With a valid
Once you are allowed to enter the Schengen Area — with just your passport or with a short-term visa — you are ONLY permitted to stay for 3 months (90 days) in ANY 6-month period (180 days).
A non-EU national who stays in the Schengen area beyond 90 days (without a residence permit or long-stay visa) is illegally present, which can result in a re-entry ban to the Schengen area.
The EU has agreed to add the UK to the EU's list of visa-exempt countries (of which there are currently 61). This gives British citizens the right to travel to the EU after the transition period for up to 90 days without a visa within any 180-day period.
Options for Moving to Europe: To legally reside in a European country long term, you need a foreign residence and/or work permit. The first step is usually applying for a visa from your home country. Once approved, that visa allows you to enter the country you're moving to with your U.S. passport.
When you get caught staying illegally in Europe, you will totally be deported to your home country. The deportation procedures depend on your case and the country where you are caught. You may be deported immediately, within just a few hours or after a few days.
UK passport holders can cross an external EU border using just a valid passport and stay anywhere in the Schengen Area for up to 3 months. To stay in the Schengen Area for longer than 90 days, a visa or another kind of travel permit is required.
How long you can stay without a visa. You do not need a visa for short trips to EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein if both of the following apply: you're staying for 90 days or less in a 180-day period. you're visiting as a tourist or for certain other reasons.
Voting and citizenship
Your UK citizenship will not be affected if you move or retire abroad.
The 90/180-day rule refers to not spending more than '90 days in any 180-day period' in the Schengen area. This concerns those people entering the area as visitors from third countries whose nationals are exempt from visitor visas (nationals of certain countries may not even visit France without a visa).
With so many visa rules, it's easy to stay in Europe beyond 90 days as a tourist — you just need to mix up the countries you visit. The United Kingdom has its own rules that allow you to stay 180 days in a calendar year.
Short stay (type C) Schengen visas are valid for 90 days, but long stay (type D) visas range from 6 months to 5 years.
In any 180-day period, you cannot stay more than 90 days in the Schengen area. If you need to do so, you must apply for a national visa for the specific country where you want to visit for more than 90 days.
How long can I stay in Spain without becoming a resident? You can stay in Spain for a maximum of 183 days per year (6 months) in order to not become a resident. If you spend an extra day (184 days and onwards), you will be regarded as a resident, hence paying resident taxes in the country.
Although British citizens do not need a visa to visit Europe, they will need an ETIAS visa waiver from November 2023. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System is being introduced to register visitors from visa-exempt non-EU nations.
If you are a non-EEA national (including British) and wish to stay in Spain for longer than 90 days, you will need a visa. You should apply for the visa that suits your purpose from a Spanish Consulate in your home country.
Portugal. Portugal is one of the easiest countries to move to if you have enough money. Its Golden Visa scheme allows you to apply for permanent residency after five years.
The best way to move to Europe without a job is by getting a student visa and studying there. Whether it's for your Bachelor's or Master's or even just a language school, this is the most common and easiest entrance into a lot of countries in Europe.
The Common Travel Area
It's an agreement between the UK, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Ireland that allows British and Irish citizens to live and move freely.
Switzerland. Switzerland is the easiest country to get a Schengen Visa. It had a rejection percentage of only 5.86% for Indians in 2019. Not only that, France, Italy and Germany surround Switzerland, so you can travel to these major European holiday destinations with minimum travel.
Currently, passport holders from visa-exempt countries can enter Europe and travel around the Schengen Area for free. Visitors do not need to apply for any authorisation. From November 2023, however, the European Union will launch ETIAS for visa-free visitors.
Japan has the world's most powerful passport - providing hassle-free entry to 193 countries. Just one country short, Singapore and South Korea are tied in second place, according to the latest Henley Passport Index from Henley & Partners, an immigration consultancy.