The so called “non genuine one-year visa” is a Schengen - Visa issued with a validity of one year.

It entitles the holder to multiple entries to the Schengen States and for a stay of up to three months (90 days) over a period of six months.

This regulation is based on the “Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code)” (“VERORDNUNG (EG) Nr. 810/2009 DES EUROPÄISCHEN PARLAMENTS UND DES RATES vom 13. Juli 2009 über einen Visakodex der Gemeinschaft (Visakodex)”),

… The standardized visa can be (Article 24):..

A visa with a validity of one or more years that permits the holder for multiple entries and a stay of up to three months (90 days) for a period of six (6) months may be issued for persons who represent the necessary guarantees and who are of particular interest for one of the states of the Schengen Treaty.

Moreover there is the possibility to issue visa valid for two or for up to a maximum of five years with a stay stay of up to three months (90 days) for the period of six months, multiple entries, to persons who are among a certain category of applicants.

As a rule a visa with a validity of more than one year can only be issued once the applicant has proven a “bona fide” traveler, meaning never having overstayed the allowed periods of stay and use of the scheduled legal reason of stay.

In exceptional cases the visa can be issued with a validity of 2, 3, or (at most) 5 years, whereby, however, a stay of only 3 months for the period of six months is permitted.The half-year (or period of 6 months) is not identical with the calendar half year. For more information please read the corresponding entry “How long is the Schengen-Visa valid for?”

In the visa-sticker the entry after “Dauer des Aufenthalts” will always be stated as “90” only, because another number or a note is not possible. Therefore the only special feature of the “one-year” visa is given in the date of validity (von...bis).