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My understanding of multiple entry is that they have two limits: Bigger limit (5/4/3 year) and smaller limit (3 months after each entry). And I do not know general figures, just giving example in brackets.

  • Is my understanding correct? What is the usual duration for tour / family visit purpose granted under multiple entry?

  • I was reading EU Visa Code, and following statement caught my attention, maybe it refers to multiple entry visa renewal, but at what point, I do not know. It somehow leads me to believe that I need to apply for visa each time a trip is made?

Chapter II, Article 9:

Applications shall be lodged no more than three months before the start of the intended visit. Holders of a multiple-entry visa may lodge the application before the expiry of the visa valid for a period of at least six months.

  • Last but not the least, if applying for multiple, should I indicate possible travel in other schengen countries (other than main destination), or just port of entry - main visiting schengen country? This answer about Multiple Entry Visa makes me feel that stating travel to more than one country, along with multiple, for a visiting family isn't promised to go well.
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    Possible duplicate of How does the Schengen 90/180 rule work?
    – phoog
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 22:58
  • The six months refers to the expiration of the visa, not the exhaustion of the 90 days of allowed stay. The 90 days are counted in each 180-day period, so it's not per entry. For example, if you spend 85 days in the Schengen area and return 45 days later, you can only stay for 5 days on the subsequent trip. The linked duplicate question discusses in more detail.
    – phoog
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 23:00
  • Nice explanation about 90/180, but I still need to know how much, and what possible grounds I could get it. Also, why apply prior to 6 months before expiry? Which expiry is being referred here?
    – Nirav Bhatt
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 23:06
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    @phoog not necessarily a duplicate. This is about the Schengen short-stay visas issued for 2, 5, 10 etc years in duration rather than the day count rules for each visit.
    – Gayot Fow
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 23:08
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    @Nirav Bhatt If you have a multiple entry visa (with minimum 6 month validity) which is about to expire but has not yet expired, you can apply for a new one BEFORE the old multiple entry visa expires.You don't have to wait for it to expire before. Why? Because that is the rule. In you previous posting you were given reasons to get a multiple entry visa. There are too many to list e.g you will go to schengen area, leave to uk for some days, and come back to schengen etc
    – Augustine of Hippo
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 23:23

1 Answer 1

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You want clarification of text in the Practical modalities for lodging an application which says...

Applications shall be lodged no more than three months before the start of the intended visit. Holders of a multiple-entry visa may lodge the application before the expiry of the visa valid for a period of at least six months.

If a person holds a multiple-entry Schengen that was issued for a period of longer than 6 months, e.g., 2 years, they can make a new application no more than three months before their visa expires (rather than three months prior to their intended visit).

So the second sentence modifies the first sentence to include people who already hold multiple entry visas, because the words 'three months prior to their intended visit' do not work in that context.

Your other questions...

Is my understanding correct? What is the usual duration for tour / family visit purpose granted under multiple entry?

Your understanding is correct. There is no 'usual duration'. They evaluate what they are comfortable issuing based on the credibility and performance history of the applicant. However, they will never issue a 5 year visa without some bona fide performance on a 2 year visa and so on.

Last but not the least, if applying for multiple, should I indicate possible travel in other schengen countries (other than main destination), or just port of entry - main visiting schengen country?

What to indicate... You define your itinerary first. Then you inspect your itinerary to see if there are other Schengan locales involved and then disclose it on your application. Trying to tailor what to put down invites problems because it can make the application 'incoherent'. It can also screw up future applications by deciding you are a less reliable applicant. It can also cause problems with the border guards. We have examples of all of these cases in the archives here.

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    Be sure to include your birth certificate naming both parents
    – Gayot Fow
    Commented Feb 8, 2017 at 23:38

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