How To Extend Schengen Visa: Are you in Europe? Are you worried about how to extend your visa when it expires? Help has come your way, so, you don’t have to panic. Here are simple steps on how to extend a Schengen visa in Europe.
One of the main concerns that visitors to Europe have when their Schengen visa expires is whether or not they can extend their stay in Europe.
“The world is not enough” is not only the title of a James Bond film, but it is also something that the holder of a short-stay Schengen Visa may feel at times. When their application for a Schengen Visa is approved, they realize that the validity period of their visa is no longer sufficient. They want to stay longer out of desire or necessity.
Can I Renew/Extend my Schengen visa?
Except in exceptional circumstances, you cannot extend your Schengen Visa during your trip. If you wish to extend your stay, you must leave the Schengen Area and apply for a new visa in order to return and continue your visit.
However, applying for a Schengen Visa extension is only possible in exceptional circumstances. Here is our guide to the reasons considered by authorities and the relevant procedures.
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How to Extend a Schengen Visa: An Overview
Whether you are a traveler who wants to see more of Europe, a business person who has some unforeseen business to do after their visa expires, or a patient seeking medical treatment in one or more Schengen Zone member states who needs to continue their medical treatment, you will not be allowed to stay in Europe after your Schengen visa expires unless you extend it.
According to Schengen rules, a short-stay visa for Europe can be obtained for a maximum of three months within a six-month period. However, for many foreigners, 90 days is simply not enough, especially for travelers who want to visit all 28 Schengen Member States, each of which is an interesting attraction with rich culture and traditions that make these travelers wish they could stay longer.
Though many believe that it is impossible to extend a short-stay Schengen visa, that is actually quite possible. It is very hard, but if you have a strong reason on which you base your application then you have quite a chance to get that visa extension. You can, however, use the visa calculator for a maximum of three months within a six-month period.
The Reasons Justifying the Request for an Extension of a Schengen Visa
Below are some of the reasons explaining the request for the extension of the Schengen Visa:
When and Where to Apply for the Visa Extension?
– When?
It is critical that you submit your visa extension application before the expiration of your visa’s validity period and/or the duration of your stay as specified on your Schengen Visa.
– From whom?
You must request an extension of a category “C” short-stay visa from the competent authorities of the Schengen country where you are. The services authorized to receive this type of request vary by Member State: foreigners service, immigration service, and so on.
In France, for example, you must submit your request to the Prefecture.
This can only be done in Germany by the foreigners authority covering the visa holder’s place of residence.
Federal Foreign Office.
A visa with limited territorial validity (VTL) must be extended with the competent authorities of the Schengen country for which it was issued.
Requirements to be Completed for an Application for a Schengen Visa Extension
The procedure differs significantly between Schengen countries. Inquire directly with the relevant authorities to learn more about their conditions.
Schengen Visa Extension Requirements: In general, you must include the following documents with your application file:
- a visa extension application form that has been correctly completed and signed,
- your passport displaying the Schengen Visa you used to enter the EU
- a written and reasoned request, and
- one or two standard passport photos
- documents supporting the reason for your request: certificate from a hospital or attending physician (noting the fortuitous nature of the condition, impossibility of return, and foreseeable duration of treatment), certificate from the employer (noting the number of additional days requested), medical or death certificate of a close family member
- Travel health insurance – That includes the entire Schengen Area as well as the entire period for which you have applied to extend your visa.
- proof of means of subsistence (income) for the possible extension of your stay, and a certificate of accommodation
- confirmation of a new plane ticket reservation for the return
- proof that the applicant has purchased or extended travel insurance for the duration of the stay
- A €30 visa extension application fee is also required.
However, you may be exempted from fees if your request is motivated by a reason of force majeure.
Requirements for Schengen Visa Extension (contd); How To Extend Schengen Visa
Please keep in mind that you may be required to make an appointment with the competent authorities in order to submit your file in person, and you may be required to interview with an agent of the services concerned.
Therefore, inquire directly with the authorities of the Schengen country in which you wish to apply.
Meanwhile, you are allowed to stay legally in the Schengen country where you submitted your application while your application is being processed (the processing time ranges from a few days to a month).
If the answer is yes, you are allowed to stay and must adhere to the new visa validity period. But, if you receive a negative response, you must leave the Schengen Area before your visa expires or within two days of receiving it.
Schengen Visa Validity in Europe
It is important to know the validity of your Schengen visa and the type of visa you have before applying to extend it. A Schengen visa for a short stay can be either:
- Single Entry Visa: That is, you will have a limited number of days to stay in Schengen, and once you leave, you will have no right to return.
- Double Visa Entry: The same policy as described above applies to a double-entry visa; however, you are permitted to enter the Schengen Area twice, which means that you can enter the Schengen Zone, leave, and re-enter without difficulty for the duration of your visa. When you leave the country for the second time, your visa expires.
- Multiple Entry Visa: This means you’ll be given a visa that allows you to visit any Schengen member country as many times as you want as long as you don’t exceed the three-month limit in a six-month period.
In all cases, if you have a compelling reason to stay, you can apply for a visa extension.
Below in this article, we have provided you with the ultimate guideline on how to extend a Schengen visa, the reasons why the extension may be granted, the required documents, and how to apply for a short-stay Schengen visa extension.
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Schengen Visa Extension: How To Extend Schengen Visa
The regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (EC) No. 810/2009 of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Journal of Laws of the EU of 2009 L243/1) allows for a short-stay Schengen visa extension.
