FRANCE (+1 TRANSIT SCHENGEN)

Hey guys:
Fistly, thank you for the time to read this page. I am an exchange student who study in France for half a year, and I have some questions which really need your help.

Below are the details of my visa and passport:

Valid for: " FRANCE(+1 TRANSIT SCHENGEN)".
Type of visa: "D".
Number of entries: "MULT"
Duration of stay: "XXX"
Remarks: "Etudiant"
In addition, There is a statement in the bottom of visa: "Dispense temporaire de carte de sejour".
My passport was issued by "People's Republic of China" (I am a citizen of mainland China), while the visa was issued by french consulate in Hong Kong.

My question is:
1. Can I travel to other schengen countries with this visa? (no matter by plane, train, bus or any thing else). P.S: I am already in France.
2. If I can't, is there any solutions for me? (Say applying a schengen visa, seeking help from travel agency, etc). P.S: Now the situation is a little complicated and I really don't know what I can do. When I asked German embassy in Paris for applying a schengen visa, they said they can't issue it to me (They said I have to come back to China if I want to apply it, since my nationality is not France). The local police station also told me I can not apply for a "residence permit" since the visa already declared I don't need.

If anyone know the solution, please tell me what I can do! I am very very grateful for that!

My answers in your text:

1. Can I travel to other schengen countries with this visa? (no matter by plane, train, bus or any thing else). P.S: I am already in France.

No.

2. If I can't, is there any solutions for me? (Say applying a schengen visa, seeking help from travel agency, etc). P.S: Now the situation is a little complicated and I really don't know what I can do. When I asked German embassy in Paris for applying a schengen visa, they said they can't issue it to me (They said I have to come back to China if I want to apply it, since my nationality is not France). The local police station also told me I can not apply for a "residence permit" since the visa already declared I don't need.

You have to apply for a visa for other Schengen countries in their consulate. I am surprised by the answer of the German consulate.

It is true that you cannot apply in France for a residence permit.

I understand that there is a project for a European regulation to allow foreigners holding a visa that as yours to travel without visa in the Schengen area, but it is not of any help to you as it will take quite some time before it is adopted.

Thanks for your reply!
I called Swiss embassy and Holland's embassy again this morning, their answers are the same as Germany's.
However, I really don't understand. Does that mean: It's impossible to travel to other schengen countries for the case of mine. Or there are some other ways, but I just don't know. It's unbelievable that these countries don't have relavant regulations witch can fit my situation. I mean I just wanna travel there and these countries should be happy that they have more tourists to support the tourism industry and increase national income. Is it possible for me to apply a schengen visa from any other countris' embassy in france, or I have to apply the individual visa one by one?

P.S: There is another thing bothering me: some friends of mine hold the same type of visa and same passport as me, but they have no problem even when they were checked in train station and airport.(The only difference is: their visa was issued by Shanghai consulate and mine was issued by Hong Kong consulate.) Does the difference really exist between the visas which were issued by different consulates, or my friends were just lucky?

Your friends had no problem because there is no border control and therefore no immigration control between Schengen countries.

You could do the same. The chances are that you would have no problem. But there is a small risk.

What kind of passports do your friends hold? Hong Kong SAR passports?

My friend holds the same passport as mine. It is "People's Republic of China", not HK SAR one.

I know that there is no border control between schengen countries.However,I still want to go under legal way, because I was already sent back once and had some record in police station.

Is there really no such regations about my situation? I s that just simply "no way" for exchange students as me to travel in other schengen countries? Or there is other solutions,I mean there should be lots of people having the same problem as mine.

I called the French embassy in China this morning, they suggest me to apply a visa in "XXX'(I can't remember the name, but I know it's the same place as that one issuing residence permit, like police station.) Is it feasible? to apply a visa of another country in local police station?

The French consulate suggested that you ask for a visa extension in a "préfecture".

However:
- French "préfectures" are reluctant to extend visas
- even if it does, the visa would be valid for France only.

The only thing you can do is to try to convince a Schengen consulate other than France to issue a Schengen visa to you, or leave France to request a visa.

Is there any requirement for visa extension, say the provement of attending some activities after the valid date in my existing visa? If I can extend the visa, is that mean I can apply a residence permit because I need to stay in France more than half a year?

The problem for applying a schengen visa from another country is: they said I can not do it here because I am not french citizen. That was what German and Swiss consulates told me, although I haven't tried to call all the schengen countries one by one.

Are there some other kinds f ducuments, provement or permit I can apply in Préfecture? A travel agency suggested me to apply a travel permit or something else like that in the préfecture. My purpose is just getting an official permit which can allow me to travel,it doesn't have to be a visa if the one traval agency mentioned has the same function as I required.

One more question for the meaning of "transit"; For example, I go to UK(of course, I will apply a visa for UK first),then I take a plane to another schengen county, say Germany. Following that, I go to another country, say Belguim...then another...final I return back to France. Is it allowed for a "France (+1 Transit Schengen)" visa? Or, is it only allowed for transfer once?

1. The visa issued to you does not allow for extension, unless exceptional circonstances. You should have to go back to China to apply for it.

2. The answer from the German and Swiss consulates does not make any sense as French citizens do not need a visa to live in Germany or Switzerland.

3. The only permits which allow you to travel to other Schengen countries is a residence permit or a visa.

4. If you go to the UK, you'll need a visa to enter the Schengen area, whether you enter it through the German border or the Belgian border. The transit mentionned on you visa is only for a first tansit on your way to France.

So, does that mean...I can not do anything for help?

Yes, the German and Swiss consulates said they don't have such a service about issuing schengen visa in Europe. But, don't all the schengen countries issue schenge visa in Europe, or someone else does ?

I heard some eastern european countries launched some policies about allowing people who hold such kinds of visa as mine to travel there. Is that true? Or just a rumor?

In addition, do you know what the "visa retour" means?

"Visa de retour" is a visa issued to foreigners who have a resident permit in France, for instance, which is not valid any longer or which was stolen or lost, to return to France.

So... that means I can not apply....is there really nothing I can do?

How about the policy in Eastern european countries as I mentioned?

Firstly, I want to thank MD for answering so many questions in my last post.

Now, I have some new questions about traveling visa.

Just a few days before, I went to Austrian consulate in Paris to apply a visa for traveling in schengen area. The documents of "flight reservation" and 'hotel booking" I submitted is from April18 to April28(I have a holiday in that period). So, I want to know: what kind of visa they will issue me?

My situation is: I already hold a visa of "France (+1 transit schengen)", which can allow me to only stay in France for study. My nationality is China.
Since I will stay in Europe up to July, I expect I can travel around the europe after I finish the semester in June. So, will they issue me a visa which only allow me to go to other shengen countries from April18 to April28 ? Is there any previous case that they will issue applicant a visa for 3 months so that I can still use it after I finish the trip in April? If not, can I travel in schengen states with a "France(+1 transit schengen)" visa from Jan 20th to July 20th and a " states schengen" visa only from April 18th to April 28th together?

Thanks!