>Q: My daughter will be going to Germany to study for four months. She has applied for a Schengen visa. After her course, she plans to travel to London for a few days and then to Italy for a holiday.
Does she need to apply for an Italian visa? Her Schengen visa would have expired by then and the German embassy does not allow an extension.
Henry Tan
The Schengen visa allows its holder to travel to its 15 European member countries for the purpose of leisure, tourism or business for a maximum of 90 days.
The member countries are Austria, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands.
According to Commonwealth Travel, you need a long-term visa or residence permit to travel to Germany for studies.
It can only be issued by the German embassy after approval from authorities in Germany, and applications can take up to two months to process, for a fee of $130.
As a Singapore passport holder, there is no need for visa application to London or Italy, on condition that you reside in the city for a maximum of 90 days as a tourist.
This article was first published in Life!, The Straits Times on July 15, 2008.
