What is Schengen visa shopping and why it can derail your Europe travel plans?

An anonymous traveller posted on social media that he has just received a Schengen visa from France. He is now having second thoughts, and wants to visit Spain and spend a considerable amount of time there.

“I will spend five days in Paris and nine days in Spain. I will enter France first and also leave from France (flight ticket from Paris). Is that considered visa shopping?,” he asks.

Another applicant wrote: “I plan to visit Portugal, but there are simply no appointments. But a bunch of guys I know said they got visas from Poland and just flew to Lisbon. Is it legal”?

The answer is no, it’s not legal.

Schengen visa shopping means applying for a visa from a Schengen country where it is faster or easier to get a visa as compared to others. However, the applicant has no intention of visiting this country.

The most common reason is the unavailability of visa appointment slots at the country’s mission, or at intermediaries such as VFS that facilitate the process. The situation worsens during peak travel season, as was the case in the UAE a few months ago.

Moreover, some embassies and consulates of Schengen countries may have a reputation for a more strict interpretation of the visa issuance regulations.

According to the European Union’s diplomatic service, an applicant must lodge an application for a Schengen visa at the embassy or consulate of the country that he intends to visit.

In case the applicant intends to visit more than one country, the application must be filed at the primary destination country, or the destination where the stay will be the longest.

“If you intend to visit several Schengen States and the stays will be of equal length, you must apply at the consulate of the country whose external borders you will cross first when entering the Schengen area,” the rule further adds.

Embassies and immigration officers are now doing a very thorough check of travel plans.

“There might be more severe consequences – starting with the refusal of the visa, and if travelling with a different itinerary, ending up to be offloaded from the plane or returned back home from the EU borders,” the Embassy of Estonia said.

In fact, some travellers may even be asked to show documents supporting their stay in the country upon exit. In some cases, travellers can even be questioned about their trips on subsequent visa applications.

In case of multi-entry visas, as long as the first trip was completed in accordance with the visa issuance laws, any subsequent trips can be made to any Schengen country of choice.

For instance, you have a multi-entry visa issued by France and you have already been to that country. For any subsequent visit to a Schengen country, you port of entry or exit doesn’t have to be France.

In case of short-stay visas, travellers can stay for a duration of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. Once they enter the Schengen area legally from the correct point of entry, they are free to visit any other Schengen state for short durations.

The short-stay visa does not automatically entitle a traveller to enter the Schengen area. Travellers may be required to show their visas at borders or immigration points. They may also be asked to provide additional documentation, such as sufficient means to cover the stay and the return trip. It is therefore recommended that travellers carry copies of the documents that were presented when applying for the visa (e.g. letters of invitation, travel confirmations, other documents).