However, you will have very little chance of getting one if you do not have a compelling reason to support your application.
According to Schengen visa policy, the only valid reasons for extending a Schengen short-stay visa are the following:
How To Extend Schengen Visa:
1. Late Entry
Visa extension applications for single-entry short-stay visas can be based on this reason. However, this is your best case for extending your visa. Applicants can apply for this visa extension if they entered Schengen after their visas became valid.
For instance, if your visa became valid on August 1, but you entered Schengen on August 15, you can apply for a two-week visa extension, and you are very likely to get one.
2. Force Majeure
If something unexpected happens in your home country prior to the expiration of your visa, such as a conflict or war, or even violent protests across the country, extreme weather conditions, no flight connections due to consecutive earthquakes, or other reasons, you have a good chance of getting a Schengen short-stay visa extension.
You will be granted a few weeks’ extension, or until the situation in your home country changes. If nothing changes, you will have to apply for a short-stay visa renewal again in order to stay in Schengen.
3. Humanitarian Reasons
The Schengen visa policy has made it possible for third-country nationals to extend a short-stay Schengen visa in order to avoid or overcome hardship.
You will be granted a short-stay visa extension for humanitarian reasons if you need to stay in one of the member states to continue receiving medical treatment, to attend a funeral after the unexpected death of a family member, to support a person close to you who is experiencing hardship, and so on.
Important Personal Reasons
It’s risky, but if you don’t have any other options, you should give it a shot. If you have unfinished business in one of the Schengen Member States, such as an unplanned wedding (yours or a relative’s), you may apply for an extension. The immigration authorities will then decide whether or not to grant you a visa extension.
Application Processes for a Schengen Visa Extension
Here is how to extend a Schengen visa in Europe:
If you want to extend your visa and stay longer in the Schengen Zone, start preparing your application, which is different from a standard Schengen visa application. The first thing you must do is decide why you want to renew your Schengen visa. After you’ve figured that out, you can move on to the next steps.
When to Apply for a Short-Stay Visa extension?
It is crucial to apply on time, preferably before your visa expires. If you apply after your visa has expired, even if it is only a day later, you will be deported for overstaying your visa, regardless of your reasons. As a result, apply at least one week before your current Schengen short-stay visa expires.
Where to Apply to Extend a Schengen Visa?
It is determined by the Member State in which you currently reside. The most important thing to remember about the application country is that you must remain in that country until you receive your visa extension, if it is granted. That is why you should apply to the immigration authorities (or their equivalent) in the country where you need to stay, not in another.
Schengen Visa Extension Requirements
After determining the reasons for your application, as well as where and when to apply, proceed to the next step, which is gathering the necessary documents. Unlike when applying for a Schengen visa, you must submit far fewer documents for a visa extension.
See the reasons above↑.
However, after you have collected these documents, make an appointment with the immigration authorities online (or their equal). Some member states may not require you to schedule an interview; however, check to see if this applies to the country in which you are currently residing.
Schedule an interview if necessary, and arrive on time with all required documents on the day of the interview. In the countries where visa extensions are available, the interview is critical because the interviewer will determine whether you truly need to extend your visa and whether the reasons you have presented are true, or if you are simply trying to stay in the country for a little longer.
Visa Extension Processing Time – How To Extend Schengen Visa
Typically, the relevant authorities will process your visa extension application within a few days to a month. During this time, you are permitted to remain in the country where you applied for a visa even after your visa expires, but you are not permitted to travel to other Schengen countries.
If you are granted a visa, you will be able to stay, but if not, you will have one or two days to leave.
Schengen Short-Stay Visa Extension Fee
A Schengen visa extension fee is different from a regular Schengen visa fee, which you apply for prior to traveling to the Schengen Area. Depending on the reasons for your application to extend your short-stay Schengen visa, as well as whether it is your first or second extension, you may or may not be required to pay a fee.
Fee for First Visa Extension
If this is your first time applying for a Schengen short-stay visa extension, you will not be charged a fee if your application is based on the following criteria:
- majeure reasons
- humanitarian reasons
If, on the other hand, you have based your application on one of the following grounds, you must pay a fee of 30 euros:
- due to late entry
- important personal reasons
Second Visa Extension Fee
If you have already extended your visa once and need to do so again for whatever reason, you will have to pay a fee. The cost of the second Schengen visa extension fee is determined by the applicant’s age, as follows:
- Adults have to pay a fee of 60 euros
- Minors need to pay a fee of 30 euros
Remember that, just like when applying for a regular Schengen visa, if your application is rejected, you will not be repaid.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about How To Extend Schengen Visa
Here are the frequently asked questions about How To Extend Schengen Visa:
What is Schengen Visa?
A Schengen visa is a short-term visa that allows its holder to travel within the Schengen area of Europe for up to 90 days.
Can I extend my Schengen Visa if I want to continue my tourist visit?
No, only in extreme, exceptional, and unforeseeable circumstances are Schengen Visa extensions granted. The desire to extend a tourist vacation is not a sufficient reason.
What are the risks if I stay on the Schengen Area beyond the validity of my visa?
You risk paying a fine/leaving the territory and/or being the subject of an alert when leaving the Schengen Area. More so, overstaying your visa may also cause you difficulty if you apply for another in the future.
Is there a Fee for applying for a Schengen Visa extension?
Yes. The cost of reviewing your file is €30 or more. However, if the reason for your request is considered “force majeure,” you may be exempt from these fees.
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