DONSCHALL1
1/10/2017 13:55 EST
My wife and I will be leaving the US for a new adventure somewhere in Southern Europe. We are both seniors with reasonable finances and in good health. An initial agenda is to spend 2-3 months in Provence,
the same in the Basque Region (of Spain), then somewhere in Portugal, and finally in Tuscany - starting the end of this August.
We will rent some kind of a house ( to be determined) and will have a car or van. With the aid of Expat Exchange, we hope to investigate realistic opportunities before deciding on a permanent home. We both speak French, some Spanish, German and Italian. Anyway, "Hello" to you all out there, and looking forward to future communications. (This is our first try at this Forum).
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LovetheBeach
1/10/2017 14:19 EST
Sounds like a grand adventure! Have you decided what sort of Visa you will need for this adventure, and in which country you will apply for it? Since your designated countries are all in the Schengen area, you will need to start getting your paperwork in order for your Visas. You may want to review the Visa procedures in each of your 4 countries and start with the one that has the least bureaucratic hassle. Buena Suerte!
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DONSCHALL1
1/11/2017 14:24 EST
Thanks for the info.. So much will depend upon how comfortable and compatible we will be with each location. I think we get up to 90 days per country just as tourists with our US passports. If so, that will give us enough time to explore before getting serious about a permanent location. Muchas Gracias!
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prigotkulow47
1/11/2017 14:55 EST
You may want to check--since these are all Schangen treaty countries you may only have 90 days total rather than 90 in each
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LovetheBeach
1/11/2017 16:24 EST
Actually, since you will be in the Schengen area, you will have 90 days for the WHOLE Schengen Area. Then you have to leave for 90 days before you can spend another 90 days in the Schengen Area. You can either go back home, or spend 90 days in a non-Schengen country. The following website explains which countries are in the Schengen Area, and which are not.
http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/
They also explain about the Schengen Visa. Read it thoroughly so there is no misunderstanding. You don't want to get to Europe thinking you have a whole year to travel and stay in your 4 preferred countries, then be asked to leave and go back home.
Hope this has been helpful!
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noahnow
1/11/2017 19:15 EST
Other 2 responses are correct. It is 90 days in all of Schengen territory NOT per country. And then you need to be out 6 months. They don't mess around with this either. The rail and airport checks can be what gets you. I am an American with permanent UK residence and I don't get a break on Schengen because I am not a UK national. I overstayed about 3 weeks in Holland and was threatened with arrest and deportation at Eurostar passport control in Belgium en route back to Uk. I was nice AND I had my service dog with me and the officer said it was my lucky day. You will also have a problem renting if you don't have a visa. You would think that with all the refugees coming legally and illegally they would have their hands full and you could get around it. But NO. Deportation is a serious deal. Aussies, Kiwis and Americans in particular are viewed as arrogant if they don't research SCHENGEN and officials don't usually cut them any slack. It that were not the case I would be in NL residing permantly.
No visa = no bank local bank account = no rental agreement or utility services. And don't forget you are required to register locally when you arrive for your 90 days.
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DONSCHALL1
1/12/2017 13:59 EST
Excellent information! This is exactly what we hoped to find out by " entering the forum". Thank you.
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DONSCHALL1
1/12/2017 20:20 EST
Very helpful! I had not heard of SCHENGEN until one of yesterdays
responses mentioned it. Looks like I better get started with the paperwork! Thanks very much.
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OldPro
1/13/2017 11:51 EST
Start with what paperwork?
There is no visa that will allow you to do what you have outlined. You can apply for a visa to permanently move to any one of the countries you list but that will not let you spend 3 months in each of the 4 countries.
Let's suppose you apply for a Schengen Type D visa for Portugal. You apply at your closest Portuguese Embassy in your home country. If you qualify for and are granted the visa, it allows you to travel to Portugal and stay for up to 120 days instead of 90.
Right after you arrive, you apply for a Residency Permit. If you get it, it is good for a year and renewable. It only allows you to live in Portugal.
This is the normal retiree path that is followed by someone who wants to retire in Portugal. It is the same for any of the countries you have mentioned.
So you are in Portugal and now have a Residency Permit. You can then travel to the other countries without having to comply with the Schengen rule. You are Resident in Portugal and just a tourist visiting Spain or wherever.
However, in order to maintain your Residency in Portugal, you must spend 183 or more days in Portugal in the year. So you still can't spend 90 days consecutively in each of 3 other countries.
Alternatively, you can plan to work within the Schengen rule. Not all countries in Europe are members of the Schengen Accord. The UK, Ireland, Gibraltar, several of the Adriatic countries are not for example.
If you spend 90 days in France and then go visit the UK and Ireland for 90 days, you can then return and spend 90 days in Spain. If you then fly home for 90 days, you can return and spend 90 days in Portugal or Italy. By moving in and out of Schengen you can get to where you want to go but it will take you longer than just one year of 3 months x 4 places as you have initially planned. For that you need do nothing at all in terms of paperwork. You can enter without a visa as a tourist for up to 90 days.
So if you spend 2 years in total so that you can have 90 days in each of 4 countries and then make a decision as to which one you want to try to get permission to live in permanently, that to me is a simpler way of doing it.
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DONSCHALL1
1/13/2017 16:39 EST
Thanks "Old Pro". As you know, every "theory" must begin with a testable "hypothesis". We had to start somewhere and now your info will help us to refine our premise. We are appreciative of the valuable feedback that these Forums provide. Still, we will be looking for opportunities to ultimately engage with the local citizens and culture. Just hanging out with English- speaking, or disgruntled 'ex-pats" is not what we are looking for at all. If a "residency permit" offers us the best chance of further European exploration, then that is the way we will proceed ( via Schengen Type D" visa). Picking the country in advance is a little more leap-of-faith than we were looking for. We speak better French than Spanish. Perhaps France would be the solution, regardless of the "paperwork" involved? Looking forward to future insights. Thanks again.
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ProfessorRath
1/14/2017 19:39 EST
Hi,
Please check out the Schengen visa regulations pertaining to Americans. The standard 90 days in any 180 day restrictions can sneak up on you quite quickly. Good luck and Enjoy your adventures.
Jeffrey Rath
Prescott, Arizona
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