Can I leave the Schengen Zone before my student visa expires and come back as a tourist? [duplicate]

I'm studying in Denmark with a student visa, but it expires on July 14th and I've booked to stay in Europe for an extra month.

I already booked Airbnbs with friends on the July 15th and don't want to change the plans, so I was wondering whether I could leave the Schengen Zone and come back before it expires, but as a tourist.

Edit: Sorry, I'm an Australian citizen.

Best Answer

You cannot, for two main reasons:

Your visa is no longer valid for the purpose of your trip.
Schengen visas needs to be valid for the entire duration of your stay in the Schengen area. This means that not only does the visa need to be valid for when you are entering the Schengen zone, but it has to be valid throughout your intended period of stay.

For example, your visa is expiring on July 14th; if you were to enter the Schengen zone (of course, as a student) on July 13th, you can only stay for one day.

So it is best to leave early (so you don't overstay) and apply for a tourist visa (if you need one).

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Can I leave the Schengen zone and come back?

If you leave the Schengen Zone, your time doesn't reset so it is really important that you keep track of how long you're in the Schengen Zone. If you're in the Schengen Zone for 90 days consecutively, you must leave after 90 days and can't return for another 90 days!

Can I get multiple entry Schengen visa?

Schengen visas may allow for a single-entry or multiple entries. With a single-entry visa you can enter the Schengen area only once. This is indicated on the visa sticker by "01". With a visa allowing for two or multiple entries you may enter twice or several times during the validity of the visa.

Can I enter and or exit the Schengen Area via a country other than the one for which I have a visa?

As a general rule, you may cross any Schengen border with visa issued by any Schengen country. However, you should try and stick to your itinerary as filed when applying for your Schengen Visa.

Can I exit from another Schengen country?

Yes, you can enter or exit from the Schengen area via a country other than the one you have a visa for, your port of entry or exit doesn't depend on the issuing country of your visa.

Overstaying in the Schengen Zone - How to Extend Your Stay in Europe UPDATED

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