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I have a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa issued by Spain. Last year, I entered Spain via Germany and left the Schengen area from Germany, so there is no stamp on my passport by Spanish border control. My question is, can I use this visa to just visit Germany without going to Spain this time?

dda
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Kevin C
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    Does this answer your question? Does a multiple-entry Schengen visa allow visiting other Schengen countries later, without going via the issuing country? – Traveller Mar 09 '24 at 13:10
  • @Traveller Thanks, but my situation is a bit different. I do not have a French entry/exit stamp on my passport, so I'm not sure how the German border controls would know that I actually visited France. – Kevin C Mar 09 '24 at 13:13
  • @KevinChang, do you have any Schengen entry stamp for that first visit? If so, bring any proof you visited France in that visit, like a hotel bill, train ticket, photos of yourself in Paris. – Willeke Mar 09 '24 at 13:29
  • @Willeke Yes, I have entry stamp from Germany. I will also bring those proofs. Thanks! – Kevin C Mar 09 '24 at 13:31
  • Most likely they will not even ask about having visited France but you will feel better about it if you know you can show you have been there. – Willeke Mar 09 '24 at 15:37
  • @KevinChang, your question does not longer match the comments (if it ever did) as in the comments you talk about visiting France and in the question about Spain. If it was Spain which gave the visa you may need proof of having been in Spain. – Willeke Mar 10 '24 at 07:31
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    @Willeke Sorry, I meant Spain in my comments. I was thinking about future visits to France... – Kevin C Mar 10 '24 at 08:00
  • "Can I enter a Schengen state different from the one issuing the visa, if I have used the visa before?": Even in your first trip, you entered through a Schengen state other than the one issuing the visa. This should tell you that the answer to this question, as asked, is trivially "yes." Your real question is "can I use a Schengen visa for a visit with a main destination other than the country that issued the visa, if I have used the visa before?" – phoog Mar 10 '24 at 12:22

1 Answers1

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Absolutely yes.

A Schengen short-stay uniform visa, is, as its name suggests, uniform and covers all the activities allowed under it (business, tourism).

Once the first entry is used, you are free to use it for any Schengen state and for any allowed purpose.

This is because the purpose is only of use for the first entry of the visa. If you look at your visa sticker, the purpose, if even mentioned, is in the "remarks" non-standard field, not in any standard field.

Nicolas Formichella
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