Schengen visa waiver for US citizens after residence permit expires?
I'm a US citizen working in Finland. I'm waiting for my residence permit renewal to be processed, which takes quite a long time. (Recently, it seems that the turnaround time is over 120 days. I don't know if this estimate includes the fact that nothing at all will happen in July.)
There's no problem continuing to live and work while I wait, but it is unclear to me whether I will have trouble traveling within the Schengen area as well and entering or exiting. (In particular, I've agreed to go to events in Canada, France, and Germany for work in this period.)
My question is whether the 90 day visa waiver applies to US citizens whose residence permits have run out. (This would solve my problem in a practical sense.)
Best Answer
Answering my own question to say what happened.
The police give you a document (with a Finnish name I have forgotten) saying that your renewal is in process, and you can show it when entering the Schengen area. As it turned out, the Immigration Service processed my renewal much more quickly than estimated, so I didn't have to test this personally. However, a colleague at work who wasn't so lucky tells me they had no problem using the expired permit and Migri's temporary document.
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Do US permanent residents need visa for Europe?
Do I Need to Apply for a Visa to Go to Europe? Currently, US citizens do not need to apply for a Schengen visa to visit Europe. However, they will need to apply for an ETIAS starting May, 2023, in order to be permitted to enter any of the Schengen states.Can I stay in Schengen Area after my visa expires?
If you apply after your visa expires, even just a day later, then you will be deported for overstaying your visa, despite of your reasons. Therefore, take care to apply at least a week before your current Schengen short-stay visa expires.What is the penalty for overstaying a Schengen Visa?
You could receive a fine, immediate deportation or even get banned from entering the Schengen Area for a period. It is also important to remember that the 90/180 day rule also applies to countries with a visa waiver agreement with the Schengen Area.What is the Schengen 90 day rule?
Under the terms of Schengen, non-EEA nationals cannot spend more than a total of 90 days within a total period of 180 days without a visa. Furthermore, once you've used up your quota of 90 days, you cannot return to Schengen until 90 more days have passed.Overstaying in the Schengen Zone - How to Extend Your Stay in Europe UPDATED
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