We're Americans who've traveled to 12 countries this year doing the 'Schengen shuffle.' Here's how it works.

"This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Eric and Christina Schwendeman, who left the US in 2022 to retire in Italy. The couple now does the "Schengen shuffle." Schengen countries allow non-EU visitors to stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. The "Schengen shuffle" refers to the practice of non-EU travelers hopping between both Schengen and non-Schengen countries indefinitely."

"The Schwendemans have visited around 12 new countries this year Eric: We've seen around 12 new countries this year, far and wide, from Southeast Asia to the Balkans. We did Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia. We went to Hong Kong and Macau. Then, we flew down to the Philippines for two weeks. We spent almost two weeks in India and then came"

Eric and Christina Schwendeman left the US in 2022 and established a base in Italy with elective residency visas valid for two years, which they chose not to renew. They now use the Schengen shuffle: reside up to 90 days in Schengen (including Italy), then spend up to 90 days outside the Schengen zone before returning. They keep their house in Italy while traveling widely, visiting about 12 new countries across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, India, and the Balkans. The approach allows extended European presence without continuous full-time residency.

Read at Business Insider