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I'm planning a multi city trip soon. I'll be applying with the German embassy as I had planned on going to Berlin for 3 days before going to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest for 2-3 days each afterwards.

My question is, it is working out more conveniently for me to instead make Germany my last destination, rendering the first entry clause. And I can only apply with the German consulate as they are the only ones I can find an appointment for in time. Would staying in Germany for 4 days afterwards be enough to classify it as a main destination (as opposed to 2-3 days in the other cities)?

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Yes. The most common criterion for determining the main destination is duration of stay. Therefore, if you plan a trip with four days in Germany and fewer than four days in each of your other Schengen destination countries, Germany will be the proper country to evaluate your visa application.

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  • Thanks for the reply! What about if the durations were the same, say 3 days everywhere and that Germany wasn't the first point. Could I still do it through the German consulate? And on the original point, if I did say just 1 more day in Germany, does that for sure classify it as the main destination as the duration is still pretty similar to the others?
    – Ayush
    Mar 7, 2016 at 3:29
  • @Ayush You could try to make a case that Germany is the main destination based on the purpose of your trip, but unless you are planning to attend a particular event in Germany I doubt that such a claim would succeed. If you cannot determine the main destination based on the purpose of the trip, then you have to use duration. And if you use duration, the main destination is the country where you'll spend the most time. And if there's no one country where you'll spend the most time, then you apply to the country where you will first enter the Schengen area.
    – phoog
    Mar 7, 2016 at 5:55
  • @Ayush if you stay in Germany one day longer, then nobody can say "for sure" that Germany will accept itself as the main destination of your itinerary, but the rules clearly say that they should.
    – phoog
    Mar 7, 2016 at 5:57
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The main destination is a somewhat fuzzy question.

  • If you spend most of the time in one country, that is probably the main destination. Example: A weekend in France, then two weeks in Germany -> Germany is the main destination.
  • If there is a specific event in one country which determines the timing of the whole trip, that is probably the main destination. Example: Two days is Austria with a family wedding or an expensive opera ticket, five more days in Germany to relax -> Austria is the main destination.

If you cannot tell, apply at the first country of your itinerary.

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  • The thing is I can't apply anywhere else due to appointment unavailabilities. I guess I will be applying to Germany finally and will stay a day longer there to qualify it as the main. Thanks!
    – Ayush
    Mar 7, 2016 at 10:49
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  • If you spend the most number of night in a country, that would be your main destination for visa purpose.
  • If you spend equal number of nights in multiple countries, the country where you enter the Schengen area is your main destination.
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