Traveling to Italy, then France, then Spain. In what country should I apply for my Schengen visa? [closed]

I'm planning a trip to Italy, France, and Spain next year. I will be flying into Rome, Italy, and will be spending 2 nights there and 2 nights in Florence. Then I will travel to Côte d'Azur, France, and will spend 1 night there and 1 night in Provence. After that, I will travel to Barcelona, Spain, and spend 2 nights there before flying home to America.

I was curious as to what country I should apply for my visa in. All 3 of the countries I will be visiting are Schengen states. However, I have heard that Spain does not accept visas issued from other Schengen countries. Where should I apply for my visa? Do I need just 1, or do I need 2 or even 3?

I've never traveled outside of the United States before, so any help is much appreciated!

Best Answer

You appear to be a US citizen, as you have never been outside the US.

US citizens do not need visas for visits to the Schengen area, as long as they are not present in the Schengen area for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

If you are not a US citizen, please update your question.

The claim that Spain does not accept Schengen visas issued by other countries is ludicrous, though it's possible that someone arrived at that conclusion by misinterpreting some other situation. I won't speculate further on that.

If you were of a nationality that required a Schengen visa, for the itinerary you described, you would normally apply to Italy because, based on the duration of stay, that is your main destination. As you are (apparently) a US citizen, however, you need not worry about that whatsoever.

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Should my first trip be to the country which issued my 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 travel to other Schengen countries with multiple entry visa?

Schengen visas allow to make one-entry, two-entries or multi-entries. With one-entry visa you can travel the Schengen area only once. It is indicated in your visa as \u201c01\u201d. With two-entries or multi-entries you can respectively travel to the Schengen area twice or several times during the visa validity period.

Can I enter and or exit the Schengen area via a country other than the one for which I have a visa?

As a general rule, you may cross any Schengen border with visa issued by any Schengen country. However, you should try and stick to your itinerary as filed when applying for your Schengen Visa.

Can I travel to more than one Schengen country with the same Schengen Visa?

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

Where Can I Go With A Country Specific Schengen Visa?

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