Ok - I’m a USA citizen and entered Europe with the 3 month no-visa-required-schengen - they just stamped my passport and I’m good for 90 days.

However, I want to stay in Spain longer. So, I need to leave the Euro zone after 90 days, but then I plan to come back as soon as possible.

Does anyone know the answers to these questions:

1. how long do I need to leave the Euro zone before I come back and get another 90 day schengen stamp?

2. can I just go to Andorra for a few days and then come right back to Spain and get my passport stamped again?

3. what’s the maximum number of times / number of days in one year one can come into the Euro zone with a passport stamp but no formal visa?

Thank you!

1. Ninety days.
2. Andorra would work, but you would still need to be there (or anywhere outside the Schengen Area) for enough time.
3. You can get an unlimited number of entry stamps in a year. However, the time you are allowed to spend in the country will be less than ninety days if you come back too soon, so that you still cannot exceed the limit of 90 days per 180?day period.

Generally, entry/exit is as follows for USA citizens:
a) You are allowed to be within Spain for 90 days every 180 day period.
b) You can exit and reenter as much as you like, but your days in Spain/period will not reset with each reentry.
c) You must be outside Spain on the 91st day of each 180 period. That is, though they won’t notify you, and may even stamp your passport with an incorrect exit date requirement, if you have been within Spain for more than 90 days within the last 180 days, you are in violation of the law. Being caught as an illegal immigrant may lead to your deportation and ban for the Schengen area for the next five years, as well as your rejection from formal visas in the future. Further, deported individuals can never again simply recieve stamps on arrival despite the fact that they are US citizens.

Connecticuter11 - 16 May 2012 10:35 AM

c) You must be outside Spain on the 91st day of each 180 period. That is, though they won’t notify you, and may even stamp your passport with an incorrect exit date requirement, if you have been within Spain for more than 90 days within the last 180 days, you are in violation of the law. Being caught as an illegal immigrant may lead to your deportation and ban for the Schengen area for the next five years, as well as your rejection from formal visas in the future. Further, deported individuals can never again simply recieve stamps on arrival despite the fact that they are US citizens.

Woah, spoken like someone who’s been down that road.

Oh, haha, no, thankfully. I just heard a couple horror stories and wanted to emphasize that overstaying a visa could have serious repercussions.

I’m all legal 😊

Thanks - that’s very clear!