Can I spend more time in country other than the one that issued my Schengen visa?
I am an Indian national, planning to apply to the Netherlands Embassy in San Francisco, US for a Schengen visa. I want to spend 16 days in the Netherlands and Italy.
I will fly to and from Amsterdam but, in between, I plan to go Italy.
Will it be okay if I stay in Italy longer than in the Netherlands and just return to Amsterdam for the last 3-4 days?
Best Answer
You should apply at the embassy/consulate of the country which is the main destination of your trip. All other things being equal, the country where you spend the most time will be your main destination, but there can be exceptions.
- If you have a business meeting in the Netherlands, and if you add a week of sightseeing in Italy to that, the business meeting might still be the main purpose of the trip.
- Same if you have a family reunion or whatever in the Netherlands.
But if you distort the description of your trip to justify an application at the Netherlands, you risk a refusal/rejection because the premise sounds insincere to the visa officials. Telling the truth is the best policy on the long run. If you want to go to Italy, apply in Italy.
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