Visa Travel to EU

Hi all,

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I couldn't find the relevant thread with the search function, so please forgive me...

I have recently moved to the UK and have a Tier 2 General visa and a biometric residence permit.

What are the rules for travelling to the rest of Europe? I ask because the UK is not a member of the Schengen agreement. I used to reside in Germany, and they didn't even stamp my passport at inner Schengen borders.

I assume now they will stamp my passport and I will have 90 days of travel within a 180 day period just as "normal" US tourists? Is there something I'm missing? Should I even show the foreign border agents my BRP?

Cheers! Max

All your EU/Schengen travel outside the UK will be as a tourist and the 90/180 day rule will apply.

They don't care that you have a visa to work in the UK (it doesn't allow you to work or live in another EU country).

You'll get the usual entry stamp in the first Schengen country you enter and then an exit stamp when you leave the Schengen zone (as you said, there are no border checks within the zone). They might ask where you live or what you do in the UK, but it shouldn't be an issue. You'll have your BRP with you anyway since you'll need it to re-enter the UK but the countries outside the UK probably won't ask to see it.

They don't care that you have a visa to work in the UK (it doesn't allow you to work or live in another EU country).

This is true for the most part. However, non-EU citizens, settled in one Member State, are allowed to work and live for a specific duration in another Member State if they are habitually employed by a company doing business in that Member State.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-eea-and-swiss-nationals-working-in-the-eu-eun04/non-eea-and-swiss-nationals-working-in-the-eu-van-der-elst-and-swiss-posted-workers-eun04