(Type D visa holder) How much proof is required when validating <90 days spent in Schengen zone?
I am a non-eu citizen however I hold a German residence permit (type D).
I am entitled to travel to other Schengen countries for 90 days out of every 180 days.
My question is this:
If was to be in a Schengen country other than Germany and an immigration officer asked me to prove that I had been there less than 90 days, how much proof would I need to provide to be given clearance? Would a train ticket showing my date of arrival be enough? Would I also have to show bank transactions proving that I was in Germany prior to the date on the train ticket?
I am just wondering how thorough they are when it comes to validating the evidence of location provided by a traveller. It seems as though it would be pretty easy to buy a train ticket but not actually take the train and then use it as (fake) evidence of your whereabouts. Am I wrong?
Also, when is this check likely to occur? When I fly home to my country after my residence permit expires, are they likely to pull me up at the airport and look over how many days I spent outside of Germany in other Schengen countries? Or is it only gonna happen if I get unlucky at a border crossing?
Best Answer
how much proof would I need to provide to be given clearance?
There's no fixed answer to this question. It depends on your credibility and on the basis for the demand for proof of your presence in Schengen countries other than Germany.
when is this check likely to occur?
It is likely to occur if you come to the attention of police or immigration authorities in a Schengen country other than Germany under circumstances that suggest that you are residing there or at least regularly spending more than half of your time there.
When I fly home to my country after my residence permit expires, are they likely to pull me up at the airport and look over how many days I spent outside of Germany in other Schengen countries?
No. In that circumstance they are more likely to be concerned with the fact that you were present in the Schengen area after the expiration of your residence permit.
Or is it only gonna happen if I get unlucky at a border crossing?
It's almost certainly not going to happen at a border crossing unless you are wanted for a crime and there is a record of that in one of the databases that are checked when you cross the border.
Pictures about "(Type D visa holder) How much proof is required when validating <90 days spent in Schengen zone?"
What is the 90-day Schengen rule?
What is the Schengen 90/180 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.Can I travel to Schengen countries with D visa?
Type D Schengen visa or national long-stay visa The national visa is the type D long-stay Schengen visa. It is mandatory for any foreigner wishing to study, work or live in a Schengen country for longer than 90 days (up to 1 year).What does 90 days in any 180 days mean?
The 90/180-day rule refers to not spending more than '90 days in any 180-day period' in the Schengen area. This concerns those people entering the area as visitors from third countries whose nationals are exempt from visitor visas (nationals of certain countries may not even visit France without a visa).Can I get a visa to stay in the EU for more than 90 days?
The 90-Day Limit Once you are allowed to enter the Schengen Area \u2014 with just your passport or with a short-term visa \u2014 you are ONLY permitted to stay for 3 months (90 days) in any 6 month period (180 days).Overstaying in the Schengen Zone - How to Extend Your Stay in Europe UPDATED
More answers regarding (Type D visa holder) How much proof is required when validating <90 days spent in Schengen zone?
Answer 2
Within the Schengen area there are no systematic border controls. You can still be asked to show your passport, but all the authorities will be interested in that your passport is real, that it is yours, and that you have a valid visa or residence permit. In practice the 90/180 day rule is not enforced at intra Schengen borders. There is no practical way to do so, as your travels around Europe are not monitored. (And this thankfully so).
However it may be enforced at your place of residence. Most European countries require you to officially take up residence, and register with the local authorities at the place where you spend most of your time. This is a concept that people from common law countries may not be familiar with. And they can require you to prove that indeed you official residence is where you spend most of your time.
I had to do this when I moved to my present residence in Switzerland (and I am a Swiss citizen!). I travel a lot, spend a lot of time abroad for work. I had to prove to the local authorities of the village that I wanted to make my primary residence, that indeed, this is where I spend most of my time. I did that by giving them a printout of all the train tickets I bought in a year, showing me going away (and back) to this place on a regular basis. (That I buy all my train tickets on line made this easier).
So if you are a German D-permit holder, and have registered as a resident in, for example Berlin, and the authorities find out that you have not spend enough time at your registered address to qualify as a resident then you could indeed get in to trouble. So in this way the 90/180 rule, which really is a "spend most of your time at your primary residence" rule is indeed sort of enforced.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: cottonbro, Bich Tran, Olya Kobruseva, cottonbro