Over 90 Days In Europe

If one of you has an EU passport then the British partner can travel WITH the EU passport holder for a continuous period of 3 months in any one EU country. Such periods do NOT count towards the 90/180 rule for the British partner. The Schengen border guard handbook gives  examples of long stays in such circumstances. 

Here is the link to download the Guide in English.

https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/e-library/documents/policies/borders-and-visas/schengen/docs/c2019-7131-annex.pdf

Specifics on page 17 para 2.1.2

More worrying though is the status of all the personal possessions carried by members touring in the EU. Will customs declarations be needed? Will items such as lap tops, cameras, tools etc. be liable to VAT and customs duties? The Gov.uk site doesn't give any guidance other than not taking meat and dairy products. 

That's very useful to know, as I am Dutch, and have retained my Dutch nationality (and passport) and OH is British, thank you.  Have read the relevant paragraph in your link.

Here is the link to download the Guide in English.

https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/e-library/documents/policies/borders-and-visas/schengen/docs/c2019-7131-annex.pdf

Specifics on page 17 para 2.1.2

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Elaine has an Irish Passport ... 'Good-oh, you'd better look after me, then if you want these long stays ...'

I have a sneaking feeling that I shall be reminded of this whenever I commit a minor transgression ...

Steve

I would have thought it would have been relatively easy to establish whether a camera or laptop was yours prior to your trip by the files and the photographs on the device. If anyone was worried they could always take proof of original purchase, but seriously I can't imagine it being a major issue. Unlike wine I can't see there is much advantage buying Tech in Europe unless its changed since I last went?

David

To be honest I'm not that worried about the 90 in 180 day rule.

I have played with the Schengen calculator and have managed to work out our usual pattern of holidays up until the end 2023.

A visit to Lanzarote for 3 weeks in March 2022, followed by 65 days in France/Spain April - June, then again 66 days France/Spain Oct - Dec

Then  repeat for 2023  we usually go away somewhere nice and warm in Jan/Feb and tour Scotland July/August so for us it works.

The only time it wouldn't work is if we stayed too long in Spain over the winter ie into Jan/Feb (which we don't)

That is interesting as it seems it also applies to  citizens of EEA  countries.   So as a Norwegian  citizen, I can  take OH with me on an extended country hopping tour of most of Europe ...........not that we have any intention of doing so!

I have a question - which maybe someone in the "CMC" world can answer.

What I would like to know is "how are the various ports in Holland, France and Spain control the arrival of British Nationals".

So let us say you arrive in Caen with your caravan, car wife (!) and dog.  What happens when you get to immigration be it in UK or France.  Does your passport get stamped or do the Frontier Police just scan it and wave you through?  If scanned what happens if you enter through Caen and then a month or two later, depart via Bilbao?

Do the French, Spanish and Dutch all have access to a central computer database which will record your arrival and departure dates? 

Has anyone actually managed to travel out to France or Spain after 01.01.21 - on a tourist rather than a residence permit.  Appreciate that we have had lockdown but maybe someone has done it? 

Thanks

I think the Eu realises they haven't had an accurate record of entries and departures into the Schengen area but they are certainly working on setting up a central computer database with a 2022 target date. It may take longer, but the aim is that a passport scanned on departure from any boundary of the Schengen zone will give on screen information to the border force officer about when and where the person entered that zone .

That's certainly the plan - but none of us yet know about the size of fines or penalties for overstaying. 

UK is now a Third Country and EU has banned travel from Third Countries that have a high COVID infection rate, so the problem remains hypothetical at present.

Since Border Control will need to monitor Third Country Arrivals/Departures to determine length of stay eligibility, I imagine it will be back to the early 1970s 'How long are you staying and where are you traveling to?' routine.

Or, as someone expressed it on Twitter:

'Roses are red,

Violets are Blue.

Now stand over there,

In that very long queue ...'

Steve