Med Cruisers caught by Schengen Monster

by Cruising Editor on 5 Jul 2006 The Schengen Monster is trapping unwary cruising yachties who wish to cross the Mediterranean over the European summer.

She is as invisible as the Loch Ness Monster, but unlike Nessie, who largely keeps to her own company, Schengen creeps up on unsuspecting Yachties just when they are having a sundowner and thinking how lucky they are to have escaped the rat race and bureaucracy at home. And what an ugly expensive monster she is!
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The crux of the issue is this. These days, if you are not EEC residents,whether you like it or not, you (not the boat, you) can only stay in Schengen countries (Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Iceland Italy Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Portugal Spain Sweden) for 90 days.

Not three months, notice, but 90 days. And, in total, you can only stay in the Schengen area for a total of 90 days IN EVERY SIX MONTHS. Of course, you can go in and out of countries as much as you like, but the total allowed remains at 90 days.

This means, friend cruising yachtie, that the possibility of a leisurely sail through the Mediterranean one wonderful summer, stopping here and there in romantic little coves to dally with the locals, is, well, dead. Notice the countries included. There’s Greece, Italy, France, Spain – that seems to wipe out most of the Mediterranean we all dream about visiting.

Let’s look at the possibilities for all the yachts that go up the Red Sea every season, arriving around April/May. Some stay in Turkey for a season or two. No problem, Turkey’s not Schengen (not yet). Some sail for the summer, then put the boat on the hard stand and go home for winter. Well, that sounds okay - I guess they can push out quickly into the Mediterranean and then high -tail it back to Turkey when the 90 days runs out. Or they could go up to Croatia. No problem, Croatia’s not Schengen (not yet) or Malta, or Tunisia. So far so good.

Some, however, want to catch the weather window and cross the Mediterranean - starting in Port Said in April/May and reaching Gibraltar by September/October - in order to cross the Atlantic around the beginning of December. Just how do you do that these days? Where do you go? That’s when the monster starts breathing down your neck, and if she pounces there are heavy overstay fines.

Ah, but some of my learned friends tell me that in some countries, you can get an extension of your three month stay by getting a visa or visa extension. If and when it is possible, the simplicity and time to acquire the extension varies from country to country. Then when your status changes it sometimes impacts on the status of your boat, causing unwanted, and even more expensive, VAT implications.

That’s why Schengen, for yachties, is not just an unsavoury animal; she really is a Monster waiting to get you if you’re not aware.


To follow the subject seriously for the countries you wish to visit, go to the Schengen Visa website: http://www.mediavisa.net/