Interpretation of the expiry date on a Schengen visa [duplicate]
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I am South African and intend visiting Greece and my existing Schengen visa, but the visa expires on the day I fly back - my question is technical, my visa expire on the 7th, does the visa expire at 12pm on the 6th or 12pm on the 7th - If I board my plane on the 7th will I still be "legal" or do I need to change my flight to the 6th?
Best Answer
The visa expiration date is 'inclusive', so if your visa expires on the 7th, you can still remain in the country throughout the 7th without violating the conditions.
What you however should consider is that leaving so shortly before the visa expires may cause you severe trouble if your flight is cancelled or delayed. Even if it is not directly your fault that you can't leave as planned, it is still considered a violation of the visa conditions if you (have to) leave later. Since there are no Schengen-wide set of penalties for visa violations, it is difficult to predict the consequences. Even if the Greek immigration officers may accept an overstay for a day or two under such circumstances, you will end up with entry and exit stamps in your passport, which don't match the visa conditions. This may be a problem if you intend to visit the Schengen area later.
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How do you read a Schengen visa?
The phrases \xabVALID FOR\xbb, \xabVALABLE POUR\xbb and \xabGULTIG FUR\xbb are set before the name of the countries your visa allows you to visit. If the words next to this are \xabETATS SCHENGEN\xbb or \xabSCHENGEN STATES\xbb, then it means that the visa is valid in all Schengen countries, and you can travel throughout the Schengen Area.How do I know if my Schengen visa is valid?
How to determine your Schengen visa validity?What is a double Schengen?
A double-entry visa (\u201c2\u201d on the visa sticker): allows its holder to enter the Schengen area twice during the validity period of the visa. You can thus leave the Schengen area and re-enter it during that period of time. The second time you leave the area, your visa expires.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.REASONS WHY SCHENGEN VISA APPLICATIONS GET REJECTED (Highly requested)
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