Circulation visa - can I travel Greece first on my Schengen visa issued by French Consulate [duplicate]

I have a circulation visa(valid till march 2020) issued by French Embassy valid from march 2017. In my application I mentioned I will be visiting France(from London) for 4 days in mid April (which I will be), but due to some Official training I have to visit Greece(from London) for first two weeks of April, come back to London and then travel to France(as per the dates mentioned in my visa application), can I do so ? In a nutshell can I enter Greece on a schengen visa issued by France, which was earlier not the plan? Does it impact my entry at Greece or France?

Best Answer

Going to Greece first is allowed in and of itself, but you're supposed to get a visa from the country where you plan to spend most of the time. Not doing so can theoretically get you banned from Schengen for visa fraud.

In practice, it's unlikely the Greeks will even bat an eyelid - they'll probably just ask the usual questions about where you're going, for how long and for what purpose.

To err on the side of caution, though, bring as much paperwork as you can proving that the need to travel to Greece before France emerged after you were issued the visa. That's it!

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Should my first trip be to the country which issued my Schengen Visa?

There is no general requirement that you must enter the Schengen Area through the country that issued your visa. Your main destination may be different than your first destination. To prevent complications, stick to your itinerary as best you can.

Can I enter Greece with French Schengen Visa?

Yes. According to the Schengen rules, the Schengen visa is generally valid for all the countries in the Schengen area. Please note, however, that you always have to apply at the consulate of the country which is your primary destination (see FAQ no 5).

Should my first trip be to the country issued by Schengen Visa can I enter a different Schengen country?

Your first country of entry is the country in which you enter the Schengen Area for the first time from the outside. It does not need to be the country that issued you with a Schengen Visa, as you must apply with the nation where you are planning to spend the majority of your stay in the Schengen Area.

Can I have 2 Schengen visas at the same time?

In theory, it is not possible for a person to hold two valid short stay visas covering the same period. I have a valid Schengen visa but it does not cover my next intended stay, what can I do? In this case, it is possible to file a visa application for another Schengen visa to cover the next intended stay entirely.

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