Reminder of the Effect of the Schengen Regulations

Created by val. Last modified on 2009-09-06 21:33:21
Contributors:
Topic: European Union
Countries: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden

An important point to remember if contemplating an extended cruise in either northern European waters or the Mediterranean, is the nationality of your crew. If they are citizens of an European Economic Area country or the EU, then there is no problem. But for others it is not so simple.

The Schengen Visa issued to nationals of other countries is only valid for 90 days. This means a total of only 90 days can be spent in the Schengen Agreement countries in any 6 month period, even if it is a multi-entry visa and time is spent in countries outside the Agreement. A new visa will not normally be issued within 6 months of the date of first entering a Schengen Agreement country.

For nationals of non-EU countries which do not require a visa (for example, the USA), the 90 day limit still also applies.

In northern waters, the following countries are part of the Agreement :- France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

In the Mediterranean, the following counties are included:- France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Spain and Portugal.

This restriction may only affect a small number of cruising boats, but since applications for this visa can take some time, are very complicated if not applied for from the crew's home country, extensions are almost impossible to obtain and fines are imposed for over-staying, it is something of which to be aware.

See Regional Agreements for more detailed information.