EU citizen and 6-12 month stay in Canary Islands. Is it OK?
Feb 18, 2011, 3:02 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 40
EU citizen and 6-12 month stay in Canary Islands. Is it OK?
Hi, I wonder if I could stay and "live" in Canary Islands as an EU citizen after I have finished my USA-Australia trip later this year.
I know that if I would have been on the continent e.g. in Malaga or Barcelona, there is no way to get me out of the country (my country is also in Shengen).
Canary Islands are in Shengen too, so, my question is if I can stay there for more than 3 months e.g. 6 or 12 months in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and after a year I will go back to Malaga or Madrid, what could happen at the airport immigration office or customs (though, I think I will go through Shengen gate)?
Will I be fined or punished for staying there so long?
Do they have evidence where I am right now at the airport?
I have EU passport and Czech Republic's ID, so, I suppose it will be OK or?
What are your experiences or opinion?
I know that if I would have been on the continent e.g. in Malaga or Barcelona, there is no way to get me out of the country (my country is also in Shengen).
Canary Islands are in Shengen too, so, my question is if I can stay there for more than 3 months e.g. 6 or 12 months in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and after a year I will go back to Malaga or Madrid, what could happen at the airport immigration office or customs (though, I think I will go through Shengen gate)?
Will I be fined or punished for staying there so long?
Do they have evidence where I am right now at the airport?
I have EU passport and Czech Republic's ID, so, I suppose it will be OK or?
What are your experiences or opinion?
Feb 18, 2011, 3:22 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,443
As a citizen of an EU country, you may stay in the Canary Islands as long as you like. You might need to register as a resident, however, but you can do that after you arrive.
However, they are outside the European VAT area, so there are (in theory) customs controls between the Islands and the rest of the EU. They are in the Schengen area, so there are no passport controls between the Island and the rest of the Schengen area. (However, it is not their being in Schengen that means that you can live there. You can live in the UK or Ireland too, and these are not in the Schengen area.)
However, they are outside the European VAT area, so there are (in theory) customs controls between the Islands and the rest of the EU. They are in the Schengen area, so there are no passport controls between the Island and the rest of the Schengen area. (However, it is not their being in Schengen that means that you can live there. You can live in the UK or Ireland too, and these are not in the Schengen area.)