overstays in shengen area
 

I have passport inside this area. If I incidently stay little too long on spring and summer touring holiday in any one schengen country, with also taking ferries in areaand maybe visit outside area, how will they know?

forgot to say Hello everyone at good forum Hubb :thumbup1:

they won't, on 2 conditions, a) that you stay within the "espace schengen" (note that the UK IS NOT ) & 2) that you don't get pulled for a random paperwork check, or have an accident, or get stopped for speeding etc...:nono:

A better question would be " what's the worst they can do if they do find out?"

send you home? :ban: make you stand in line at the embassy for 7 hours to get an extension?:funmeterno: how bad can it be?

my main concern would be to find out if any insurance would be invalidated by visa expiry.:thumbdown:

thank you MooN for rewriting question.

but can you explain your replies please, it is not clear for me. unless maybe you come from outside area?

how can visa expire if not being issued and how stopped for paperwork or leaving area effects this situation. Passport is not stamped with date in schengen and if going or returning to outside area only returning says when for country returned into. if only passing across that country - no problem.

perhaps example, driving france to italy, how france, italy know where is people for how long? if people say i just came one month.

You say you have a passport for the schengen area. I take it this means you are a citizen of an EU or schengen country and that country issued that passport? If so, there is no visa. You cannot overstay as an EU citizen as you can live in any EU country (single europe act 1986, came into effect 1992, supplemented by the Schengen agreement in force 1995). Technically if you're in a country for more than 3 or 6 months (depends on the country) you're supposed to register as a resident, but as you say with no border checks they don't know how long you've been there. Even non schengen countries (UK Ireland Bulgaria Romania (Cyprus?)) you don't need a visa, just show your passport. However they will know how long you've been there. Not a lot they can do if you overstay as you have EU right to be there. If they deport you, you can re-enter immediately.
I wouldn't worry about it.

ntvfrog you are good for reply. :thumbup1:

I think maybe I hear bad info from friend. Most readings in web are from schengen visas outside, not citizens inside.

I'm a USA citizen and am trying to figure out the same thing. I've been in Europe for a month and plan to stay for a few more. My passport stamp for arriving by air at Schipol in Amsterdam only has my arrival date, not a visa length.

I've searched all over the place and am totally confused.. How long can I stay in the EU (not including UK!)?

Check this page: Auswärtiges Amt - Visa regulations

I think you can stay for a max. of 3 months in the whole Schengen area. Then you have to leave for at least 3 months.

that's as I understand it too, You can stay for 90 days before needing to renew your visa. If you are a citizen of a country having signed the schengen agreement theh there is no limit to residence time with the schengen space.

I will try & clarify my original reply. The paperwork you have (visa or entry date in passport) will only be checked, once you're inside the schengen area, in case of a random police control or if you have an accident or at a border (they still do random checks within the schengen area at country borders) That is the only way the authorities will discover if you have overstayed your visa.

Looks like as a US citizen you don't actually get a visa, just an entry stamp, as you have just discovered. While you may not be detected inside the EU overstaying your permit/visa/whatever, I strongly suggest you don't overstay. At some point you will leave the EU and your passport is checked. I don't know what happens, but I suspect that you will be barred from coming back.

@Daveg..
The most easy for you is going to Morocco for a few days and then you get another 90 days at the spanish border...... ;-)

No, if he has already been in the Schengen area for 3 months then he will have to stay outside for 3 months. Max. stay is 3 months in a 6 month period.

Schengen isn't Thailand... :innocent: