Schengen Visa Extension - Important Personal Reasons
My US citizen step daughter is taking a study abroad semester in Europe in Schengen visa countries. The program is exactly 90 days so she will exhaust the period allowed for her to stay taking this program. We looked at extending her trip for 10 days for a family trip to Portugal but of course we need a Visa extension.
How difficult is it to obtain an extension for "Important Personal Reasons"? I know there is no guarantee of obtaining one. And I take it she should apply for a visa with a Portuguese embassy as this is where she would like to visit.
Best Answer
As she is a US citizen, I'm assuming that she is doing this course of study using her short-stay visa-free privileges. This allows her 90 days in any 180 day period. There is no "extension of permitted stay" for short stays regardless of whether you are a visa-exempt or visa-required national. If she wanted to stay over 90 days in any 180 day period then she would have to have petitioned for a D-visa.
The Austrians have this to say:
In principle it is not possible to apply for a visa in Austria nor to have it renewed/extended. Once the visa expires you have to – unless you have been granted a residence title – leave the Schengen area.
According to the European External Action Service:
- Can my visa be extended?
When applying for a visa extension, you must show that due to force majeure or for humanitarian reasons or for serious personal reasons it is not possible for you to leave the territory of Member States before the expiry of your visa or the authorized period of stay.
In short, not really. She will have to leave after her 90 days if she wants to obey the rules.
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Can I get an extension on my Schengen visa?
Generally speaking, you cannot extend a Schengen Visa during your trip, apart from in exceptional circumstances. If you want to extend your trip you will have to exit the Schengen Area and apply for a new visa to return and continue your visit.How can I stay in Schengen Area longer than 90 days?
What you can do though is to get a Schengen Tourist Visa for 90 days (3 months) and then get another 180 days (6 months) tourist visa for the UK or through other European countries and that would technically enable you to stay in the European area for a long time.What happens if your visa extension gets denied?
If your extension application is denied, you will receive a written decision by mail explaining the reasons for the denial. There is no way of making a formal appeal to the USCIS for the denial of an extension of stay.What happens if you stay longer than your Schengen visa?
Overstaying the Schengen Visa allowance of 90 days within 180 days is not without consequences. Remaining after the expiry period may constitute a stay without a corresponding residence permit and will be prosecuted in Germany as a criminal or administrative offence.Overstaying in the Schengen Zone - How to Extend Your Stay in Europe UPDATED
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