Travel for UK Residents to the Schengen Area
During the COVID crisis, all UK nationals are allowed to travel to the EU. I am a South African national with long term residence in the UK and would normally require a Schengen visa to travel to Europe. Although the European Commission says that 3rd country nationals who are resident in EU member states (and the UK) are exempt from the travel restrictions, they do not mention how we are meant to obtain a Schengen visa as applications are currently closed, or if we need one at all.
The rules seem to fail to account for EU residents who would ordinarily need a Schengen visa to travel Europe. To compound my confusion the EU has decided today to open its borders to several countries such as Rwanda, Algeria, and Morocco whose citizens require Schengen visas to enter.
Does anyone have any advice/official sources that can help clarify this issue?
Best Answer
Some countries have in fact resumed visa processing, including for short-stay visas but not for all purposes. The exemption make that possible in the first place but that doesn't mean everybody will be able to travel or that countries have to facilitate this. What was agreed is that EU countries are not free to admit non-essential visitors from countries that are not listed in the exemption (including visitors from the US) but they are still free to impose additional limitations or resume visa processing at their own pace.
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Can UK citizens enter Schengen?
Although the UK is now outside the EU, British citizens do not need a visa to enter the Schengen Area and stay short-term. Although there are no visa requirements for UK citizens, travellers will need to apply for ETIAS from the end of 2022.Where can UK residents travel in Europe?
If you're a tourist, you do not need a visa for short trips to EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. You can stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.How long can UK citizens stay in the Schengen zone?
Like other visa-exempt third-nationals, UK passport holders can stay in the Schengen zone for up to 90 days per 180-day period.Is UK still in Schengen zone?
Britain was never a member of the Schengen Area of borderless travel but British citizens did have the right to freedom of movement within the EU when the country was a member. This ended when the country formally left the European Union (EU) at the end of 2020.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Olga Lioncat, Emma Lyon, Maria Orlova, Pixabay