Shan and I are currently in Rhode Island planning our summer 2015 cruise on North Star to France, Spain and Portugal with the intention of arriving in Canaries in November and crossing to St. Lucia in early January. The problem is Schengen 's 90-day limits for non-EU residents.

I am currently looking into the possibility of applying for a French visitor visa for 1-yr residence (D Visa). We want to cruise leisurely south along the west coast of France, linger in the rias in Spain and Portugal and make an unhurried passage to Madeira and Canaries. The biggest issue seems to be not having a fixed residence to list on the application.

I have not heard of anyone doing this successfully. On the CA website one suggested that it was possible. Has anyone been successful in finding a way around the 90-day Schengen limits for non-EU residents?

This discussion taken from the OCC Facebook page provides helpful information.

Felicity Critchlow
2 hrs
We are currently in Stavanger, Norway. This was our port of entry from Peterhead UK. The PO, Eoin Robson has been great and answered many of our questions. One thing which lead to confusion though was the official entry procedure. Not more than 5 minutes after we had tied up at the Oil Museum, two very friendly customs officials arrived. They had been tracking us on AIS at the airport, about 15 km away. They glanced at our passports and asked a few friendly questions and we 're done. Being a little concerned about the informality, we asked about stamps in our passports to validate our stay in Schengen. They told us that the police do stamps but it wasn 't a big deal and not to worry. Well, I worried because we were headed south to several other countries and feared that the attitude might not be so casual. We walked the couple of kilometres to the police station. After taking a number and asking about the stamp, the man at information had to go to the immigration department for an answer. No we don 't do that, maybe at the airport but I really don 't think it is necessary. Well for 144NOK we enjoyed the bus ride out to the airport. The helpful policewoman explained that yes, we had done the right thing. It was necessary to get a stamp in our passport as we entered Schengen territory. Yes, we probably would have encountered a problem if anyone had checked. She also explained that while we do not have to check into each country, we do have to check out of the last Schengen country we leave, stopping the clock and perhaps leaving us days to come back if we had not used all 90 days. This may not be news to more experienced cruisers but we found it confusing trying to find answers. Apparently this is confusion about the police is only in places where there is an airport, Otherwise the local force takes care of it assuming it is an official port of entry.
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Eoin Robson The difference is that when you arrive from a non-Schengen EU country (currently only Ireland and the UK) by commercial air or sea transport to a Schengen country, the passport is inspected by the police visually but not stamped (assuming you 're an EU/EEA citizen).
45 mins · Edited · Like

Pete Jobson Thanks for the clarification Eion. I wonder how many people must be flouting this rule through ignorance? Certainly me!
53 mins · Like · 1

Eoin Robson I could confuse you even more Pete, if I explain that Norway is in the EEA, is in the Schengen and not in the EU. This means your passport is not inspected by the police when arriving in Norway from the EU (except when arriving from UK/Ireland), but nonetheless you must go through customs (be it through red or green). Iceland is the only other country that falls in this category.
48 mins · Edited · Like · 1


Eoin Robson Referring to "flouting the rule by ignorance," I guess it would be difficult for the Schengen authorities to prove that you did not get your passport checked if you arrived in France (Schengen area) by your boat from the U.K. because EU passports are n...See More
June 16 at 5:16pm · Like

Daria Blackwell Felicity Critchlow, have you filled in the Schengen survey? It would be helpful if you have not yet. I am also copying this discussion onto the Forum so we don 't lose it.
June 16 at 5:29pm · Like

Kingsley Ross I had a similar experience last summer on the way up the Rhine (to the Black Sea via the Danube). Knowing I needed a stamp since since Hungarian would likely look for one as we cked out of Schengen, we had to go to an airport to get it. It cost 100€ by taxi but the Hungarians did look for so it was money well spent.
June 16 at 6:25pm · Edited · Like

Gus Wilson We were first told in Norway we did not have to do anything re chekcing in, other than a phone call when getting close to Tanager. The guy on the phone asked what size our boat was, and when told, said you are too smal lfor us to worry about. Welcome t...See More
June 16 at 10:53pm · Like · 1

Eoin Robson Presumably you were in Stavanger too Gus at one point? I 'm guessing as you mentioned Tananger (the nearby port).
June 16 at 11:05pm · Edited · Like


Niki Phillips Have fun in Norway Felicity Critchlow; we hope to follow in your wake next year
23 hrs · Like · 1

Felicity Critchlow Daria Blackwell yes I have filled in the survey. I hope it will make some impact. Gus Wilson I agree that most officials don 't seem to care. The police officer at the airport indicated that the area served by the airport, including Tanager I would thin...See More
16 hrs · Unlike · 1

Eoin Robson Yes, when we fly from Norway (a non-EU Schengen country) to Denmark (an EU Schengen country), we must clear customs but our passports are not checked. In principle we are allowed to go through the Schengen without our passports. Only Norway and Iceland are non-EU Schengen countries.
15 hrs · Like

Gus Wilson Felicity Critchlow I suspect you will have an equally hard time finding anyone in Sweden to clear you in customs. First time coming from Norway, we went to the ferry terminal and had them stamp a paper someone had given us, and our ship 's papers. But ti took two trips to the ferrry terminal, separated by an hour in the police station with friendly policemen who made calls to figure out if we needed to do anything, and the answere was no. But that year we wanted documentation of when we returned to the EU, and finally the person at the counter in the ferry terminal shrugged her shoulders, and said sure.
2 hrs · Like · 1

Daria Blackwell Good luck finding a customs/immigration agent in Ireland (EU non-Schengen). The Garda (police) handle immigration but only on a part time basis. Westport, for example, has an agent here once a week. Customs, though listed officially in Westport, is in Castlebar, 30 miles inland. It hasn 't been in Westport since the turn of the century. That 's why we 've just written a book, Cruising the Wild Atlantic Way, which explains all this about sailing in Ireland.

There is a new EU funded initiative called the #EUCoolRoute that is just getting off the ground. It is to develop a cruising route from Cork in Ireland to Norway. I am involved in it accidentally because of the book but I think the OCC can play a major role, and this EUCoolRoute may be a way to push through a long-term travel visa. I have just emailed the contact information of the people involved in Norway to the POs up there. I am in touch with the core organizer in Cork. I will take it up with him. If we can show that it is economically critical to lift travel restrictions to make the CoolRoute viable, then we will have an EU economic initiative behind it.

Vice Commodore, OCC