Long Term Stay in Europe with no visa?

[jones]

i am looking to live someplace warm in europe for the colder months this year, preferably from september until april/may. i have a stable job working from home for a company in the usa, and i get paid direct to my bank account, so this will support me during my travels. i am not a student. i am a writer and have a project that i want to be spending my time on while there, rather than site-seeing and moving about, so i would rather just find an apartment and get cozy somewhere for 8 or 9 months, rather than move every 3. the problem is that for both spain and italy (my prime interest locations), i cannot even apply for a visa for that term of stay unless i am leaving in december!! (departure date has to be 90 days away, i have to wait till i get my passport on ~sept 1st) i really don't want to have to wait this long as my planned departure was september until i found this out. i am wondering how people have gotten by in europe for longer than 3 months without getting a long-term visa. is my only option to move to a different country every 3 months? or will that even work because both italy and spain are schengen countries?

[joe7f]

I am not sure how long it takes to get a student visa, but you may want to consider a language school. They'll help you get a student visa which let's you stay for a year (I believe)

And welcome to the boards

--Joey

[Elizabeth]

That pesky SA lets you only stay for 3 months or 90 days in the entire SA area.

For citizens of countries not party to the Schengen Agreement, restrictions exist that govern the length of one's stay within the Schengen area. The general rule stipulates a maximum 90-day stay within a 180-day period beginning from the first day of entry. Provided a multiple-entry visa has been granted, one may leave and return a number of times within the 180-day period but the combined stay within the region must total no more than 90 days.

Why not spend some time in a non SA country for 90 days while your visa processes? Ukraine is a great country (just don't write about it in your book! lol), hopefully its not too cold there yet in September. Lviv is a wonderful city, but if its too cold for you try Odesa.

I don't mean to sound negative, but all the rules of Europe seem to be designed to get us tourists in, milk us dry of our money, and kick us out. Come back next year! Its really fustrating but I am determined and I'll find a way around it.

[jones]

lizz, thanks for replying, i thought about staying in a non-SA country while the visa processes just to get me over there sooner, but as far as i know, they actually take your passport while they process the visa, so that wont work!

it seems the only option is going the route of the long-term visa application process, which is a real pain in the ass. i would have to travel to NYC just to apply in person, then travel back a second time just to pick up the visa! they take a $100 NON-REFUNDABLE fee for doing this and there is no guarantee that they will grant the visa anyways, not to mention that it will take 3 months to get it.

[MeTurk]

but all the rules of Europe seem to be designed to get us tourists in, milk us dry of our money, and kick us out. Come back next year

Damn straight! :D

Is your family originaly from Europe, if your 2nd generation Irish you can actually apply for an Irish passport. It used to be that way anyway.

[joe7f]

^Yeah, actually I just tried to do that myself since I am 3rd generation irish. My goal was to have my mother being 2nd generation obtain citizenship, and then I would use my mother's citizenship to get my citizenship.

In the 1980s they closed that loophole so only children born after the day one acquires citizenship can get citizenship.

Apparently Ireland doesn't want million of Americans and other foreigners pulling this trick and flooding them (don't blame them actually :P)

--Joey

[Majestic58]

Originally Posted by joe7f

In the 1980s they closed that loophole so only children born after the day one acquires citizenship can get citizenship.
--Joey

*laughs* I know, I looked into that too.