Schengen visa question: book airline tickets
Dear Rob,
My girlfriend has been flying back and forth twice a year for 2007 days in the Netherlands since 90. The exam has been attempted, but is not included. So just keep flying. Now I discovered that, just like for myself, it is better to book a return AMS-BKK-AMS for her than always a return BKK-AMS-BKK, which currently saves more than 300 euros (736 to 1073). In the many previous applications for a (shorter) Schengen visa, we always needed the latter. I didn't notice the difference in price before. But the lady now has a 5-year visa and will only be confronted with an application again in four years.
For the next visa application, I will ask the Dutch embassy whether that can only be a BKK-AMS-BKK ticket or also one and a half, reverse ticket, starting in Amsterdam. Does Rob V. know something about that? She needs a one-way ticket and that is about 100 more expensive, but all together that is still a lot less. After all, it concerns ten return flights in 5 years.
Thanks for all the effort.
Bert
Dear Bert,
With careful planning and already in possession of a Multiple Entry Visa (MEV), it is possible to use a return ticket from Europe (the Netherlands) to Thailand. By careful planning I mean that you carefully take into account the maximum permitted stay of “maximum 90 days in any 180 day period”. If an overzealous official were to subject you to a check, I would ensure that you can show a clear travel plan and have the financial resources to book a ticket outside the Schengen zone if necessary. This should convince the official of the purpose of your trip and that your girlfriend can and will leave the Schengen area on time.
The Schengen Code states in Article 14 that the traveler must be able to provide the following supporting documents:
“a) documents proving the purpose of the trip;
(b) documents relating to accommodation or proof of sufficient resources to provide accommodation;
(c) documents proving that the applicant has sufficient means of subsistence both for the duration of the intended stay and for his return to the country of origin or residence, or for transit to a third country to which he is certain to be admitted, or in the possibility to obtain these funds legally, in accordance with Article 5(1)(c) and (3) of the Schengen Borders Code;
(d) information allowing the assessment of the applicant's intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the validity of the visa applied for.”
If your girlfriend has already been to Europe/the Netherlands several times, you have a good planning that falls within the maximum time limits and you as a referent are present at Schiphol both on her arrival and departure (so that the border guard can summon you if necessary), then this is acceptable. you meet all requirements. With the ticket that has already been booked, you already show that she intends to leave the Schengen area on time. If a very diligent border guard points out that the ticket also shows that she is coming back to Europe, you can show that you have the financial resources to obtain a reservation for a flight outside the Schengen area. If necessary, you can make a free/cheap reservation for such a flight in preparation or on the spot. That may cause discussion with an official, but if you are well prepared then there is actually nothing to worry about.
In short:
As long as your girlfriend shows that a timely departure from the Schengen zone has been arranged, she meets the requirements, but take into account the chance of zealous officials who have questions about a traveler with a booked ticket AMS-BKK-AMS. In any case, be very sure that when she makes the trip from Thailand to the Netherlands/Europe, she can already provide/prove a flight back to Thailand!! If your girlfriend gets nervous very easily when an official asks her questions, you might be better off with a BKK-AMS-BKK flight. If you don't feel like discussing with officials, then I would accept the extra costs.
Yours faithfully,
Rob V
Source: Schengen Visa Code, see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32009R0810
For additional reading material, please refer to Article 2 and Article 4.52ab of the Aliens Decree 2000 regarding admission by the border control official: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0011825/2024-01-01#Hoofdstuk2