# Can i visit all the countries in the Schengen area with a national visa?



## Kseniia (Dec 29, 2013)

I'm an exchange student from Russia, and i have the national visa D type. But it's written there "valid for Italia". Can I go to other Schengen countries with this kind of visa? Because i want to visit France but i don't know if i can. Now I'm in Italy.
Thanks.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Yes, but only genuine short non-working tourist visits during breaks, and you must continue to honor the terms of your specific visa. With an Italian student visa that means attending your classes and making satisfactory academic progress, not (for example) attending one class then touring Europe. It also means getting your PdS (Permesso di Soggiorno), assuming you're in a university program longer than 90 days, and renewing it on time before every expiration. You also have to stop by the questura (police station) within 8 days of arrival to get a Dichiarazione di Presenza if you did not enter the Schengen Area in Italy and get an Italian stamp in your passport.


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