The main rules of the Schengen visa: the first entry rule and others

European countries have always attracted and will continue to attract tourists from Russia. Experienced travelers know that a trip is impossible without a foreign passport, a Schengen visa and money to meet their needs. These rules are also relevant, but the rules of the Schengen visa have changed. Every traveler planning to travel to Europe is advised to read them.

First entry

There are 25 countries in the Schengen area. To visit them, you do not need to draw up a Schengen for each power. It must be obtained for one of the states, and after that you can visit other powers using it. If issued, then it can be used to enter or into other countries of the Schengen zone.

If you plan to travel to only one country, then for this you need to collect all the necessary documents. After that, he goes to the consulate of the state where the visit is planned, the embassy, ​​visa center or travel agency that deals with Schengen. Schengen visa rules allow you to visit a neighboring country with this permission.

Tourists believe that the first entry rule means that after receiving the Schengen visa, the state that granted the entry permit should be the first in the list of visits. This is the main misconception. The first entry rule means that you must stay in the granting power for most of your journey. This applies to holders of a single entry visa. If you are the first to visit a Schengen country, stay there for a maximum of 5 days and continue your journey, then visiting this country will be perceived as a transit.

If a citizen visits the states of Europe on a multivisa and plans to stay in each of them for approximately the same period of time, then the Schengen rules in this case say that the country that issued the permit should be visited first. If the recommendations are neglected and the procedure for the first entry is violated, then the next time when applying for a visa, big problems may arise.

For tourists traveling by car, the rules for entering Schengen do not differ from the Schengen rules for tourists traveling by another mode of transport, but they need to take into account that when transiting through any country, the time spent in it on the way there and back can exceed time spent in the country that granted the permit. Before traveling, it is recommended to calculate the number of days required for transit and the number of days in the country you are visiting for the purpose of your trip. Where the period of stay will be longer, you need to apply for a visa to that power.

The first entry rule was adopted to ensure that tourists do not abuse the loyalty of many Schengen states and do not apply for a visa at their embassies in order to visit other powers.

The easiest way is to get permission to enter Poland, Finland or Latvia. Difficulties most often arise when obtaining a visa to Holland or Denmark.

If a tourist feels that he may have problems obtaining a Schengen visa to enter Germany, he can apply for a permit to France. This will be easier to do here. If he is approved for a visa to France, then first he goes to this country and spends some time here. After that, he will be able to go to Germany for a while. Then, at the discretion of the tourist, he can return back to France or to his homeland. A citizen can also first visit Germany on a French visa and stay in this country for several days. After that, he must visit France. Further, at his discretion, he can again come to Germany and from there go to his homeland or immediately go home. The main thing in such a trip is to spend more time in France than in Germany.

Main host country

The rules for using a Schengen visa, issued once, state that the main state of residence is the power in which it is planned to spend more time. To do this, as in the case of car tourists, you need to calculate the number of days of stay in a particular country. The main country is chosen in which it is planned to stay longer than in other powers.

If the travel time is calculated in such a way that it is planned to stay in each country for an equal number of days, then in such a situation it is recommended to use the rules of the first entry of the Schengen agreement. Documents for permission to enter are given to the country that is the first on the trip.

If a multiple-entry Schengen visa is issued, then in this case the new rules state: the largest number of trips must be made to the country that granted the right of entry. Neglecting this recommendation in the future will cause problems with obtaining a Schengen visa to visit this country. Other countries of the Schengen area cannot refuse a visa on the basis of a violation of the rules of the host state of residence.

This rule also applies to a double-entry Schengen visa for tourists. It must be obtained if you need to make a transfer in a country that is part of the Schengen agreement for further travel and return back. The base state will be where more time will be spent during transit. If the terms of stay are the same, then they are guided by the power that will be visited in the first place.

Length of stay

Since October 18, 2013, the terms of stay in the EU countries have changed. They are not relevant only for holders of a single-entry tourist visa, but only for tourists traveling on a multiple-entry visa.

How many days can you stay in a Schengen country? Under the new rules, this period is 90 days. Before innovations, this period could be used for six months. When this period ended, it was possible to issue a permit again and again stay in the EU states for 90 days. This situation has changed since 2013. Now half a year for a visa is counted for each citizen individually. The half-year starts from the moment of crossing the border, but not upon arrival, but from the moment of departure from the country.

For each citizen, the visa period is determined individually. It is deducted after crossing the border, but not forward, but backward. After that, the countdown of three months for the tourist begins. He can use the entire period to stay in the powers of the European Union at once or split them into several trips. Any 180 days in total should not contain more than three months of visits to European countries. This is especially beneficial for multivisa holders. Before the new rules, they had an annual period of visiting a country in Europe. Now they can stay 90 days in half a year, even if a Schengen is issued for a year.

The main difficulty of the new rules is the calculation of the terms of stay in the state. Officials of the EU countries are aware of this, so now on the official websites of the representative offices of the powers you can use an online calculator to calculate.

Exceeding the time of stay leads to the fact that the tourist cannot go through visa control when returning to their homeland. As a result, the tourist operator and the air carrier need to find a way to return the citizen to Russia.

Special Arrangements

Some of the powers that make up the European Union have entered into special agreements among themselves. According to such agreements, Schengen entry into another country is of no fundamental importance. These countries include Sweden, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium. The agreement specifies the main requirement for tourists - entry and exit must occur through one of these powers.

Other innovations

The new rules affected not only the use of the permit, but also its execution. Now, in order to enter France or any other country in the Schengen zone, you need to be fingerprinted. The procedure is carried out at the embassy. Manipulation is performed every five years.