Passport Stamping now that Croatia has joined Schengen

[jonrarit]

Now that Croatia has joined Schengen we intend to Cruise Croatia for 90 days under Schengen rules, then sail over to Greece with a Greek long stay Visa for a further 90 days or so,

The boat is in Croatia at the moment so when we fly out in April our passports will be stamped showing entering Schengen. As I understand it we do not need to get a stamp out of Croatia (Schengen rules) or stamp into Greece (again Schengen rules). However when we leave greece to fly home, our passport stamp will be approx 180 days old. Does anyone know (or can take an educated guess) that by simply showing the Greek visa on exit this will negate any potential Schengen "overstay" issues?

On a similar note, when travelling under a visa, do border officials stamp the passport or the visa?

 

[Solent Cruiser]

I can't speak to visas from Greece, but our last one (from France) was incorporated into the passport as a complex printed page, not a separate thing that gets stamped.

 

[BoatBouy]

The Greek visa "C.4.1 Financially independent individuals" is a residence visa that cannot be renewed unless a minimum of 6 months is spent in Greece. Being a residence visa that would make your Boat ineligible for temporary import into the EU customs area if not already EU vat paid and also has tax implications as you would become a Greek taxpayer. There doesn't appear to be a Greek equivalent to the French temporary long-stay visa (VLS-T) of upto 6 months.

Under a Type D national long stay visa or residence card for a country days spent in that country do not count against the 90/180 allowance. Days in other countries in Schengen still do have to adhere to the 90/180 limit.

 

[jonrarit]

The boat is already EU vat paid and has never left the EU. Your points noted but we bave been advised that while the “financially independent visa” is the starting point for permanent residence it can also be renewed as a “retired” persons tourist visa

 

[Seven Spades]

Why don't you join the CA, you will find you get some very informed answers there.

 

[Solent Cruiser]

Why don't you join the CA, you will find you get some very informed answers there.

Totally agree . Many of us would like to join the CA as it is a useful organisation. The Captains mate was a great - if somewhat late/slow in arriving - App. However, it is hard not to agree with the view that the annual the cost - for what is provided - is excessively high. The CA, in my opinion, need to at least half the cost of their subscription. Until they do - and modernise their approach to membership and what is offered - it will remain an organisation out of reach for most, other than the older generations and those with great disposable income.

 

[Seven Spades]

OT. Do you know I have some sympathy with this view. I am sure that the marginal cost of membership is very small but if they half the fees they would need to double membership and would still be worse off because of the cost of printing the magazine. My guess is that they actually have done the research into the laffer curve and this is where they are.

 

[jonrarit]

Ok so now we have now sucessfully got our Greek Class D visas and I need to go back to my original question relating to passport stamping.

The boat is in Croatia at the moment so when we fly out in April our passports will be stamped showing entering Schengen. As Croatia is now in Schengen, as I understand it we do not need to get a stamp out of Croatia (Schengen rules) or stamp into Greece (again Schengen rules). However when we leave greece to fly home, our passport stamp into Schengen (Croatia) will be approx 180 days old. ...well over the 90 days allowed in Schengen.

Any ideas on how we show that we have left Croatia within the 90 days allowed and entered Greece under our Visas without a passport stamp?

So far the only way I can see of doing this is check out Croatia, Enter Montenegro (non Schengen) check out montenegro then check into greece under our visas? If we go direct from Croatia to Greece without a passport stamp some official "could" say "you have been in Croatia all summer and only spent a week in Greece so you have over stayed 90 days allowed"

Any ideas?

 

[Seven Spades]

I am prety sure the easiest way is to just check out of Croatia. You will be entering international waters when you pass Montenegro and then checkin in Greece but you won't get your passport stamped in entry as you have residency. I really do not think it is any more complicated than that.

 

[jonrarit]

I hope you are right Seven Spades, The issue is likely to be Croatia will refuse to stamp us out as we are going to greece.

I had this once before when leaving Italy. The port police thought we were going to greece and refused to stamp us out. He stated as you are going schengen to schengen i cannot stamp you out......."your problem" (his words)

It turned out to be a translation issue as Croatia and Greece in Italian apparently sound very similar. When he understood we were leaving Schengen (as it was then) for Croatia not Greece there was no problem.

But the incident highlighted the Scenario we have now

 

[Laser310]

OT. Do you know I have some sympathy with this view. I am sure that the marginal cost of membership is very small but if they half the fees they would need to double membership and would still be worse off because of the cost of printing the magazine. My guess is that they actually have done the research into the laffer curve and this is where they are.

