Starting the VDLP in February 2022 and Dealing with 90-Day Visa Limit

[darcelona]

Hello all!

First-time pilgrim and I'm planning to start the VDLP in late February this year. I will be arriving in Spain at the end of January and doing 4 weeks of Spanish classes in Madrid, Valencia and Malaga before starting the Camino in Seville. I would love to hear from anyone starting around the same time. Also, if anyone has any personal recommendations on Spanish language schools in any of these cities, I'd love to hear about them.

I have a unique question about arrivals in Spain that I am hoping someone can provide any anecdotal response to. When I booked my flights I was oblivious to the 90-day visa limit, and my flights are 91 days apart, unfortunately. I am considering a couple of options to reduce that to 90 days. The first is to wait in arrivals until after midnight before going through passport control in Madrid and getting my passport stamped. I arrive at 8.30 PM, so I would have to wait a few hours. Does anyone know if there is an area to sit and wait? Would this be weird behaviour? The second option, if the first doesn't work, will be to take a weekend trip to Gibraltar to get out of the EU for a full day. I would prefer to not have to do this, but it is feasible if needed as I will be fairly close while in Malaga. If anybody has any knowledge or advice on either of these options, I would be happy to take it. Thank you!

Buen camino.

 

[Noud Jacobs]

Hello Darcelona,
I don't have an answer to your question but I will also start with the VdlP in Seville on March 9th and I hope to arrive in Santiago on 17-4 at Easter.
I wish you a Buen Camino

 

[clivespicer]

It’s a very simple bus journey from Malaga to Gibraltar and there are some budget hotels on the Gib side. If you do go across make sure that the border guards stamp your passport in and out, they tend to assume you are locals who don’t need a visa stamp.

 

[cbacino]

Hello all!

First-time pilgrim and I'm planning to start the VDLP in late February this year. I will be arriving in Spain at the end of January and doing 4 weeks of Spanish classes in Madrid, Valencia and Malaga before starting the Camino in Seville. I would love to hear from anyone starting around the same time. Also, if anyone has any personal recommendations on Spanish language schools in any of these cities, I'd love to hear about them.

I have a unique question about arrivals in Spain that I am hoping someone can provide any anecdotal response to. When I booked my flights I was oblivious to the 90-day visa limit, and my flights are 91 days apart, unfortunately. I am considering a couple of options to reduce that to 90 days. The first is to wait in arrivals until after midnight before going through passport control in Madrid and getting my passport stamped. I arrive at 8.30 PM, so I would have to wait a few hours. Does anyone know if there is an area to sit and wait? Would this be weird behaviour? The second option, if the first doesn't work, will be to take a weekend trip to Gibraltar to get out of the EU for a full day. I would prefer to not have to do this, but it is feasible if needed as I will be fairly close while in Malaga. If anybody has any knowledge or advice on either of these options, I would be happy to take it. Thank you!

Buen camino.

I don’t think the in-and-out strategy works. I do know that enforcement varies by country, and that Northern European countries tend to be more strict, ie Germany. I have entered Italy on my American passport (which was stupid; I also have an Italian passport) a couple times and stayed 6 and 7 months without any problem (I now use my Italian passport exclusively in the EU). I suspect Spain may be similar to Italy, especially overstaying by only one day.

 

[C clearly]

Welcome to the forum!

You haven't mentioned whether your airline ticket can be changed without charge. Many tickets these days allow for one free change. That would certainly be my first recommendation!

In fact, I would recommend paying whatever the change fee is (typically $300 for international Air Canada flights) and accepting the expensive lesson. Then I would be able to relax and not be worrying about the following.

take a weekend trip to Gibraltar to get out of the EU for a full day.

I would want to be sure of the exact protocols in place for travel and passport controls to Gibraltar, or even Tarifa to Morocco, before counting on that method. Also be sure of exactly how the arrival and departure days are counted. Look at the calculators such as this official EU one and this private company site which is more user-friendly but not a government site although the name suggests otherwise.

The first is to wait in arrivals until after midnight before going through passport control in Madrid and getting my passport stamped. I arrive at 8.30 PM, so I would have to wait a few hours. Does anyone know if there is an area to sit and wait? Would this be weird behaviour?

