Have you overstayed a Schengen Visa or know anyone who has? If so, were there consequences?
Now that I\'ve been in Europe for a while I\'ve inevitably come across people overstaying their visas and got curious. After la little snooping I know possible penalties include fines, future travel bans, etc... but almost all the resources were at least a year old. I was wondering if anyone has or knows of any recent experiences along the lines of overstaying a visa and then trying to leave, especially a Schengen visa?
Reply to this I just got back from London where I thought I could get restamped and enter the Schengen country again but . . . London interrogated me right off the bat and I hadn't even overstayed my visa--I have a week left. They asked about bank statements, if I had a job in the U.S. who I was visiting, where we met, what school we went to, what we like to talk about--it freaked me out. Right now I just happen to be in the process of choosing whether I should stay until November or go this month. I leave through Ireland, which I've heard isn't as bad as London, but it's still the UK and they have the whole story I gave on file. I'm very uncomfortable with the thought of overstaying the visa.
I just found a forum that said it's possible to ask for a visa extension... so that's the next thing to research.
Reply to this Hello Cody 😊
I moved this to the Travel News and Discussion forum.
Mel
Reply to this I'm actually in the process of trying to apply for a longer visa and/or work permit but it's difficult, just as it would be in any European country I suspect. I don't have any updates yet but a very nice immigration officer here in Holland might have said (wink,wink) it's better to leave through Belgium as their immigration isn't nearly as strict. I did find out that it's okay for your visa to run out if you've already filed a further application.
Reply to this As far as I heard most of the immigration officers in most of Europe pretty much ignore if a tourist outstays the Schengen visa. I have never heard of anybody being fined.
The immigration in the UK have a reputation for being like that Sara. I dont see what the problem is if you intend to leave the UK soon and reenter Schengen. They really are being pains about it.
....Ireland, which I've heard isn't as bad as London, but it's still the UK .....
That is so politically incorrect that saying it to the immigration folk in Ireland could actually cause them to make trouble for you. 😉
Reply to this Yeah, for your sake Sara, I hope you meant Northern Ireland. But I understand your UK problems. I actually tried to fly from Spain to Scotland and was refused entry because "my plans were too vague". They basically asked what my itinerary was and then were mad that I couldn't give a day by day description. I guess the days of flying by the seat of your pants are long gone.
Reply to this I've been wondering about the same thing, since the last stamp on my passport was July 2007. I was recently told by a friend who was in a similar situation as me and went back to the US a couple of months ago that nobody in Europe checked his passport at all when leaving. He left out of Paris. I'm thinking of maybe flying out of Switzerland, just to be safe . . . but it will cost me an extra $200 + over taking the exact same flight from Munich.
Reply to this Based on my experience and friends of mine who are ex-pats, most of Europe seems to look the other way as visa time lines. I will say that Germany is a little more stringent. I have a friend who was caught by the Germans and forced to fly back to the US. If you plan to out stay the three months ouy of every six policy, watch out for Germany.
Reply to this So I guess 17 months is a slight overstay, eh? :-) . . . That's why I'm thinking Switzerland is the country to fly out of. Not Schengen (not yet, anyway).
Reply to this .....watch out for Germany.
Speaking of watching out for Germany, I flew into Munich airport last week. There were police asking people getting off the plane questions about what they are doing here and how long they are staying. Then the passport control guy wanted people to show how much money they have. This was in the queue for EU passport holders. They were probably worse in the queue for non EU passport holders. I dont know what all that was about but they let me go without further questions or showing my money when I said I live here. Something to do with the beer festival maybe??
Reply to this hello there
i've live in italy and i've got visa chengen and i want to go to irland for holiday
what's the easiest way to get a visa for it
thanks
Reply to this Hello Sasa 😊
I would contact the nearest Irish consulate to you and ask. You could also check the websites for of Irish consulates. They probably have a visa information page.
