Does the 90-day passport rule count for Austria if I have a Spanish NIE?
How likely is it that I will be able to board a plane from Spain to Austria with a passport that expires in less than 90 days, if I have a valid long-term residency card (NIE) for Spain (which shows that I am legally tied to the Schengen countries)?
I am booked on a flight to Austria in 10 days, and I don't think I can get a new passport that fast.
Best Answer
The three-month rule applies to those who are entering the Schengen zone. Therefore, it does not apply to you for this trip.
The three-month rule is imposed by the Schengen Borders Code at Article 6(1)(a)(i), which is part of Chapter 1, Crossing of external borders and conditions for entry. (I say "three months" rather than "90 days" because that is what the code says: "...its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure...").
You are not crossing an external border, so you are not entering the Schengen zone, and this article does not apply to you. You should therefore have no trouble boarding the flight.
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Answer 2
Per TIMATIC, the database used by check-in staff:
Passports and other documents accepted for entry issued to residents of Spain must be valid on arrival.
So you only need a valid-on-arrival passport (and residence permit) because you have a Schengen residence permit.
For US citizens without a Schengen residence permit, TIMATIC instead states:
Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be valid for at a minimum of 3 months beyond the period of intended stay
That's the difference
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