Beating Schengen. Bosnia & Herzegovina

[barryd]

Just formulating a possible plan to beat the 90 days limit next summer for our Alpine trip which will allow us to arrive early June but then avoid the late July and all of August crowds but then allow us to return to the Alps for September and the start of October.

The obvious choice is to dip out of the Alps and Schengen in late July and drop down to Bosnia & Herzegovina for about six weeks. Maybe Montenegro as well but I want to stick to altitude and explore the mountains etc and avoid the August heat and crowds by the coast.

I know ill have to check insurance etc and be careful where I park in Bosnia to avoid getting blown up by a land mine but has anyone been and done just that? Whats its like?

 

[barryd]

Not sure you will 'beat' Schengen, Barry - crossing borders as you describe merely extends the time you can spend to in excess of 90 days without applying for Visas etc al. The sad thing is, UK was offered 180 days as a reciprocal benefit to match UK and EU citizens stay limits, but the then UK Government, running feart of Farage and his xenophobia mass appeal, wanted to appear to be tough on immigration, and so pursued removal of Freedom of Movement with a zeal that neither N. Korea nor the then East Germany could match. And, of course, immigration was controlled, at least in what passes for the minds of those members of the then Government. Liars, deluded, or away with the fairies? Still, we do have our wonderful Monarchy ...

Steve

I think you can if I have worked it out right. This is just an example but a loose fit around what I was thinking.

Schengen leg 1: 1 June → 25 July (55 days).
Non-Schengen (Enter Bosnia and Leave Schengen): 26 July → 31 August in Bosnia and maybe Montenegro (37 days).
Schengen leg 2: 1 September → 30 September (30 days).
Schengen days used: 55 + 30 = 85 days (still under 90). 5 days to get home from the Alps.

I think it should work as long as I am stamped out of Croatia and into Bosnia and stamped back in again. I think the new EES system will be in by then but whether its up and running on the Bosnia border I have no idea.

 

[Fazerloz]

I think you can if I have worked it out right. This is just an example but a loose fit around what I was thinking.

Schengen leg 1: 1 June → 25 July (55 days).
Non-Schengen (Enter Bosnia and Leave Schengen): 26 July → 31 August in Bosnia and maybe Montenegro (37 days).
Schengen leg 2: 1 September → 30 September (30 days).
Schengen days used: 55 + 30 = 85 days (still under 90). 5 days to get home from the Alps.

I think it should work as long as I am stamped out of Croatia and into Bosnia and stamped back in again. I think the new EES system will be in by then but whether its up and running on the Bosnia border I have no idea.

That should work quite nicely, just make sure you get the stamps.

 

[runnach]

That should work quite nicely, just make sure you get the stamps.

Unlike entering and leaving Israel, the last thing you want is their stamp on your passport!!

 

[Sydwal]

Montenegro isn't just the Bay of Kotor where most tourists (and cruise ships!) go. Lovely mountain ranges too if you want some altitude - not sure of the numbers on that, but it's defo on our list.

 

[mark61]

Unlike entering and leaving Israel, the last thing you want is their stamp on your passport!!

Blimey!

 

[runnach]

Blimey!

This is a fact Mark, and nothing to do with, in my case being antisemitic, I am not. Their border control officials don't like it when you insist they do not stamp your passport.

 

[Sydwal]

Not sure you will 'beat' Schengen, Barry - crossing borders as you describe merely extends the time you can spend to in excess of 90 days without applying for Visas etc al. The sad thing is, UK was offered 180 days as a reciprocal benefit to match UK and EU citizens stay limits, but the then UK Government, running feart of Farage and his xenophobia mass appeal, wanted to appear to be tough on immigration, and so pursued removal of Freedom of Movement with a zeal that neither N. Korea nor the then East Germany could match. And, of course, immigration was controlled, at least in what passes for the minds of those members of the then Government. Liars, deluded, or away with the fairies? Still, we do have our wonderful Monarchy ...

Steve

Hate to get into this but this is simply not true. May was a notoriously poor negotiator, as was Boris. The former wanted to remain, remember and the latter only switched last minute.

