Change of main destination after Schengen visa is issued
Upvote:5
There are several approaches to this problem, none of them perfect:
- Contact the Spanish consulate before the trip and ask them what to do. That's the safest and most proper way but it could be a bit difficult to reach someone who can actually answer your question, especially if that particular consulate uses a third-party outsourcing company to handle visa applications. In all likelihood, they will tell you they can't do anything and you can still use your visa but then you can print the email conversation to show that you were completely upfront about the change and did not try to hide anything. Take that print-out with you when crossing the border. See Use of unused Schengen visa to travel to Switzerland
Just show up at the border. If you are asked, explain what you will do and why you changed your plan. Be truthful and genuine but do not volunteer information you are not asked about. Chances are you won't have to provide too many details but even if you do, you will probably be fine. Have as much documentation as possible with you to establish your trip is legit (including hotel bookings, return ticket, etc.)
You could also change your itinerary once more. That's not really an alternative solution but it would help avoiding problems when questioned at the border. Adding Malta and a few more days in Spain or Italy is less likely to raise issues if you still go to France (where you initially planned to stay the longest) or Belgium (which issued your visa). Removing them entirely from the itinerary is a radical change that is more difficult to justify credibly (How come you are still traveling when the very reason for your trip disappeared? Who plans a holiday to France, a conference in Belgium, or whatever it is you planned and then decides it's going to be Malta instead? That's not going to sound good to the border guards).
Lie at the border. Generally a bad idea and it could backfire badly. But the truth is that many people get away with it because you will not get any stamp when crossing internal borders so the fact that you did not go to France will not be readily apparent to the border guards in Rome.
Do realise it's very easy to trip yourself up (“What's the purpose of your trip? Can I see your ticket for Belgium? How will you get there? Do you know where the train to France leave Italy?“) and once you have lied, there is no coming back. If you stay truthful, the worse that could happen is to be denied entry or, possibly, to see your visa revoked. It's unpleasant and it would ruin your trip but it would not damage your credibility as much as an annulment. But if your visa gets annulled, it will be much more difficult to get another Schengen visa in the future.
So lying is definitely not recommended but it ought to be mentioned for completeness and to explain why you might encounter people telling you they did it and it went fine.
Incidentally, why did you get a visa from the Belgian embassy? That might raise some questions as well…
More post
- 📝 Mismatch in parent's name in Income tax return and Bank statement for Japanese Visa
- 📝 Airside transit visa in Heathrow airport
- 📝 Is there any reason to get a United Club subscription rather than the United Club card?
- 📝 Forgot small trips on travel history, tier 2 general
- 📝 Travelling back to India with a phone purchased (and unboxed) in Netherlands
- 📝 Spouse of EU citizen returning to EU with transfer within Schengen: need visa?
- 📝 How do I get from Berlin to Tromsø?
- 📝 Dubai transit visa matter
- 📝 Can I use the entrance to Arlanda North in terminal 5 to get to Arlanda Central station?
- 📝 Riding motorcycles in Medellin, Colombia with a US DL
- 📝 Does a 7 years old child need a separate bank statement?
- 📝 What is the closest bucolic holiday destination to the City of London?
- 📝 Reaching Famous Beaches within Tayrona National Park?
- 📝 Pay stubs for Schengen tourist Visa at Netherlands VFS in US
- 📝 How/where to submit Spain's visa rejection appeal from Algeria
- 📝 ID Document for Unaccompanied Minor in Indian Domestic Flight
- 📝 Can I buy pre-paid data plan in France for 4 weeks, without speaking French?
- 📝 Applying for a Austria Study visa with a prior refusal from the UK?
- 📝 What legal action can I take to get my refund related with wrong information about transit visa?
- 📝 African passport+EU national ID
- 📝 travel with dual passport (UK passport and Chinese Passport) from Japan to South Korea
- 📝 Cross-country car rental
- 📝 What tools exist to compare airline rules for a given route?
- 📝 How is the official audio guide in the Paris Louvre? Are there alternatives?
- 📝 Entering and leaving the UK on the day of visa expiry
- 📝 Is 2.5 hours layover at Melbourne airport enough to catch next international flight with different airlines
- 📝 F1 Visa stamped on page 9 leaving earlier pages blank
- 📝 Passports stapled together
- 📝 How TAP airlines counts miles from a partner airline
- 📝 Are there any museums or sites in England or Scotland honouring James Watt?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Change of main destination after Schengen visa is issued
- 📝 Schengen Visa: Itinerary change after visa issued
- 📝 How to obtain a Schengen visa after being denied entry to Germany with a visa issued by Spain?
- 📝 Schengen Visa issued by Italian embassy but destination is Croatia
- 📝 Applying for a Schengen visa in another country than my main destination
- 📝 Change the address of stay after receiving Schengen visa
- 📝 If I change the booking from hotel to Airbnb after getting Schengen visa, will my visa get annulled?
- 📝 Maximum stay on a Schengen visa is too short after a change of plans
- 📝 Schengen Business Visa after a name change
- 📝 Exit and re-enter Schengen area if country that issued the visa is the final destination
- 📝 Schengen visa denied by Slovenia despite being the main destination
- 📝 Validity of Schengen Visa after Change of Country of Residence (UAE)
- 📝 Main Destination for Schengen Visa
- 📝 Can I expect problems after entering Schengen through main destination but leaving from another state?
- 📝 Schengen visa renewal for Indian citizen to go to Switzerland, after having one issued by Portugal consulate in Los Angeles
- 📝 Change of itinerary and applying for UK visa after getting Schengen visa
- 📝 Schengen visa main destination (SPAIN)
- 📝 Main destination of Schengen visa
- 📝 Change In Itinerary After Schengen Visa Granted
- 📝 Applying for a Schengen visa when there is a gap between trips to main destination and country of entry
- 📝 Can I change port of exit after Schengen Visa issuance?
- 📝 Schengen visa waiver for US citizens after residence permit expires?
- 📝 How to change a Schengen visa with single entry valid for only 15 days?
- 📝 Are all Chinese citizens currently (after COVID-19 outbreak) banned from applying for Schengen visa issued by Czech Republic?
- 📝 Skip the Schengen member state that issued me visa and visit another member state
- 📝 Would Netherlands refuse entry for a Schengen visa issued by the French embassy?
- 📝 Applying for Schengen Visa after (German) Student visa expires IN Schengen area?
- 📝 Would I get my Schengen visa right after the interview?
- 📝 Enter USA under VWP after K-1 visa issued
- 📝 Not going to the Schengen country that issued your visa because of genuine reasons