Schengen Visa - 90/180 rule

[StevenElspeth]

Hi,
I'm a bit ignorant on the Schengen 90/180 rule. As such, i need some advice. So, I'm a UK citizen with a UK registered boat intending to cruise the med next year. Hopefully, the Covid situation will have calmed down a bit by then. Anyway, my understanding is that because the UK is due to to leave European Union this December, I will therefore need to comply with the Schengen 90/180 rule. this is where my ignorance kicks in. Q1. Does this rule mean that I can only cruise the med for 90 days within a 180 day period after which i am then required to leave Europe? Q2. If yes, what are the intentions of cruisers wanting to continue to cruise the med for 6-9 months of the years - in other words is there contingency plans in place - i.e., any street wise advice?

 

[syvictoria]

Hi, and welcome. I feel your pain and am in much the same boat (pardon the pun) as you due to my partner only having UK citizenship. Yes, very sadly, as it stands, after 90/180 you will have to leave the Schengen zone until a further 90 days have passed, at which time you can return. The time spent in Schengen doesn't have to be taken in continuous blocks and is calculated on a rolling basis. There are online 'calculators' to help ensure that you don't overstay. If my understanding is correct, overstaying may mean that you will not be allowed to re-enter in the future, so it's best avoided!

Others here are recommending obtaining residency in a Schengen country as a way of staying out of the UK (hopefully in the sunshine - Portugal is a popular choice) for additional time. If you have residency elsewhere, you are I understand entitled to reside there at length and this time does not count towards the Schengen 90/180. However, residency does not provide freedom of movement throughout the remainder of the EU and so it is only beneficial to those who wish to stay long term in one particular country and/or cruise elsewhere for no more than 3 months at a time. For those of us who wish to continually cruise for more than 3 months, residency elsewhere is probably of little help.

Others will be along before long with more advice I'm sure. I hope you find a workaround that works for you. Keep us updated.

 

[syvictoria]

BTW, just in case you haven't seen it elsewhere, the RYA are consulting on the impact of Brexit on the boating community and have recently published a survey:

Schengen Area survey launched by RYA

Please fill it in!

 

[nortada]

Hi, and welcome. I feel your pain and am in much the same boat (pardon the pun) as you due to my partner only having UK citizenship. Yes, very sadly, as it stands, after 90/180 you will have to leave the Schengen zone until a further 90 days have passed, at which time you can return. The time spent in Schengen doesn't have to be taken in continuous blocks and is calculated on a rolling basis. There are online 'calculators' to help ensure that you don't overstay. If my understanding is correct, overstaying may mean that you will not be allowed to re-enter in the future, so it's best avoided!

Others here are recommending obtaining residency in a Schengen country as a way of staying out of the UK (hopefully in the sunshine - Portugal is a popular choice) for additional time. If you have residency elsewhere, you are I understand entitled to reside there at length and this time does not count towards the Schengen 90/180. However, residency does not provide freedom of movement throughout the remainder of the EU and so it is only beneficial to those who wish to stay long term in one particular country and/or cruise elsewhere for no more than 3 months at a time. For those of us who wish to continually cruise for more than 3 months, residency elsewhere is probably of little help.

Others will be along before long with more advice I'm sure. I hope you find a workaround that works for you. Keep us updated.

Excellent summary.

As is, unless you have residency in a Schengen zone country 90 days in 180 is the maximum you can stay.

If you have residency, unlimited stay in your host country plus 90 days in 180 in other EU countries. This should meet the needs of most Brit cruisers in the EU.

Forgive me if I don't go into further detail but if you have any specific questions please just ask.

You may find it useful to read yourselves in on the bottom 6 items on the Lagos Navigators & Strollers home page at :-

Lagos Navigators & Strollers

As you may expect, as we are British passport holders, with Portuguese residency, this forum centers on things Portugal.

Hope it helps.

 

[nortada]

Double post

 

[StevenElspeth]

Hi, and welcome. I feel your pain and am in much the same boat (pardon the pun) as you due to my partner only having UK citizenship. Yes, very sadly, as it stands, after 90/180 you will have to leave the Schengen zone until a further 90 days have passed, at which time you can return. The time spent in Schengen doesn't have to be taken in continuous blocks and is calculated on a rolling basis. There are online 'calculators' to help ensure that you don't overstay. If my understanding is correct, overstaying may mean that you will not be allowed to re-enter in the future, so it's best avoided!

Others here are recommending obtaining residency in a Schengen country as a way of staying out of the UK (hopefully in the sunshine - Portugal is a popular choice) for additional time. If you have residency elsewhere, you are I understand entitled to reside there at length and this time does not count towards the Schengen 90/180. However, residency does not provide freedom of movement throughout the remainder of the EU and so it is only beneficial to those who wish to stay long term in one particular country and/or cruise elsewhere for no more than 3 months at a time. For those of us who wish to continually cruise for more than 3 months, residency elsewhere is probably of little help.

Others will be along before long with more advice I'm sure. I hope you find a workaround that works for you. Keep us updated.

Thank you for your prompt reply

 

[StevenElspeth]

Excellent summary.

