Learn How to Stay Legally for More Than 90 Days

Learn how to backpack for more than 90 days, understand what the Schengen Area and Europe visa are and how they work.

One of the advantages of being Brazilian is that having a passport allows you to enter most parts of the world without a visa. The European continent, for example, opens its arms to us, and there are countries where Schengen Area And those outside of it, allowing us to carry the backpack with them. Visa for Europe For an unlimited period.

1. The Schengen Area is not like the European Union

For those who do not know, the Schengen countries include: 22 of 28 countries From the European Union, and four other countries that are not part of the European Union. In other words, it is important not to confuse one thing with another so that you are not surprised when immigrating.

This regional area includes the 26 European countries that have signed an agreement to end all internal border controls, which means that Brazilian citizens can travel freely in that space without having to show their passports again at immigration control, as if they were traveling in a single country.

to update: The procedures for Brazilians entering the Schengen Area will change in the second half of 2023. To learn more, read our article Schengen Visa ETIAS: Understanding the Travel Authorization for Europe.

Duration of stay

Brazilians have the right to stay until 90 consecutive days Or alternative (Entry and exit multiple times provided that the total number of days does not exceed), within a period of 6 months, starting from the date of first entry. It is important to remember that 90 days is not three months!

Your passport will be stamped as soon as you arrive in one of the countries in that area, and will not be stamped again until you leave, when you leave any of the countries mentioned in the agreement.

Find out what they are All countries in the Schengen area Discover the opportunities Worldpackers hosts offer to travel cheaply across Europe:

2. Travelling with an entry visa to Europe outside the Schengen area

Here you begin to understand how easy it is to extend your backpacking trip across Europe.

Since they are outside the Schengen area, each of the other European countries is treated as individual territories, and they all also enjoy free entry for Brazilian tourists, with a total stay of 90 days each.

3. Leaving and entering European territory

Well, since you can obviously travel for several periods in different regions on your backpacking trip around Europe, it's time to start planning and calculating the days you will spend in each region.

I use the app Free Schengen CalculatorIt is a quick and practical way to calculate dates correctly, without having to rack your brain in front of the calendar.

In any of the zones, you have two possibilities: stay straight for the entire allowed time or enter and exit multiple times during the allowed period, depending on your travel itinerary.

I recommend the first option, not only because it's easier to organize your dates and avoid having to go through immigration control so often, but also because geographically it makes more sense for your itinerary to follow one of the regions at a time, and most of them are grouped in the same region.

The total days allowed period works as follows for each region:

Schengen: 90 days within 6 months;
UK: 180 days within one year;
Other countries: 90 days within 6 months;

This means that if you choose to stay directly in the Schengen area or any of the other countries, you will need to go to another area and wait another 90 days outside the territory to complete the six-month period and be able to return. If you want to spend 180 consecutive days in the UK, you will need to wait 6 months outside the territory to start counting the days again after a year.

So, for example, if you want to spend a year doing something Backpacking around EuropeWhile traveling through several regions, you can create an itinerary like this:

90 days in Schengen area countries;
90 days in countries outside the Schengen area;
90 days in the Schengen area again;
90 days in the UK;

Important tips:

I recommend never staying for 90 days, and always leave about 5 days to spare for two reasons: first, so that I don't run any last minute risks of not being able to leave the area (like a flight cancellation, for example) and second because sometimes you need to come back to that area for a few days due to some need.

For example, having to take a flight to another area you have already visited. If you are travelling from the UK to Croatia and have a flight that stops halfway in Berlin, you will have to go through Schengen immigration again to take the other flight, if you do not have a credit day left, you may be refused entry.

In the case of the UK, going through immigration and saying you will stay for 180 days can be complicated because they want a good justification for you to stay in the country for that long, and you will also have to prove that you have the money to stay for that long. Because it is more than just a trip, it will be like life and they have to make sure that you do not intend to work illegally.

Unlike other regions, the UK only stamps your passport on entry, with a stamp stating that you are allowed to stay for 180 days, regardless of how long you wish to stay. So, to avoid complications, my advice is to tell immigration that you will only be staying for one month and then enjoy as much time as you want during the roughly six months allowed.

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Read also: Do you need a visa for Portugal? See the rules for visiting and living

4. Unlimited travel around Europe

You can follow itineraries like the ones I suggested for an unlimited amount of time, as long as you respect the period you have to stay in and out of each place. I have just completed my first year in Europe and I should continue like this at least until 2019.

I know that Schengen destinations are the most desirable for everyone, but I was pleasantly surprised by other destinations outside the obvious itinerary, such as Croatia and Russia, my favorites so far. For those who want to be inspired, my first year in Europe went something like this:

Spain (Schengen) – 85 days | Where I volunteered in Malaga;
England (UK) – 40 days | Where I volunteered at an art hostel;
Croatia – 2 months;
Spain (Schengen again!) – 2 months;
Morocco – 3 weeks (quick trip from Europe, just because it was so close to Spain and I wanted to visit);
Spain (Schengen) – 25 days;
Türkiye – 2 months;
Russia – 1 month.

5. Penalties

What many people say about just taking a quick break from one area to another and coming back the next week to start counting the days from zero again is a lie, at least in continental Europe. Don't fall for her!

Immigration control is very strict with those who ignore the region's rules on length of stay. It can range from heavy fines to being banned from re-entering the region for a long period of time or even deportation, depending on how long you overstayed. So pay attention to the dates, use the app I recommended, there is no mistake.

6. Extension of another 90 days in the same country

In many countries, it is possible to request an additional 90 days of stay, Spain He is one of them.

The procedure must be carried out in the country in advance (at least one month before the end of the first 90 days) and you must provide a good justification, such as the training course you wish to take will be conducted only during that period as you want to stay longer in the country. Find the foreign customer service in the country you are in for more information.

Last advice: on the site ItamaratyYou can follow the period of residence in each country around the world and whether you need a visa or not. The page is constantly updated when new agreements are concluded with Brazil.

Plan your Eurotrip with all this in mind and have a great trip!