Should my first trip be to the country which issued me Schengen Visa?

Question

In case, if I get multiple-entry Schengen visa in one of the embassies in Ukraine, Kyiv - should my first trip be to the country which issued the visa?

Any there any requirements of this sort? Does this condition vary depending on embassy which issued the visa?

What are the possible consequences on not visiting that country first? Does it somehow depend on country where the embassy is (i.e. non-Schengen and not EU members)?

Answer 1

Your first port of entry does NOT need to be the country which issued you a Schengen visa. When deciding which country to apply for a visa, this is determined by which country you're spending the most time according to your filed itinerary. Once the visa is issued, it does not matter what country is your point of entry. Technically, you should also stick to your itinerary as filed but I don't think this is checked at any point.

Answer 2

As far as my knowledge goes, (and it goes far because I am staying in UK on a visa, so Europe's kinda' my backyard!), when applying for the visa you just have to think one thing:

Which is going to be the most important and longest stay destination of your trip?

That pretty much answers your question. Having said that, common sense prevails from that point onwards. If more than one destination fit the bill, and one of them also happens to be the intended port of entry, then that's where you apply. If even this doesn't solve the dilemma, or things change at the last minute, don't worry, as long as you have a plausible story for applying, staying and dining in three different countries, border control will let you off!

Some others on the wild wild web who think the same:

• http://secure.hospitalityclub.org/hc/forum.php?action=showpost&IP=58085

Plainly put; it makes sense that if you're arriving in Frankfurt, you'd go to the German Embassy for a Schengen visa. Having said that, and when you've got a visa: plans could change and you could decide to arrive in Greece, for example. They dont punish you for doing that!

• http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100603202959AAUJbTX

Your port of entry can be anywhere in the Schengen zone. The pre-requisite of obtaining a Schengen visa via a perticular country, say France, is that France would be the main destination (i.e. where you spend the most amount of time) and it is only if the amount of time is equal with one or more Schengen countries that then it would be the port of entry.

• http://www.theschengenoffice.com/explained/schengen_visa.html

Generally speaking with a Schengen visa, you may enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen region during the validity of the visa. Internal border controls are limited with no or few stops and checks.