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I have received my Schengen visa for 30 days (duration of stay), I have booked my flight and I will be traveling back one day after (31) but i will be still within the limits of from - to, would that be a problem?

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  • What are the exact terms of your visa? Are they along the lines of "30 days between Date 1 and Date 2"? Note: There can be a difference between visa from/to dates and how long you can stay; ultimately, when you arrive the immigration officer will give you an exit-by date based on both your visa and your maximum length of stay, and that's what's binding.
    – cpast
    Apr 28, 2015 at 7:36
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    @cpast No, that's not how it works in the Schengen area.
    – Relaxed
    Apr 28, 2015 at 7:50

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Yes, it's a problem. You should respect both the validity period (“from”/“to”) and the maximum stay. It's perfectly possible to get a visa valid for a longer time but with only a short maximum stay. It's not OK to stay longer if you have already exhausted the maximum stay, even if the visa is still valid.

Best case scenario: Nobody notices and you can complete your trip but you now have stamps in your passport showing you have overstayed in the past, which could make getting a visa more difficult in the future. More likely is either a fine on departure from the Schengen area or your airline forcing you to make an expensive change to your ticket when checking in for the first flight.

Worse case scenario: Your visa is revoked when trying to enter the Schengen area. You are denied entry and detained for a few hours before being forced to take a flight back to your country of departure. Your trip is ruined and you now have a record and a big stamp in your passport that undermine your credibility for any subsequent visa application to the Schengen area or even the UK and other countries. It would be harsh but it's entirely within the prerogatives of border guards to go as far as this since there is tangible evidence of your intent to break the rules, however benignly.

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  • I think "visa is valid" should be "visa is not valid". Typo?
    – Gayot Fow
    Apr 28, 2015 at 7:59
  • @GayotFow No, that's not what I meant, I tried to rephrase it to make it clearer.
    – Relaxed
    Apr 28, 2015 at 8:19
  • It's better now
    – Gayot Fow
    Apr 28, 2015 at 8:35

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