Is travel to the Schengen visa issuing country mandatory? [duplicate]

Is it necessary to visit the issuing country of a Schengen visa before visiting any other country? I applied for a visa at the French embassy but before making the trip, I have changed my mind and want to visit Italy now. Do I need to visit France before going to Italy since the visa was obtained based on an itinerary to France?

Also, could it lead to problems if I do not go to the issuing country (ie: France) at all?

I am quite confused about this. Can anyone point me in the right direction.

Thanks.

schengen schengen-visas

Best Answer

It's not neccessary, but if France is not your main destination, you do open for speculation on whether your visa was obtained fraudulently, and if some immigration officer decides that to be the case, your visa will be cancelled.

You should contact the italian embassy in your country. They might say you should just go in which case you should just make sure to bring documentation of that.

There are also many related questions on this site (check the list on the right, there's probably more than will be displayed there at first, but clicking one will give a new list) and some of the answers to those might contain other helpful advice.

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Should my first trip be to the country issued by 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 visit multiple countries with Schengen visa?

Yes. According to the Schengen rules, the Schengen visa is generally valid for all the countries in the Schengen area.

Is travel itinerary required for Schengen visa?

One of the required documents for the Schengen Visa is a complete travel itinerary.

Which country issues fastest Schengen visa?

Where is the easiest country to get a short-stay Schengen Visa? In general, Lithuania is the easiest country to obtain a Schengen Visa from, with officials granting 98.7% of applications.

REASONS WHY SCHENGEN VISA APPLICATIONS GET REJECTED (Highly requested)

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