Yes, I think it would be frowned upon. Normally the hallways from arrival gates to passport control are spartan and direct, intended to process people as efficiently as possible. If you lurk in the toilets for a few hours, and wander up to passport control at 12:01 am, by yourself with no other flights coming through, there might only be cleaning staff and security guards around. If you hide until another big flight comes through, you'd better be sure that flight is coming from the same country as you arrived from, or you will be asked more questions than you want. Not a good plan!

if anyone has any personal recommendations on Spanish language schools in any of these cities,

You can browse through these threads (tagged with "language") to find quite a bit of information about Spanish language schools.

Good luck!

 

[geraldkelly]

I would be careful of the Gibraltar strategy. This is still a moving target and currently negotiations are underway for Gibraltar to join the Schengen area (90 days applies to the Schengen area, not the EU). That would mean the 90-day rule would apply there too. I don't know when this will happen, it's already behind schedule, as with all Brexit negotiations it seems to be complicated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_Brexit_on_Gibraltar

I have no idea about hanging around arrivals in Madrid for a few hours but I would imagine it's possible, you have an excuse after all. But I don't know what time they close.

Or you could go to Tangiers for a few days (assuming the border is open, it's been closed for much of Covid). Or book a cheap flight to London or Dublin for a few days, loads of them from Malaga.

Good Luck.

 

[darcelona]

Hello Darcelona,
I don't have an answer to your question but I will also start with the VdlP in Seville on March 9th and I hope to arrive in Santiago on 17-4 at Easter.
I wish you a Buen Camino

Buen Camino. I'm giving myself lots of time....you might catch up to me!

 

[darcelona]

Thank you @clivespicer @cbacino @C clearly and @geraldkelly for your insights and suggestions.

My end date isn't movable because of coordinated flights with others, but I did move my inbound flight by 2 days to get down from 93 days to 91 days. I just didn't want to lessen by one more day because it cuts out a whole week of language school. I've played around with the calculators and think that I will aim to figure out a weekend trip in the middle, either Gibraltar if that's doable or maybe Istanbul. I will look into Dublin too, but London has a quarantine requirement that is too bothersome to contemplate.

Sounds like hanging out in arrivals might be too weird. I don't want to stand out for suspicious behaviour. Maybe I will get lucky and have a flight delay from London that works in my favour as opposed to all the flight delays that have been inconvenient.

 

[Former member 99290]

Hi @darcelona wishing you all the best for your camino. It sounds like you have lots of factors to consider but your strategy for a weekend out and back in to the Schengen Zone sounds like perhaps the most complicated / risky option - especially in these times with the covid border testing landscape a moving target.

You say you can’t move the end flight without great difficulty so perhaps consider moving the inbound flight again. You could contact the language course provider to explain so it would not mean losing a week of the course, just a day.

You are wise to respect the Schengen restrictions. No one will come and haul you out of bed at the stroke of midnight, but when you go to leave even an extra day will likely be picked up and potentially impact your freedom to return.

Anyway, all the best with your plans.

Buen camino.

 

[makingtrax]

Thank you @clivespicer @cbacino @C clearly and @geraldkelly for your insights and suggestions.

My end date isn't movable because of coordinated flights with others, but I did move my inbound flight by 2 days to get down from 93 days to 91 days. I just didn't want to lessen by one more day because it cuts out a whole week of language school. I've played around with the calculators and think that I will aim to figure out a weekend trip in the middle, either Gibraltar if that's doable or maybe Istanbul. I will look into Dublin too, but London has a quarantine requirement that is too bothersome to contemplate.

Sounds like hanging out in arrivals might be too weird. I don't want to stand out for suspicious behaviour. Maybe I will get lucky and have a flight delay from London that works in my favour as opposed to all the flight delays that have been inconvenient.

I read somewhere on this page a couple of months ago that often exemptions are made to this 90 day rule if u explain that you were a pilgrim walking the Camino. Keep your credentials handy encase it is required but im sure being over by 1 day will not be problematic.

 

[C clearly]

I read somewhere on this page a couple of months ago that often exemptions are made to this 90 day rule if u explain that you were a pilgrim walking the Camino. Keep your credentials handy encase it is required but im sure being over by 1 day will not be problematic.

This seems to me to be very bad advice. I do not recall any such claim, at least that was backed up by any recent evidence.

Anyone who wants to read through forum posts on this topic can Search the word "schengen" and find these posts. If you find any suggestion that exemptions are made because pilgrims present credentials, I would be very interested in seeing it. More likely is that individuals have been allowed to leave, likely with a warning. However, there is a real danger that they could be flagged in databases and that their next trip could be affected. That is a risk that I would not like to take.

