How many countries come in Schengen?

Traveling in and out of schengen countries?

• I will be studying in Luxembourg from August 23rd of 2011 until May 10th of 2012. Everything I have read about the schengen agreement deals with staying for less than 90 days, and I will be staying for much longer. I know that with my student visa I can travel around to different countries during my time there. However, I have been told that i have to leave the Schengen countries immediately when i'm done with school. If i go to a non-Schengen country (ex. Ireland) for a few days am I allowed to re-enter the Schengen countries? If so, how long do I have to stay in a non-Schengen country, once returning to Schengen countries how long will I be able to stay, and will i need any special paperwork to do this? Thanks and please list your sources!

• Answer:

  The EU regulations are that you are permitted to be in the Schengen-zone countries for a period up to a maximum of 90 days within a 6-month period. So that means if you spent 90 consecutive days on a standard visa-free tourist admission, then you cannot enter the Schengen zone for at least another 90 days. What you really want is to get a long-term tourist visa in order to prevent any hassles. You can do so by acquiring a visa from the government of any Schengen-zone country where you will START your entrance. So if you are already in Luxembourg, then make sure you get a visa from the Luxembourg government, which will allow you re-entry into the entire Schengen zone. More details on the short-term entrance (90 days within a 6-month period) and longer-term visas, visit http://www.schengenplus.eu/visatypes.html