As is, unless you have residency in a Schengen zone country 90 days in 180 is the maximum you can stay.

If you have residency, unlimited stay in your host country plus 90 days in 180 in other EU countries. This should meet the needs of most Brit cruisers in the EU.

Forgive me if I don't go into further detail but if you have any specific questions please just ask.

You may find it useful to read yourselves in on the bottom 6 items on the Lagos Navigators & Strollers home page at :-

Lagos Navigators & Strollers

As you may expect, as we are British passport holders, with Portuguese residency, this forum centers on things Portugal.

Hope it helps.

Thank you for providing this info. obviously, i, and many others, will be closely monitoring for updates. I am aware from RYA publications that efforts are being made to address this issue. Thanks

 

[StevenElspeth]

Excellent summary.

As is, unless you have residency in a Schengen zone country 90 days in 180 is the maximum you can stay.

If you have residency, unlimited stay in your host country plus 90 days in 180 in other EU countries. This should meet the needs of most Brit cruisers in the EU.

Forgive me if I don't go into further detail but if you have any specific questions please just ask.

You may find it useful to read yourselves in on the bottom 6 items on the Lagos Navigators & Strollers home page at :-

Lagos Navigators & Strollers

As you may expect, as we are British passport holders, with Portuguese residency, this forum centers on things Portugal.

Hope it helps.

Following on from my last some promising updates (see link below):

The EU Parliament’s UK Coordination Group recently drafted a resolution mandating a reciprocal visa-free agreement between the two countries once negotiations begin. This would permit travellers from both the EU and the UK to continue to enter for tourism, study, research, training and youth exchange.
Therefore it is likely that UK citizens will not need to apply for a Schengen Visa like many other nationalities. On February 1st, 2019, the European Council said:

How Will ETIAS & Brexit Affect UK Citizens?

 

[Ningaloo]

Don't get your hopes up. As an Australian citizen I get "visa free" entry into EU, but there is no way around the 90/180 for tourists.
And remember it's not just the 90 days that will be a pain. Having to go to an official entry port to check in will be a real PITA. No more weekend trips to St Vaast for Solent based boats. You're stuck with the dubious pleasures of Cherbourg.

 

[Graham376]

You're obviously aware of the 90/180 day rule for persons but, are you aware of the 18 months time limit for boats, after which the have to leave EU for a day or, pay tax?

 

[Tony Cross]

A quick note about 'obtaining residency' in another EU country. If you read the small print you'll find that in order for it to remain valid you have to be resident in that country. I'm not sure what the rules are regarding how long you have to be there and how often you can leave, but residency is not a 'flag of convenience' - it's a declaration of residence.

 

[StevenElspeth]

You're obviously aware of the 90/180 day rule for persons but, are you aware of the 18 months time limit for boats, after which the have to leave EU for a day or, pay tax?

No, I wasn't aware of the this (18 month time limit). Do you have a link for this, please?

 

[StevenElspeth]

No, I wasn't aware of the this (18 month time limit). Do you have a link for this, please?

I just found it. Thanks.

 

[Koeketiene]

No, I wasn't aware of the this (18 month time limit). Do you have a link for this, please?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...s-faq_en.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1M0ZLU4ZMWgoDfE0uPepzP

 

[nortada]

Thank you for providing this info. obviously, i, and many others, will be closely monitoring for updates. I am aware from RYA publications that efforts are being made to address this issue. Thanks

I hope you are right but I think the RYA is on a fact finding mission and it is a bit late in the day.

Whilst free visa travel must be good.

It is my understanding that the 180/90 Schengen rule is not even in the negotiations.

If I wanted to cruise for longer periods in the EU post 31/12/20, I would make every effort to get residency in a Schengen country close to my intended cruising area.

 

[ashtead]

How easy is obtains an Irish passport if family history there ? If say a parent was born in Ireland ?

 

[nortada]

You're obviously aware of the 90/180 day rule for persons but, are you aware of the 18 months time limit for boats, after which the have to leave EU for a day or, pay tax?

I am I right in thinking British registered boats already in the EU on 31/12/20, will not become liable for this tax?

 

[greeny]

How easy is obtains an Irish passport if family history there ? If say a parent was born in Ireland ?

That's what many people over here are doing. I've no irish connection so it's not possible for me but several people in the village have gone that route rather than the residencia route.

 

[syvictoria]

Applying for Irish citizenship is quite easy (if eligible!), but it's quite a lengthy process I believe. A bit of form filling, a payment, and then a long wait - the latter not helped by the fact that many consulate/passport offices have had closures this year due to Covid-19!

 

[AndrewB]

If you have residency, unlimited stay in your host country plus 90 days in 180 in other EU countries. This should meet the needs of most Brit cruisers in the EU.

Forgive me if I don't go into further detail but if you have any specific questions please just ask.

I have temporary residency in Greece (the beige card) as I'm normally here for more than 6 months each year, though I still have a place in England. However, locals here are saying that after Brexit this will probably not exempt me from the "90 in 180" rule. Does anyone have a take on this?