As a result, the UK chose not to strictly count the 180 days EU citizens are allowed to stay here so we have a more relaxed approach on who are genuine EU visitors. This should never have happened. The EU pushed hard for 90 in and 90 out - arguing, some would say reasonably, that the UK should be treated the same as other third countries - and that's what we agreed.

The UK was never offered 180 days. or a more relaxed count of days such as we foolishly adopted. Regardless of one's politics, this is fact. Farage had retired at that point anyway - at least temporarily.

 

[runnach]

Edit; error and delete.

 

[Boris7]

Personally I’d just spend as long as I like in the EU or elsewhere. All a load of rubbish tbh.

 

[Sydwal]

Personally I’d just spend as long as I like in the EU or elsewhere. All a load of rubbish tbh.

Do you speak from first hand experience, Boris? I have heard of some brutal fines being dished out.

 

[Robmac]

Do you speak from first hand experience, Boris? I have heard of some brutal fines being dished out.

He's holding something back, to be sure, to be sure!

 

[Boris7]

Do you speak from first hand experience, Boris? I have heard of some brutal fines being dished out.

Yes, look underneath my post, I’m Irish. And Rob loves ruining my fun

 

[Robmac]

Yes, look underneath my post, I’m Irish. And Rob loves ruining my fun

What, did I give it away Kev?

 

[TJBi]

Do you speak from first hand experience, Boris? I have heard of some brutal fines being dished out.

He speaks from first-hand experience of having an EU passport.

 

[barryd]

Montenegro isn't just the Bay of Kotor where most tourists (and cruise ships!) go. Lovely mountain ranges too if you want some altitude - not sure of the numbers on that, but it's defo on our list.

Thanks. I think the Montenegro coast would be a bad idea in August. It will be stacked and too hot I would think. The idea is to explore the mountains but its early days yet. I am at the moment so far pretty ignorant of the entire region so its just a fact finding exercise for now. Mountains are our thing and the entire trip will be based around that. However, that said I gather the coast of Croatia is fabulous so it would make sense after August to head back into Schengen that way and then back through Slovenia and back into the Alps.

 

[Boris7]

Obviously I’d never let Sydwal go off to Europe thinking it’s ok, but a little jest could be allowed

 

[runnach]

Barry, have a word with Terry Two passports. Big enough brown envelope, he may adopt you

 

[marchie]

Hate to get into this but this is simply not true. May was a notoriously poor negotiator, as was Boris. The former wanted to remain, remember and the latter only switched last minute.

As a result, the UK chose not to strictly count the 180 days EU citizens are allowed to stay here so we have a more relaxed approach on who are genuine EU visitors. This should never have happened. The EU pushed hard for 90 in and 90 out - arguing, some would say reasonably, that the UK should be treated the same as other third countries - and that's what we agreed.

The UK was never offered 180 days. or a more relaxed count of days such as we foolishly adopted. Regardless of one's politics, this is fact. Farage had retired at that point anyway - at least temporarily.

Not according to Michel Barnier's Diary of the ****** Negotiations ... He says that it was expected that UK would accept the same terms for both EU & UK visitors, and this was consistent with the 'level playing field'/no attempt to distort the relationship to gain sn unfair competitive advantage.

Farage has been ever present as a perceived threat, irrespective of whether he was actually in a position of influence.

So I will agree to differ ...

Steve

 

[marchie]

I think you can if I have worked it out right. This is just an example but a loose fit around what I was thinking.

Schengen leg 1: 1 June → 25 July (55 days).
Non-Schengen (Enter Bosnia and Leave Schengen): 26 July → 31 August in Bosnia and maybe Montenegro (37 days).
Schengen leg 2: 1 September → 30 September (30 days).
Schengen days used: 55 + 30 = 85 days (still under 90). 5 days to get home from the Alps.

I think it should work as long as I am stamped out of Croatia and into Bosnia and stamped back in again. I think the new EES system will be in by then but whether its up and running on the Bosnia border I have no idea.

It's still not 'beating' Schengen; you're merely moving outside the zone to be able to stay for longer than 90 days, which is nothing like a victory/win. At best, you are circumventing the system, but even that is dubious, because you will merely obey the Schengen Zone Rules by leaving and then returning to get a longer holiday, which is perfectly legal and in accordance with the rules

Steve