 

[cbacino]

This seems to me to be very bad advice. I do not recall any such claim, at least that was backed up by any recent evidence.

Anyone who wants to read through forum posts on this topic can Search the word "schengen" and find these posts. If you find any suggestion that exemptions are made because pilgrims present credentials, I would be very interested in seeing it. More likely is that individuals have been allowed to leave, likely with a warning. However, there is a real danger that they could be flagged in databases and that their next trip could be affected. That is a risk that I would not like to take.

If Spain is anything like Italy, one day past 90 will likely raise no red flags. I’ve stayed in Italy for 6 and 7 months on an American passport without problems. Northern Europe is another story.

 

[Former member 99290]

Whatever leniency you may have heard of what happened to this person or that person, as you go through passport control on exit, having overstayed your Schengen visa by even one day, you will be in the hands of the individual passport control officer as to any consequences. If he or she has had a bad day or is just one who follows the rules to the letter as entitled to do etc …. I wouldn’t take that chance if I want to be free to return to Schengen countries. The official Schengen website outlines the range of consequences, from which you may be able to appeal but I know I wouldn’t risk it.

Hope you work out a good solution @darcelona best wishes

 

[geraldkelly]

Every movement into and out of the Schengen area is recorded in a big database someplace in Germany. That's why they scan your passport. If you overstay you're running the risk of having problems if you ever want to come again.

 

[makingtrax]

Whatever leniency you may have heard of what happened to this person or that person, as you go through passport control on exit, having overstayed your Schengen visa by even one day, you will be in the hands of the individual passport control officer as to any consequences. If he or she has had a bad day or is just one who follows the rules to the letter as entitled to do etc …. I wouldn’t take that chance if I want to be free to return to Schengen countries. The official Schengen website outlines the range of consequences, from which you may be able to appeal but I know I wouldn’t risk it.

Hope you work out a good solution @darcelona best wishes

Point taken! I guess u would need to be a gambler to take advice from my earlier comment. I was only passing on info i had read last year! Sorry if i upset anyone. Good luck everyone. I also hope to walk another Camino this year however leaving NZ looks ever more dismal.

 

[Former member 99290]

Point taken! I guess u would need to be a gambler to take advice from my earlier comment. I was only passing on info i had read last year! Sorry if i upset anyone. Good luck everyone. I also hope to walk another Camino this year however leaving NZ looks ever more dismal.

Not at all @makingtrax I'm sure you didn't upset anyone. I hope you do get to travel this year. We are in Pretty Beach, Australia - planning to fly to Paris on 21 March. Feeling optimistic ... but you never know.

 

[darcelona]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I really appreciate everyone's perspective. Being back to work this week has sidetracked me and I haven't had a chance to respond.

I definitely won't try the 91-day option. Not that kind of a risk-taker I think I will try changing my flight once again to a day or two later to avoid any issues, and also to just chill out for 5 or 6 days in Spain before starting language school. Maybe do a couple of sessions with a private tutor to kickstart my learning. I am working right up to the 28th here in Canada and I don't know why I am pushing so hard to start school bright and early on the 31st! This will be 3 months investment in myself to make a life change and shift gears, and I am realizing that it would be a good thing to take the pressure off myself a little right at the outset. If I can't change the flight, then I will find a way to do a weekend escape....Dublin is looking very appealing I've never been.

Again, thanks everyone for sharing. Best wishes for all your Camino and off-Camino adventures this year.

 

[Former member 99290]

Good for you @darcelona You can rest easy with that complication removed. And a great choice to have some 'chill' time before beginning your language school. I, for one, am envious (in a kind way) of your 90 days in Spain. Buen camino.

 

[C clearly]

Good decision!

 

[piquet]

There are cheap flights to the UK eg with EasyJet, Ryanair, Vueling and a whole choice of airports for different parts of the country if you fancied a short visit. (Ireland meanwhile is still within the Eu so won’t reduce your 90 days)

 

[geraldkelly]

There are cheap flights to the UK eg with EasyJet, Ryanair, Vueling and a whole choice of airports for different parts of the country if you fancied a short visit. (Ireland meanwhile is still within the Eu so won’t reduce your 90 days)

Ireland is in the EU but is not in the Schengen area. Being in Ireland does not does not count towards your Schengen area 90 days.