Does the Schengen visa start from the date of the airplane ticket or the date of issue?

In my Schengen visa application, I put my travel start date as June 8. However, I am thinking of travelling earlier, on June 6th. Will I be able to do this? Will my visa begin on June 8, my intended date in the application? I am expecting my visa by May 30, so will my visa start from when it is issued?

visas schengen

Best Answer

Schengen visa have two relevant entries, duration and validity.

Duration is the maximum number of days you can stay in the Schengen area (partial days count as a full day).
Validity period is the first and last date you can stay in the Schengen area.

So you must arrive on or after the first day of validity, you must leave on or before the last day of validity, and you may stay no more than the duration. You must meet all these requirements.

It is common to issue Schengen visas with a few extra days or even weeks of validity, so you can adjust your flights without getting a new visa, but this does not always happen. This depends on the number of previous visits without overstay or the like, and on how solid your reasons to return appear to the visa officials.

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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.

How long before my trip should I apply for a Schengen Visa?

Yet, the recommended time to apply is at least 3 to 4 weeks before your trip. If you are applying to a country that deals with a particularly large number of applications, like France or Germany, you may want to apply slightly earlier to allow extra days for your Schengen Visa's processing time.

Can I travel a day before my visa starts?

No you can't travel before the visa date, you will waste money cos you can book the ticket but at the time of check in , the counter person will check your passport and visa, if dates not matching they won't allow you to board and won't issue you a boarding pass. Your ticket money will go waste.

Can I change my travel date after getting Schengen Visa?

You cannot change your itinerary so completely that the information you gave in the visa application is no longer true. If you planned a trip lasting 10 days, and you now have 15 days "duration of stay", you can extend your trip by up to 5 days (including a visit to another country if you want).

THE SCHENGEN ZONE TRAVEL EXPLAINED - DIGITAL NOMAD TV

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