How to stay (legally) in Europe for more than 90 days

Staying in Europe for more than 90 days is a problem faced by thousands of travelers. Each year, this is a question that appears regularly on major survey sites.

“How can I stay in Europe for more than 90 days?”

It’s a simple question with a very complicated answer.

Most travelers know it’s tricky. There are several ways to stay in Europe for more than 90 days. They are just not well known.

We will explain the options to stay in Europe for more than 90 days and give you advice on how to move to Europe. But first a few things:

It is important to note that Europe is not just one place – there are different visa rules across the continent. When people talk about the “90 day limit”, they are talking about restrictions in the Schengen area.

It is the visa policy that governs 26 countries in Europe. It includes the whole of the European Union – with the exception of Ireland – as well as some non-EU countries.

What is a Schengen visa?

The Schengen visa is a 90-day tourist visa for countries in the Schengen area, which are:

Austria
Belgium
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Holland
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

Most visitors (including Brazilians) are allowed to spend 90 days in the Schengen area every 180 days. The easiest way to think about it is that you can visit for 3 months, then leave for 3 months before coming back.

Easily stay or move to Europe

To stay more than 3 months in Europe, you just need to spend 90 days in the Schengen area, then visit the UK, go to the Balkans, walk around Ukraine, drink wine in Moldova and to have a beer in Ireland.

If you align your schedule correctly, you can easily stay outside the Schengen area for 90 days and then come back to the Schengen area with a brand new Schengen visa.

If you want to travel for a long time across the continent without having to go through the various visa procedures described below, vary your trip by visiting countries outside of Schengen. There are many countries to choose from while you wait for your Schengen visa to reset. It’s the easiest and easiest way to do things.

Working license

Working holiday visas are easy to obtain and are the best way to extend your stay, even if you don’t want to work. These visas are intended for young travelers who wish to work and travel abroad.

Applicants must also be under 30 (although in some cases, such as for Canadians working in Switzerland or Ireland, you can be under 35).

long term visa

Unfortunately, most Schengen countries do not offer long stay visas for tourists / visitors. Generally, if you want a long-stay visa, you will need to apply for residency.

Schengen allows a Class C or D visa (the letter varies by country), which is a temporary residence visa for up to one year. But visas and specific requirements vary from country to country.

France

France offers a long-term visitor visa for a period of up to one year. The application process takes up to a month. According to the French Embassy, ​​“The ‘visitor’ visa (or ‘D’ visa) allows you to enter France and stay there for more than three months. Holders of a long-stay visa will be authorized to reside in France for up to 12 months, depending on the validity of the visa and the purpose of the stay. “

Sweden

Sweden also offers a long-stay tourist visa for a maximum of one year. The process is straightforward, it usually takes around two weeks to process an application in Sweden.

Spain

Spain offers a long-term visa for retirees called a non-profit residence visa. Requires you to spend at least 183 days in Spain which would make you a legal tax resident here. During this period, you will not be able to work in Spain (so you will have to save enough to survive). However, unpaid studies and internships are allowed.

Student visa

All Schengen area countries offer easy-to-obtain student visas as long as you are enrolled in a recognized university program. This would require you to pay for the course but will guarantee a visa if you are accepted.

freelance visa

There are several countries that offer freelance writing visas. This process is a bit more complicated. Schengen countries that offer freelance visas are Germany, Estonia, Spain, Czech Republic, Portugal, Greece and Malta.