Facebook Page 180 days in Spain - Page 5

Considerate, classy response but wrong; the UK limit is 6 months, not 90 days.

180 days a year but only 90 in every 180!

No, that's the EU rule.  We're no longer in the EU, and had better terms anyway when we were.

So, who are the other two countries? 😜 Would that be your original country plus? It can't be the EU since that isn't a country. I'm baffled.🤔 Help

A country that is not a member of the European Union as well as a country or territory whose citizens do not enjoy the European Union right to free movement as defined in Art. 2(5) of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code)

Non-EU-country nationals (e.g. UK nationals) are subject to thorough checks. These comprise a verification of the entry conditions as described below, including verification in the visa information system (VIS), where applicable.

For stays not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period, a non EU-country national must:

possess a valid travel document;

possess a valid visa, if required;

justify the purpose of his/her intended stay and have sufficient means of subsistence;

not have an alert issued for him/her in the Schengen information system (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry;

not be considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of EU countries.

Thank you for taking the trouble to outline all that information  & yes I did know most of it but what I’m not grasping is why a “third country” then, what happened to a “second ? I’m looking for the bit where a country becomes a second country. What am I missing?

Generally on this thread. I can’t make any sense of all the jargon; all I know for sure is that it is an EU rule that prevents Greece from allowing people to support its economy by spending money there for longer than 90 in any 180 days, and that organisations who are working to persuade the EU to change this inexplicable rule argue at the unfairness when a Greek is very welcome to support the UK economy for six months at a time.  It’s not my problem - I have a blue card - but I dislike the ‘up yours’ attitude of die-hard remainers.  People had valid reasons for voting both for and against leaving the EU, and there is no justifiable reason for restricting a freedom just for the sake of it.

I take your point & agree in the main but Spain has to adhere to Schengen rules as it is a Shenzhen country & therefore has little choice in the matter. 

But, just as before, when the UK was still in Europe but not in Schengen, the Spanish turned a blind eye in the main to lengths of time people stayed & still do for EU citizens. I suspect that until such time as EU asks them to conform to Shengen rules (nothing to with Brexit) they will probably continue as is for EU nationals but not sure how they will view a third country. My gut instinct is that they will recognise a golden goose when they see one and continue to turn a blind eye but that will all depend on what pressure is brought to bear on them by others. 

I haven't heard of any UK citizens being fined for overstaying but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.  Spanish are very pragmatic & as long as it's not being obviously abused I'd say they feel it's doing no harm if a few holiday home owners stay a bit longer than they should and spend money here as they have been doing, they won't be too bothered. Of course, with technology making it easier to clock movements we might all be in for a shock if suddenly the rules are enforced more diligently. That includes EU. Citizens as well as third world countries because despite being in the EU they too have a restriction in being allowed only 183 days vis a vis 90 out of 180. 

Sorry for going on about it but just wanted to explain that it's not Spain's fault that Greeks or anyone else can stay longer in UK than the reverse. It's Schengen rules. 

Third country: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/54152583

Just for clarity, I am told that people overstaying in Greece have been fined €1500, and my partner had his passport stamps calculated when he left last October (he had 89 days!).  However, there’s every reason to believe that the Spanish are able to think further beyond their noses.  

Re. second/third countries, it’s all Greek to me too.