An American in "Schengen"

At this particular moment, I'm not a big fan of the European Union (EU) and the expanded Schengen zone, which took effect on December 21, 2007. What is Schengen? In a nut shell: a series of treaties and rules abolishing physical border controls between EU countries and 3 non-EU states. For citizens of the EU, the new Schengen zone means virtually seamless borders. And, for those of us non-EU, third-country nationals, it means bureaucratic hassles up the wazoo. I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER.

Today I spent about 4 hours trying to figure out whether or not I was legally able to exit and reenter the Czech Republic this weekend. As of the beginning of March, I hit 90 days in the CR. Lucky me, I have not quite hit 90 days in the Schengen zone, so I can make my weekend trip to Madrid, where I plan to join my cousin John, his wife Val, and their little daughter Mary, whom I've agreed to babysit. To provide a bit of context, I do not yet possess a long-term visa, although I applied this January in Dresden - the nearest embassy or consular post outside of the CR - according to Schengen legislation. My category D visa, I'm told, is due in early April.

The big shocker of the day was news that I have until March 19 to travel freely within the Schengen zone. From March 19 to April 8 or whenever I get my visa, I should not exit the CR. What really hurts, however, is that my category D is only valid for the CR. Technically, I should apply for short term visas to visit Schengen countries outside the CR. That means if I want to visit Dresden (a mere 2.5 hour train ride) I should get a visa from the German embassy. This is shear madness!

The semi-good news is that once I get my long-term visa, I will then be able to apply for my Czech residency and then for a Schengen visa - and herein lies the clincher - "just like everybody else." Ouch! Yes, we Americans have lived charmed lives in Europe. For many this is the irony of ironies. All these years, we are the ones that have enjoyed the free pass - well, no longer.

I keep telling myself this a bad dream...I really hope I've somehow misread and/or misunderstood consular advice. I should clearly state that the summary above is my personal understanding of the Czech government's current application of the law. That is, don't quote me... I could very well be wrong. That would be great actually. If this truly is my new reality, it would be grand if the lawyers and beaucrats would have a second think...

Expect to hear continued ranting from this side of the Atlantic pond. First it was the dollar plummeting and now this... Americans living abroad in the EU are feeling the squeeze... and it ain't pretty! Looking on the bright side, I'm slowly developing a taste for Czech beer... it no longer costs 50 cents, but it is still cheaper than water.