to be established for simply 'residing' in Spain, and make any application on that basis.

Whatever path you choose to follow here, I wish you all the best in this endeavour.

Regards,

 

[nellpilgrim]

Hi Annie,
To encourage you to opt for the Wicklow Way and for anyone else interested here's a link to my blog on the same http://nellswicklowway.blogspot.com/
Come on you'll love it!
Nell

 

[Anniesantiago]

Thanks everyone, for your comments and help.
Regarding the Visa, I think it will be best to actually walk into a Consulate and ask.
They seem to want to give very little information here.
But I will check your links.

Nell... Wicklow is definitely still on my list. Perhaps in August... :lol:

 

[jirit]

Annie

The Spanish Embassy web site in Canberra refers to a 'National visa' and outlines the procedures for making an application. I presume that there will be similar information available from the Spanish missions in the USA, but the Australian link is -->> http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Embajada...tsEntrSpainVisas/Paginas/visas_emblondon.aspx.

The form itself suggests that arrangements can be made for multiple entries during the period of the visa, but how that works within the Schengen arrangements is not clear.

nousername's suggestion that longer stays are considered residency appears to be correct, particularly in the requirement to demonstrate you have the financial means to cover subsistence costs.

I am not sure about the IES materiel - it would only seem relevant if you can establish your bona fides as a student and meet any other requirements. Otherwise, you might be better advised to see what needs to be established for simply 'residing' in Spain, and make any application on that basis.

Whatever path you choose to follow here, I wish you all the best in this endeavour.

Regards,

Under the Schengen agreement, if you plan to stay in the region for longer than 90 days, then you must apply for a residency visa (sometimes called a long stay Schengen Visa or Visa - D I believe). This means specifically that you must apply to the country to you plan to live and reside in (Spain, Italy, France, etc) for such a VISA with the expectation that you plan to live and reside there on a permanent basis. Tells the officials that you plan to do a camino and then another and then return home to the USA or Canada, etc will prevent you from getting such a VISA.

In other words a long stay Schengen Visa is really just a residency VISA for the country in question.

 

[dougfitz]

snip

Under the Schengen agreement, if you plan to stay in the region for longer than 90 days, then you must apply for a residency visa (sometimes called a long stay Schengen Visa or Visa - D I believe). This means specifically that you must apply to the country to you plan to live and reside in (Spain, Italy, France, etc) for such a VISA with the expectation that you plan to live and reside there on a permanent basis. Tells the officials that you plan to do a camino and then another and then return home to the USA or Canada, etc will prevent you from getting such a VISA.

In other words a long stay Schengen Visa is really just a residency VISA for the country in question.

I cannot see how this interpretation is supported by the material on the web site. Have you had this advice from an authoritative source?

Doug

 

[jirit]

snip

Under the Schengen agreement, if you plan to stay in the region for longer than 90 days, then you must apply for a residency visa (sometimes called a long stay Schengen Visa or Visa - D I believe). This means specifically that you must apply to the country to you plan to live and reside in (Spain, Italy, France, etc) for such a VISA with the expectation that you plan to live and reside there on a permanent basis. Tells the officials that you plan to do a camino and then another and then return home to the USA or Canada, etc will prevent you from getting such a VISA.

In other words a long stay Schengen Visa is really just a residency VISA for the country in question.

I cannot see how this interpretation is supported by the material on the web site. Have you had this advice from an authoritative source?

Doug

Hi Doug

From Wikipedia and the reference #66 takes you directly the articles of the Act itself

Regards
.....

Right of stay

A third-country national who has been granted entry may stay in the Schengen Area and travel between Schengen states as long as the conditions for entry are still fulfilled.[65] For stays which exceed three months, so-called national visa (category D) are issued by the relevant Schengen state where the third-country national intends to reside. Any third-country national who is a holder of a residence permit of a Schengen state, which is granted for a stay which exceeds three months, is allowed to travel to any other member state for a period of up to three months.[66]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

 

[dougfitz]

snip
snip

This means specifically that you must apply to the country to you plan to live and reside in (Spain, Italy, France, etc) for such a VISA with the expectation that you plan to live and reside there on a permanent basis. Tells the officials that you plan to do a camino and then another and then return home to the USA or Canada, etc will prevent you from getting such a VISA.
snip

I cannot see how this interpretation is supported by the material on the web site. Have you had this advice from an authoritative source?

Doug

Hi Doug

From Wikipedia and the reference #66 takes you directly the articles of the Act itself

Regards
.....

Right of stay

A third-country national who has been granted entry may stay in the Schengen Area and travel between Schengen states as long as the conditions for entry are still fulfilled.[65] For stays which exceed three months, so-called national visa (category D) are issued by the relevant Schengen state where the third-country national intends to reside. Any third-country national who is a holder of a residence permit of a Schengen state, which is granted for a stay which exceeds three months, is allowed to travel to any other member state for a period of up to three months.[66]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

None of the authoritative sources I have quoted, nor wikipedia, support the notion that one needs to reside in the country on a permanent basis. For example, the Spanish consulate site specifically notes what arrangements will be put in place for stays longer than six months that are different to shorter periods of residency. Clearly they contemplate both, indicating to me that permanent residency is not the only option.

Whether this actually helps Anniesantiago is moot, as it won't be any of us who make the visa decision, although we can help collectively by pointing to good information sources we know about.

Regards,

 

[jirit]

None of the authoritative sources I have quoted, nor wikipedia, support the notion that one needs to reside in the country on a permanent basis. For example, the Spanish consulate site specifically notes what arrangements will be put in place for stays longer than six months that are different to shorter periods of residency. Clearly they contemplate both, indicating to me that permanent residency is not the only option.

