Just be aware that, because France is also a Schengen country, the term of your visa will be considered to commence on the date you enter the other Schengen country.
Long Term Visa - Entering Schengen Country First Then To France
Hi,
In two weeks time I'll be in France! I have a long term visa that is valid only for France and its territories.
My plan was to fly into a Schengen country (entering on a tourist visa) and then entering France immediately via a short train ride on my long term visa.
Will that cause a problem? I'm doing this because flying directly to France is 50% more expensive than flying into this other Schengen country and then taking the train over.
Thanks!
In two weeks time I'll be in France! I have a long term visa that is valid only for France and its territories.
My plan was to fly into a Schengen country (entering on a tourist visa) and then entering France immediately via a short train ride on my long term visa.
Will that cause a problem? I'm doing this because flying directly to France is 50% more expensive than flying into this other Schengen country and then taking the train over.
Thanks!
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
Visa is stamped FRANCE + DCOM
My visa is not stamped SCHENGEN but FRANCE + DCOM so I CANNOT enter the other Schengen country on my french visa. I will need to enter it on a toursist visa.
That's the heart of my question:
1) Can I enter Schengen country A on a toursist visa
2) Can I leave Schengen country A the same day and enter France on my long term visa.
HiJust be aware that, because France is also a Schengen country, the term of your visa will be considered to commence on the date you enter the other Schengen country.
My visa is not stamped SCHENGEN but FRANCE + DCOM so I CANNOT enter the other Schengen country on my french visa. I will need to enter it on a toursist visa.
That's the heart of my question:
1) Can I enter Schengen country A on a toursist visa
2) Can I leave Schengen country A the same day and enter France on my long term visa.
Of course you can, but, as I said, your visa will be considered to commence on whatever day your enter the Schengen area (i.e. the date of the stamp in your passport) - as it happens, it appears this will be the same day. People do this all the time, I only mentioned commencement of your visa because some people spend time in Schengen before entering in France and are not aware that it impacts the date from which your visa for France comes into play.Hi
My visa is not stamped SCHENGEN but FRANCE + DCOM so I CANNOT enter the other Schengen country on my french visa. I will need to enter it on a toursist visa.
That's the heart of my question:
1) Can I enter Schengen country A on a toursist visa
2) Can I leave Schengen country A the same day and enter France on my long term visa.
You're overthinking this one, I think. The issue here is that, if you enter France from Switzerland there is no passport control and thus no one to stamp your passport - visa or no visa.Hi
My visa is not stamped SCHENGEN but FRANCE + DCOM so I CANNOT enter the other Schengen country on my french visa. I will need to enter it on a toursist visa.
That's the heart of my question:
1) Can I enter Schengen country A on a toursist visa
2) Can I leave Schengen country A the same day and enter France on my long term visa.
On arrival in Switzerland, you should point out to the immigration person the fact that you have a long-stay visa for France, but that you are simply arriving via Switzerland. Let them decide how they want to handle it, but trust me, you are far from the first person to do something like this.
Either they will stamp your French visa - OR, they may stamp your passport with the "usual" Schengen tourist visa stamp but on the same page or in proximity to your French visa. If asked to provide a photocopy of your visa with entry stamp, just make sure you get a picture of whatever stamp the Swiss put into your passport on arrival. That IS your entry stamp for visa purposes. If you have OFII papers with you, you should show those to the Swiss Immigration official, too. He may or may not need/want to stamp those.
It shouldn't be a big deal either way, but just make sure that the Immigration guy in Switzerland is made aware that you have a visa for France.
Cheers,
Bev
Oh, didn't know that "Country A" was SwitzerlandYou're overthinking this one, I think. The issue here is that, if you enter France from Switzerland there is no passport control and thus no one to stamp your passport - visa or no visa.
On arrival in Switzerland, you should point out to the immigration person the fact that you have a long-stay visa for France, but that you are simply arriving via Switzerland. Let them decide how they want to handle it, but trust me, you are far from the first person to do something like this.
Either they will stamp your French visa - OR, they may stamp your passport with the "usual" Schengen tourist visa stamp but on the same page or in proximity to your French visa. If asked to provide a photocopy of your visa with entry stamp, just make sure you get a picture of whatever stamp the Swiss put into your passport on arrival. That IS your entry stamp for visa purposes. If you have OFII papers with you, you should show those to the Swiss Immigration official, too. He may or may not need/want to stamp those.
It shouldn't be a big deal either way, but just make sure that the Immigration guy in Switzerland is made aware that you have a visa for France.
Cheers,
Bev
It's the immigration official that will determine where to entry stamp the passport, so I would definitely advise that the OP at least point out the visa for France (this can be important if immigration is busy).1 - 6 of 6 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Expat Forum For People Moving Overseas And Living Abroad
A forum community dedicated to expatriates and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about residency, taxes, documents, visas, travel, health care, finances, banking, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