Mel
Reply to this i've live in italy and i've got visa chengen and i want to go to irland for holiday
what's the easiest way to get a visa for it
Go to the embassy web site and download the application. Fill it out, find 60 eur and submit the application together with the following things
photo
invitation
copy of all used pages in your passport
proof of funds (bank acct statement)
return train or flight ticket
hotel reservation
proof of travel and medical insurance
(source: schengen visa)
send it in and wait for interview. 😊
Reply to this ok i need some help here a friend of mine came from USA and went to amsterdam and was given the schengen visa and stayed there for couple of days and then left to belgium ad entered UK and as US citizen was given 6 months visa..he overstayed his visa by more than 6 months.now he wants to go back to US, the question is if he manages to leave uk with out a any problem, would he be able to any schengen country for example Belgium wen he enters belgium will he be given schengen visa again for couple of days to enter the country from uk or would there be any problem and when leaving the country would there be any problems or is there any other country he can leave from to go back to uk without any problems..apart frm UK coz they already stayed their visa.....because technically they have left schengen space and entering again but from UK and also they will not be staying long...plz i would realy appriciate ur help as my friend is planing to leave soon to enter belgium or some other schengen country, should they recive any problems on entering, i want to warn them to look other alternative ways..thank you in advance for ur help...
Reply to this The UK is not in Schengen, therefore your friend's time there should not be considered part of the time against his Schengen visa. Your friend was in Schengen space for a few days six months ago . . . that's all. It should be no problem.
Reply to this i need some advice please! i am leaving for italy in 2 weeks because i have a job in milan. my job starts in october but i'm flying into paris to spend some time there with my brother and then we are going to italy by train and from italy he'll fly back home to the U.S. after a couple weeks and i'll stay in italy. i tried to get a visa from my local consulate but they wanted some more documents from me and now i'm too late to get them and apply again before leaving. my job is for 8 months, i get there a month early and plan to stay a month after for a total of 10 months (a 7 month overstay of the visa). do you guys think that this would be a problem for me? should i try and get a residency permit in italy? could this affect future trips or trying to get a visa in the future? as far as flying out...would it be best to fly out of italy or another country? maybe swizterland? any help would be greatly appreciated!! thanks in advance :]
Reply to this I have a URGENT question. I've overstayed in Malta since 30 September, now I just got my graduation certificate last week. I've been in process of applying for my work permit,since here from Employment Training Centre, they told me I cannot apply for my WP with student visa. So they told me to change my type of visa. However I didn't go to extend my schengen date by 30 September simply coz even if immigration extends my visa, it will still be a student visa. So i said better i go refresh it when I have my graduation certificate. Then I can go with it and my company employing letter. Sad news is they told me I'm overstaying here, and it's very negative. I don't know if there's anyway I can have my visa extended?
Sure immigration office doesn't have a good impression on me now, but I've been university students for the past 4 years, and every time when i went to extend my visa with university letter, few times they told me my previous visa was expired but they still gave me a new visa. Maybe coz I had proof from university so they granted me extension anyway.
Now as I finished from university, they are more strict. And the sad part here is my visa has expired since 30 September..... IS THERE A WAY TO SAVE MY SITUATION by not returning to my country as my parents live here and I'm the only child to them???!!! HELP PLEASE!
Reply to this Hello Kyoko Jio 😊
Schengen visa rules seem very serious, but the authories rarely take them seriously and there are rarely/never consequences for overstaying(not that I have heard of anyway). Maybe you can just leave the Schengen area briefly and then reenter? Or ask the employment agency if they have advice.
Now as I finished from university, they are more strict.
They might lighten up again, once you have a job offer. I doubt that things are as impossible as that immigration officer is making them seem.
Keep up updated on what happens, if you have time.
Mel
Reply to this Just went to university office, the woman who's in charge of letters to immigration office talked to me and she's on my side. She's going to help me to apply for my Master asap IF they allow early application now, then she'll be able to write a letter to IO for. HOWEVER, she still needs to call IO to confirm that it will be ok for me. So basically, there are still two things unsure. 1. If I can hand in application now. 2. If IO gives a yes to my case.
Wish me good luck guys and bless me.
Reply to this Good luck, and keep us updated!
Which citizenship do you hold?
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