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Regarding the new vote in the EU parliament, I wanted to know the affect on traveling in the EU if already possessing a visa.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/world/europe/eu-visas-parliament-united-states.html?_r=0

For the case of already having a visa to enter one EU country, either long-term work or study, would there be a need to obtain another visa when entering another EU Country? (Ex. Possession of US Passport + German Work Visa, but want to visit France)

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    You're jumping the gun. The modalities of what will happen have not been laid out and it is expected that it will take a while and a compromise might be reached. – Augustine of Hippo Apr 11 '17 at 17:15
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    Whatever restrictions may be placed on any country's citizens, the Schengen area is still the Schengen area, and a visa for any Schengen area country authorizes travel to all of them, except in certain exceptional cases where visas of "limited territorial validity" are issued. Therefore, this is a ... – phoog Apr 11 '17 at 17:25
  • Some non-Schengen EU countries, such as Ireland and (for the time being) the UK, do not accept Schengen visas for short-term visitors, while others (such as Bulgaria and Croatia) do. – phoog Apr 11 '17 at 17:27
  • @phoog "for the time being" - trying to say something? ;) –  Apr 11 '17 at 17:36
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    Regarding the new vote in the EU parliament How about adding a link, so that we can check what you're talking about? –  Apr 11 '17 at 17:55
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    @Moo yes, I was trying to find a concise way to acknowledge that the UK is in the process of leaving the EU. – phoog Apr 11 '17 at 18:07
  • @phoog but the UK leaving the EU wont change the UKs position on Schengen visas... we won't accept them after we leave, just as we don't accept them now. The only time that would change is if we rejoined the EU later on, at which point we would probably be forced to join the Schengen area, and the Euro, and a load of other things we currently opt out of. I thought that was what you meant through a subtle jibe ;) –  Apr 11 '17 at 18:10
  • @JanDoggen they are referring to the March 3rd vote on removing US visa free access to the EU, in retaliation for the US not giving visa free access for all Schengen area members. Its come up again in the news, hence some people think its a brand new thing. –  Apr 11 '17 at 18:12
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    @JanDoggen maybe, maybe not. The UK does accept Schengen visas for exemption from transit visa requirements, and that is also likely not to change, but immigration was such a huge issue in the Brexit campaign that it's really impossible to say what will happen. The reason I mentioned the UK, though is that the question was (overbroadly) about traveling in the EU, so the UK is relevant to the question for the next couple of years or so regardless of whether it accepts Schengen visas. The BIVS is also relevant to the question, and to the UK. Will the BIVS survive Brexit? Who knows? – phoog Apr 11 '17 at 18:21
  • @Moo does that vote even affect non-Schengen EU members? Could it for example compel Ireland to require US citizens to have visas? – phoog Apr 11 '17 at 18:23
  • @phoog no, it cant - Ireland and the UK have opted out of the Schengen Agreement, and nothing else gives the EU any control over its members borders. –  Apr 11 '17 at 18:27
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    Also related: Should I apply for a tourist visa as a US citizen traveling to the Schengen area this summer? (The answer is "No; US citizens cannot apply for Schengen visas.") – phoog Apr 11 '17 at 19:34

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Two points (and I don't think there is much speculation in that):

  • A long-stay visa or residence permit from a Schengen country exempts the holder from any visa requirement in the Schengen area. That's a very generic provision covering all such visas and actually necessary for the Schengen area to function so I don't this changing even if the US were to be added to the list of countries whose citizens require a visa to enter the Schengen area (OTOH the complete collapse of the Schengen area is a very real possibility IMO). The same is mostly the case for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania, while the UK and Ireland have other rules.

  • Restrictions on US citizens are not forthcoming. For multiple reasons, the EU Parliament is loudest but it has no real power in the matter. Member states whose citizens require a visa for the US (first and foremost Poland, which is in the Schengen area, but also Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania) are understandably unhappy and would like the EU do something. The Commission also seems keen on pushing further based on (not unreasonable) principles of reciprocity and, presumably, because it's anxious to be seen helping all Europeans instead of caring only about the interests of the bigger, richer countries.

    But none of this matters all that much because before anything happens the Council has to agree. That means that the governments of most countries (and especially the larger ones) need to agree and, until now, countries whose citizens already enjoy eligibility for the US visa waiver program have been very reluctant to risk putting that in jeopardy to make a point on behalf of the handful of countries who don't. Consequently, every few months, they try to find some way to step up the pressure through some form of official complaint, a deadline, a new report, etc. without ever actually doing anything drastic. This non-binding resolution you have been hearing about is one example of this but this has been going on for years (literally).

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    "citizens already enjoy eligibility for the US visa waiver program have been very reluctant to risk putting that in jeopardy to make a point" - This above all will thwart any attempt to restrict VWP reciprocity. – DTRT Apr 11 '17 at 22:20