Hi guys, I am a U.K. resident and I was issued a Schengen Visa from June to October 2022. The duration was 4 months. I visited the Schengen Area 4 times during the period.

I now intend to renew my Schengen Visa and I would like to know if they automatically increase the duration of the visa (as its my second time applying) or if I need to ask for this myself.

If there are ways of applying for a longer duration, can you please let me know how? I'd ideally prefer 6 to 12 months visa duration.

Many thanks.

Update: thanks to you guys, I got 6 months! My girlfriend also got 6 months as well and it was her first Schengen visa. In our cover letter we simply stated that we had plans to travel to 3 more European Countries during the peak summer months (July - September).

Hope this helps other people wondering how to get a longer term visa.