Ask Schengen Visa Questions

Question: How can a UK citizen marry a non EU citizen in Europe? Answer: Hello Chloe, It seems as if there is only one thing for you to do if you want to get married, stay together, and do everything as legally as possible: return to England and get married in your home country. Getting [...]

Just don’t do it.

The following is a comment that I received from a reader about how unpunished Schengen visa overstays will soon be a convenience of the past: Soon, you will not need to worry about WHETHER you will be caught for overstaying since procedures and technology will change. You will be required to obtain an entry and [...]

Hello, Yes, you are very correct, England is a little vigilant on Schengen visa overstayers — often much more so than some of the actual countries of the Schengen region themselves — but this does not mean that they process and send back all visa overstayers for punishment. Though it is true that some travelers [...]

Can you return to Europe as a tourist after overstaying the Schengen visa? Hello, This is a tough question to answer because immigration policy is often very inconsistently applied around the Schengen region, but it is my impression that you should be in the clear: you paid your fine in Zurich and have been away [...]

Is Iceland part of the Schengen Zone? Hello Marcus, Hate to inform you of this onerous fact, but Iceland IS now a part of the Schengen Zone. So the time that you spend there will count towards your Schengen total of 90 days within every 180. I would recommend traveling to the east of Europe [...]

What European countries are in the Schengen Zone? The following 26 European countries are in the Schengen Zone (updated: February 2012): Austria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark (excluding Greenland and Faroe Islands) Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Bulgaria, Romania, [...]

The following letter was from a reader who wanted to share her experience of overstaying a tourist visa in Spain. Although she did overstay and was not yet punished for it, it is my impression that her summation of her experience and advice to other travelers is right on. —— Letter from Laura about overstaying [...]

Overstayed visa, caught when leaving Zurich by air — “when I try to go back to France or Italy in a few months (I have no intention of returning to Swiss)? Will the Swiss put my name on some list and I be barred from entry, with no legal hearing or notice? It makes sense [...]