Validity of Schengen visa?

[nelson bunker]

Maybe a silly question but i have trouble finding reliable info...

 

The GF was granted today a Schengen C visa of 90 days.

The visa is valid from 10/04/18 to 08/07/18.

 

My question is : When the visa starts? Does it start the day the passport is stamped at the immigration in Europe?

 

Does this 10/04/18 - 08/07/18 valid period mean she can enter Europe any time between those two dates and stay 90 days?

 

Or does it mean she must leave Europe by the 08/07/18 regardless of her entry date?

 

Hope i am clear, thanks for helping.

[HampiK]

Your GF gave the date which she wants to travel to Europe from 10 April....

So she can go to Europe from 10 April till 8. July. which are the 90 days she is becoming.

 

If I remember correct this not the same as with a Thai visa, which mean have to enter before the expired date and become 90 days. In Europe the visa is finished, with the expire date and you have to leave at that date or before.

I hope someone who is sure about this can confirm OR correct me in the case I am wrong.

[theoldgit]

Yes the validity date is that shown on the visa vingette, so in your girlfriends case her visa is valid from 10 April, no matter how many days she will have stayed in the Schengen area, she must leave no later than the date printed in the "UNTIL" field."

Don't forget that a visa only allows travel to the Schengen border, it doesn't guarantee admitance, the Immigration Officer will still need to be satisfied that she is a genuine traveller who will comply with the Immigration rules, if they are not satisfied that they are then entry can be refused, it's very rare that this happens but it does.

 

 https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy/read_visa_sticker_en

[Donutz]

Correct.

The visa has 'valid from .. valid until' fields. She cannot enter before the visa becomes valid and she will have to leave before the 'valid until' expiration date!

 

You will notice that this window of time is more than 90 days: 90+15. This gives you a 2 week window to move your holiday a bit. She could enter a bit later than 10-4-18 and still be able to spent 3 months in Europe. But NEVER stay longer than 90 days!!! 

Edited March 31, 2018 by Donutz
Spelling

[nelson bunker]

Understood.

Thank you very much gentlemen for the replies.

 

Donutz, your input is greatly appreciated. Correct me if i am wrong, but in our case the window of time is just 90 days, there is no extra time...

This is what was misleading me in my searches.

[Donutz]

You are welcome.

 

Really? Every visa should generally be issued with 15 days of validity time in relation to the number of days of stay granted. So a visa issued for 90 days should have a validity window of 3,5 months.

 

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CHAPTER IV

Issuing of the visa

Article 24

Issuing of a uniform visa

1.   The period of validity of a visa and the length of the authorised stay shall be based on the examination conducted in accordance with Article 21. (...)

 

Without prejudice to Article 12(a), the period of validity of the visa shall include an additional ‘period of grace’ of 15 days.

Member States may decide not to grant such a period of grace for reasons of public policy or because of the international relations of any of the Member States.

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Source: Schengen Visa Code 

 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32009R0810

 

Edit: in French:

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Sans préjudice de l’article 12, point a), la durée de validité du visa comporte une franchise supplémentaire de 15 jours.

Les États membres peuvent décider de ne pas octroyer cette franchise pour des raisons d’ordre public ou pour des raisons liées aux relations internationales d’un des États membres.

----

Edited March 31, 2018 by Donutz

[nelson bunker]

Really.

No 'period of grace' in our case...

10/04/18 to 08/07/18.

Visa C multiple entries 90 days.

[theoldgit]

59 minutes ago, nelson bunker said:

Really.

No 'period of grace' in our case...

10/04/18 to 08/07/18.

Visa C multiple entries 90 days.

It's not uncommon for some Consulates to issue a visa valid for the exact days asked for, or a day or so more, within a far shorter period than your girlfriend has been granted, so unless she stated in her application that she actually intended to travel for 90 days then yes, I think she's been given a longer period than she actually needed to allow for a change of plans.

 

If I can give you an example, when my wife, who was then my girlfriend and I travelled to France she was allowed 10 days in a 30 day window, the Italian Consualte gave her 13 days in a 30 day period, the Dutch however issued a visa valid for 13 months allowing the full 90 days as did the Danish.