Whether this actually helps Anniesantiago is moot, as it won't be any of us who make the visa decision, although we can help collectively by pointing to good information sources we know about.

Regards,[/quote]

Hello Doug

Sorry for the confusion but as I suggested earlier the Schengen long stay visa or Visa D as it is sometimes referred to, is actually a national visa issued by one of the Schengen countries.

You are correct that is a not a requirement to take up residency (but this is only one of the options available for non Schengen residents).

But it is important that you must apply to that country for this type of visa.

In the case of Annie (who I assume is a US citizen) given that she wants to spend some or most of her time in Spain, it would make sense that she contact Spain to see what national visa might be available for stays longer than 90 days. She might be able to get a visa as a student, artist, business person, etc. She would in most cases need to provide records of sources of income, health coverage, police records, etc.

And she needs to go through that process with Spain. If and when she gets a Spanish national visa then she should be free to travel to other Schengen countries for a period up to 90 days at a time (but there are some limitations)

 

[jl]

I have been following this thread with interest (for a future walk in a few years time). Whilst all of the things that Jirit and Dougfitz have said make sense and maybe correct that still doesn't answer my dilemma of how I negotiate a visa for 12 months when I plan to walk through 9 different countries - all for roughly the same period of time (except for Holland, which will be the shortest, and perhaps Sweden). Keep putting information out there - I am avidly taking notes! Cheers, Janet

 

[sharon w]

Janet, I agree. We might be in Schengen countries for more than three months next year. I am still confused. Even our local travel agent has no idea. Maybe the best idea is just hope not to get caught overstaying the three months.
Sharon

 

[jirit]

Hi Janet and Sharon

You will need to identify one country in the Schengen area that you believe will issue you a long stay or national visa for at least the time you want to stay in the Schengen region (normally the initial visa is 12 months but this depends on the country)

What type of national visa it is (student, retirement, work, etc) will depend on your individual situation. Once you get you national visa, then you are free to travel through the balance of the Schengen area for a period up to 90 days at a time but you are expected to have a home base in the country that issued the national visa.

However if you tell the national authorities that you plan to simply be a pilgrim tourist with visions of walking across the Schengen area, it is very unlikely you will get the national visa. I maybe wrong about this last part - they might be some higher God in the Schengen area that will over look the rules and grant you this special pilgrim type visa - you never know

Regards

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I wonder if it is possible to pick a country for a one-year stay, ask for the visa, get the visa, then do what you want?

 

[jirit]

I wonder if it is possible to pick a country for a one-year stay, ask for the visa, get the visa, then do what you want?

Basically this what I am suggesting. However there I believe some limitation about how much time you can spend outside your home Schengen country (the county that issued the national visa) as a non EU citizen. I believe it is still 90 days within a 180 day period

So if you plan this well, you can get a national visa for say Italy, spend the first 90 days elsewhere (Spain, France, etc) return to Italy and spend 90 days there and then return to the other Schengen countries (Germany, Austria, etc). This gives you 270 days of travel in Europe.

Toss in a trip to England and Ireland for 90 days (non Schengen countries) and you are good for 360 days or one year

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Or 90 in Spain, 90 in France, 95 in Spain, then 90 in Italy . . .

 

[Anniesantiago]

I don't believe it works that way.
I believe you can only spend 90 days in the Schengen countries accumulatively.
So I can not spend 90 days in Spain and then to go France for another 90 days.
I must spend (for example) 30 days in France, 30 in Spain, 30 in Netherlands, then leave then entire Schengen area for 90 days before I can return. There is a total of 90 days in any 180 day period.

Is this not correct? :?: :?:

 

[jirit]

I don't believe it works that way.
I believe you can only spend 90 days in the Schengen countries accumulatively.
So I can not spend 90 days in Spain and then to go France for another 90 days.
I must spend (for example) 30 days in France, 30 in Spain, 30 in Netherlands, then leave then entire Schengen area for 90 days before I can return. There is a total of 90 days in any 180 day period.

Is this not correct? :?: :?:

You are correct Annie

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I was thinking in terms of getting a "D" visa for a one year stay in Spain. If you spent 90 days in Spain, then 90 in France, then returned to Spain (the country issuing the visa) for 95 days, then you could return to another Schengen country for the next 90 days. You would never have been in a Schengen country other than the one issuing the visa for more than 90 days in 180. Of course, you could spend all 365 in Spain ...

 

[jirit]

I was thinking in terms of getting a "D" visa for a one year stay in Spain. If you spent 90 days in Spain, then 90 in France, then returned to Spain (the country issuing the visa) for 95 days, then you could return to another Schengen country for the next 90 days. You would never have been in a Schengen country other than the one issuing the visa for more than 90 days in 180. Of course, you could spend all 365 in Spain ...

You could do this too

 

[Anniesantiago]

I don't understand this option???

 

[Kitsambler]

Annie,
They are discussing two options for non-EU citizens.
Option 1: Current limits under Schengen without a supplementary visa.
Under the Schengen Agreement, non-EU citizens can only spend 90 days accumulatively in Schengen states in any 180 day period.

Option 2: Limits with a one-year "residence" visa (aka "national visa").
This involves getting a a "D" visa (aka "national visa" or "one-year residence visa") for a one year stay in (say) Spain. If you spent 90 days in (Spain), then 90 in (France), then returned to (Spain) (the country issuing the visa) for 95 days, then you could return to another Schengen country for the next 90 days. You would never have been in a Schengen country other than the one issuing the visa for more than 90 days in 180.