I don't know.., assuming that the cruising information is correct, and up to date, it seems like pretty good value to me.

I actually didn't realize that they maintain a physical facility with accommodations.. That alone might easily justify the cost, for anyone who uses it - but I imagine many will never do so. I guess for some there is a big social aspect to the membership.

But I think that in the end most members do not think about these organizations in terms of the value for money.

 

[Koeketiene]

I hope you are right Seven Spades, The issue is likely to be Croatia will refuse to stamp us out as we are going to greece.

Tell them you're going to Montenegro.
You can always 'change your mind' when you're at sea... and proceed to Greece.

 

[Beneteau381]

I hope you are right Seven Spades, The issue is likely to be Croatia will refuse to stamp us out as we are going to greece.

I had this once before when leaving Italy. The port police thought we were going to greece and refused to stamp us out. He stated as you are going schengen to schengen i cannot stamp you out......."your problem" (his words)

It turned out to be a translation issue as Croatia and Greece in Italian apparently sound very similar. When he understood we were leaving Schengen (as it was then) for Croatia not Greece there was no problem.

But the incident highlighted the Scenario we have now

Tell them you are going to Tunisia or somewhere, then change your mind as you enter international waters

 

[Stingo]

Tell them you are going to Tunisia or somewhere, then change your mind as you enter international waters

You've got @Koeketiene on ignore, haven't you? See #12

 

[Daverw]

I don't know.., assuming that the cruising information is correct, and up to date, it seems like pretty good value to me.

I actually didn't realize that they maintain a physical facility with accommodations.. That alone might easily justify the cost, for anyone who uses it - but I imagine many will never do so. I guess for some there is a big social aspect to the membership.

But I think that in the end most members do not think about these organizations in terms of the value for money.

Low cost accommodation and free car parking in central London/ Canary Wharf very much worth it for us, also seminars and fully stocked library for research, add to that the around world actual local reps, very good value for us

 

[RupertW]

Tell them you are going to Tunisia or somewhere, then change your mind as you enter international waters

Simpler to just say Albania as it is between Croatia and Greece.

 

[jonrarit]

OK so an update on what has actually happened.

We left Croatia stating we were heading for montenegro and were officially stamped out. We did not go to montenegro but headed straight for Corfu instead. Upon arrival and check in we explained to the port police and customs that we had a change of plan and diverted to greece. Port police and customes had no issue with this until I went to passport control to be stamped in.

After explaining we had a change of plan I was told in no uncertain terms that that was "Not Allowed" and that I should have gone back to Croatia to advise them that I was now going to Greece. The passport officer was polite but would not accept that I was on a yacht and plans change for reasons of weather/safety or whatever. I said I am stamped out of schengen and need to be stamped in again. His answer was "not my problem"

I then went on to explain that days in international waters do not count towards my 90 schengen days....to which his reply was "well it's only two days"

As i said he was polite but refused to budge.

bottom line is I am now in Greece with no entry stamp into schengen in my passport....great you might think as there is no way of tracking my 90/180 day allowance. Sady not so....I am applying for a residency permit (under my visa) which can only be done once you are "officially" in the country...how do they check..... passport stamps!!!

The saga continues

With hindsight I should have left croatia saying my destination was "unknown at that point" and I was heading out to "sea" instead

 

[Stingo]

Would it not be worth heading back to Montenegro for a few weeks? I've heard that it's really nice there.

 

[Star-Lord]

Totally agree . Many of us would like to join the CA as it is a useful organisation. The Captains mate was a great - if somewhat late/slow in arriving - App. However, it is hard not to agree with the view that the annual the cost - for what is provided - is excessively high. The CA, in my opinion, need to at least half the cost of their subscription. Until they do - and modernise their approach to membership and what is offered - it will remain an organisation out of reach for most, other than the older generations and those with great disposable income.

Captains Mate is a huge waste of money and totally unnecessary imho. Navily is the leader and the most used. The CA said that Navily was not to be trusted because it was open source and anyone could update it!! I am a member of the CA but I despise much of what the do. I hate their forum. I hate their insistence that anonymous forums and apps are untrustworthy. They are a bunch of old farts.

 

[jonrarit]

Would it not be worth heading back to Montenegro for a few weeks? I've heard that it's really nice there.

Not an option for us now at this time. Was there last year though and yes it is very nice indeed