How to Legally Stay in Europe Longer Than 90 Days
For those enjoying a 90-day European adventure, the time can fly by in the blink of an eye. After just three months of travelling, many people find themselves needing to leave the Schengen Area for 90 days to ‘reset’ their 90-day Schengen allowance (you are not allowed to stay in the Schengen Area for more than 90 days in a 180-day period). Here is a useful tool for calculating exactly how many days you have left of your 90-day Schengen allowance.
Fortunately, there are several options available that allow you to extend your stay in Europe for longer than 90 days.
‘The Schengen area comprises Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The following European countries are not part of the Schengen area: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, United Kingdom.’
How national visas can help you stay in Europe longer term
Your best bet for staying in Europe longer term is to secure a national visa that allows you to live, work or study in one European country for longer periods. Often called a residence permit, a national visa can be a type of work permit, such as a Work Visa or EU Blue Card, or a non-work related permit, such as a Language School Visa or Au Pair Visa.
Importantly, the days spent living in a European country on a national visa do not count towards your 90-day Schengen allowance. Your national visa will pause your 90-day Schengen allowance until you enter another Schengen country again.
Therefore, rather than simply waving goodbye to your European adventure after 90 days, you can enjoy living in one of many great European countries for longer periods on a national visa (and continue to travel for 90 out of 180 days in the other Schengen countries).
All Schengen countries have their own national visas. As our website provides information about moving to Berlin, we will only profile a few of the national visa options available to you in Germany. If you are interested in moving to another country in Europe, then we recommend getting in touch with the relevant immigration authorities in those countries to find out about their respective national visas.
National Visas for Germany
1. Working Holiday Visa
Visa length: 1 year (although Canadians can apply for the visa twice)
Age restriction: the Working Holiday Visa for Germany is only open to persons aged 18 – 30 (18 – 35 for Canadians).
Who can apply for the Working Holiday Visa for Germany: Citizens of New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Canada, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Chile, Israel, Uruguay and Brazil.
Only citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Israel can apply for the Working Holiday Visa at an immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) after arriving in Germany. Citizens of other countries must apply for the visa at a German embassy/consulate before arriving in Germany. See our complete guides for applying for the Working Holiday Visa at the immigration office in Berlin OR at the German embassy or consulate in your home country.
Main application requirements:
To apply, you must have expat insurance or travel insurance for the full duration of the 1-year visa. In addition, you need a certain amount of savings to be approved for the visa (usually between €2,000 – €4000), although this amount varies depending on where you apply.
Related resources
2. Work Visa for Germany
Visa length: Up to 4 years depending on the length of your work contract. The German Work Visa can be renewed.
Age restriction: none
Main application requirements:
To apply, you first need a solid job offer and a work contract from a company based in Germany. It is also important that you take out German health insurance prior to applying.
Related resources
3. EU Blue Card for Germany
Visa length: up to 4 years depending on the length of your work contract. The EU Blue Card for Germany can be extended.
Age restriction: none
The main application requirements:
To apply, you must have a university-level qualification that is deemed on par with an equivalent German qualification. In addition, you need a job offer from a company based in Germany with a minimum annual salary of €58,400, or €45,552 if you work in a shortage occupation. It is also important that you take out German health insurance prior to applying.
Related resources
Complete guide to applying for an EU Blue Card at a German Consulate or Embassy
Complete guide to applying for an EU Blue Card at the immigration office in Berlin
How to check if your university degree is officially recognised in Germany
Our favourite German public health insurance for your EU Blue Card application
4. Job Seekers Visa
Visa length: 6 months
Age restriction: none
Main application requirements:
To apply, you must have a university-level qualification that is deemed on par with an equivalent German qualification. In addition, you need a travel or expat insurance policy that is valid for the full 6 months of the Job Seekers and a minimum level of savings to show that you can support yourself while job hunting in Germany.
Related resources
5. German Language Visa
Visa length: up to 1 year
Age restriction: none
Main application requirements:
In order to apply, you must obtain a contract from a language school in Germany that shows you are signed up for an intensive German language course. By intensive, we mean at least 18 lesson hours per week.
The German language visa also requires that you have adequate travel or expat insurance for the entire duration of the visa and sufficient funds to support yourself while living in Germany.
Related resources
6. Student Visa
Visa length: 1–2 years. The Student Visa for Germany can be renewed.
Age restriction: none
Main application requirements:
In order to apply you, must have already enrolled or received conditional approval to study at a university in Germany. In addition, you must have German public health insurance and access to sufficient funds to support yourself whilst studying in Germany.
Related resources
7. Au Pair Visa
Visa length: up to 1 year
Age restriction: only persons aged 18 – 26 can apply for the Au Pair Visa for Germany.
Main application requirements:
In order to apply, you first need an au pair contract from a host family living in Germany. You can see what needs to be included in the au pair contract here.
As part of your stay in Germany, you will need medical insurance to cover you for the duration of the visa.
Related resources
So, that completes our rundown of some of your national visa options in Germany that can allow you to continue living in Europe once your 90-day Schengen allowance has been used up.
If you are interested in applying for a national visa for Germany, then check out our free visa guides, which detail exactly when, where and how to apply for the relevant visas for Germany.
If you are keen on the idea of moving to Germany, but unsure where to move to, then we can think of few better cities than the German capital, Berlin. Below, we have detailed why we think Berlin is the perfect city to set up your European base once your 90-day Schengen allowance runs out.
Why Berlin is the perfect base for continuing living in Europe after your 90-day Schengen allowance is used up
So, you have fallen in love with Europe on your 90-day travels and are keen to extend your stay on the continent. For this, we can think of few better places in Europe than Berlin.
Berlin’s English-Speaking Job Market
Berlin is a city in transition with a wide range of new opportunities cropping up for English speakers in the Berlin job market. With a thriving startup scene that employs 52% non-German speakers, a hospitality sector that is increasingly looking for English speakers to service a growing international clientele, and a roaring tourism industry, the Berlin job market is becoming increasingly attractive for expats relocating to the German capital.
With this growth and diversity in the English-speaking job market in Berlin, there are ample opportunities for securing a work-related national visa for Germany. To help you secure a job, we have put together some job-hunting resources for you:
A definitive list of top expat employers in Berlin in the fields of:
While the English-speaking job market is looking promising, this is just one factor to consider when debating a move to Berlin.
Cost of living
While on the rise in the last few years, the cost of living in Berlin remains significantly cheaper than other European capitals.
With a furnished 1-bedroom apartment costing around €950 in a decent part of town and a room in a flatshare costing around €450, rents remain below half what you can expect to pay in London or Amsterdam.
On top of this, unlimited monthly transport comes in at €91 while a standard restaurant main course and drink will set you back around €12. Again, this is significantly cheaper than most other European capitals. See our blog post on the Cost of Living in Berlin in 2020 for further info.
Fun and Games in Berlin
Read any blog or article about Berlin and it quickly becomes clear that Berlin is an adult playground. Berlin is awash with bars, restaurants and world-famous nightclubs, with over 50,000 revellers taking to the city’s dancefloors every weekend.
When you combine this entertainment factor with the city’s 2500 green spaces, countless exhibitions, museums, shows and rich history, you get a perfect balance between culture, fun and relaxation.
We hope you have found this post helpful! For further information and guidance on how to move to Berlin and Germany, check out our free relocation guides and resources on our homepage.