Maxi-Pedia Forum

Schengen Visa => Schengen Visa Q&A => Topic started by: swedee on July 30, 2011, 02:18:04 pm


Title: visa question
Post by: swedee on July 30, 2011, 02:18:04 pm
Hey people,

I'm currently on a language course visa in Germany for 11 months, I have a couple of friends that live in
Bulgaria which I would like to visit. For a New Zealand citizen I can enter Bulgaria for 90 days without a Visa
Just wondering If me staying in Germany for 11months affects anything? Or can I just enter Bulgaria without Visa.

Cheers

Title: Re: visa question
Post by: porsche on August 01, 2011, 08:17:28 pm
New Zealand citizens are not required to apply for visa to come to the Schengen zone (if they satisfy the 90/180 rule). Bulgaria is not yet part of the Schengen zone. If you intend to visit your friends in Bulgaria within your 11 months of study, you can do so freely. If you intend to visit your friends after your study period concludes, and then you want to come back to the Schengen zone, you need to satisfy the 90/180 Schengen visa rule. If you intend to visit your friends after your study period concludes, and then you are not coming back into the Schengen zone, you need to satisfy whatever rules they have in Bulgaria or any other place to which you go.

Quote
EU home affairs ministers are today (9 June 2011) set to postpone enlarging the Schengen border-free area for an indefinite period, despite calls to the contrary from the European Parliament, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the EU's passport-free zone.
France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium are opposed to Bulgaria and Romania joining the Schengen area, despite the two countries meeting the technical requirements for accession.

Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession is on the agenda of meetings of EU justice and interior ministers being held in Luxembourg today and tomorrow.

But ministers are expected to postpone their decision for an indefinite period, even though the European Parliament voted yesterday (8 June) to back the two countries' Schengen accession by 487 votes in favour, 77 votes against and 29 abstentions.


Cheers.