jmuratoriasaro

So I need a little help here. On my arrival to Italy there was a commotion and my passport never got stamped. I understand there is a chip in it so I guess I have been recorded. Lately some Italians have told me that I won't have a problem if I over stay my visit by a month or two since it was not stamped (these were Univ. workers). I am traveling with a dog and I'm a single woman 55. I have actually been looking into a business opportunity here that I would take back to the US. Never the less, any thoughts on this topic. I don't want to run into problems on my way out. I'm surrounded by the Amanda Knox trial here in Perugia and just started thinking…..I wanted to stay a little longer and work on my Italian.

Sassafrass

There have been several threads about this sort of thing lately. You might see if you can find them because there is lots of advice. I don't think they will come and hunt you down, and it may not be a problem when you want to leave, but it can be a big problem when you want to go back someday because you will be breaking the law now if you stay longer, and that will be on record. You don't always get stamped, but the chip is recognized. Don't break the law. Go home and return another time to work on your Italian

Jean

I don't know why people ask for advice (excuse me, "thoughts") on whether they should knowingly violate a country's visa regulations.

spaarne

The other newbies who write in with this over stay question get plenty of advice, anecdotes, and official source citations from Fodorites. But the newbies never write back with the results of their violation. Did they get out clean or get a fine or ???

PatrickLondon

Ah, where is sandy (or whatever the name was) when you need him/her?

caroline_edinburgh

I don't think they ever stamp your passport in Italy, do they ? I've never had mine stamped in 23 trips so far. Agree with Sassafrass, it probably won't be a problem while you are there, but it could be a big problem if you ever want to visit *any* Schengen country again.

Even if you are ill;egal, I hope your dog is there legally is it ?

jmuratoriasaro

I'm not illegal yet and my dog is very legal. I'm a little bit of a rebel but not totally stupid. Thanks for your advice. And yes I think you are right about not pushing my luck. Time to go home. And by the way, this is my ninth trip here and have been stamped every time but this one.

nytraveler

Stamping is an empty formality. Your passport has been scanned and you are on record.

If you overstay you may get out without a problem. Or you may face a large find and a ban for visiting Italy and other Schengen for years.

Much better to get out while legal and not risk any problems = besides which it would be following the law.

qwovadis

Congrats u are now an illegal immigrant in the doghouse

along with your dog for being clueless about Schengen

and visa overstays which can get you fined deported for life

even jailed in extreme circumstances.

Head for your nearest consulate/embassy they will help you

suss it out... Good luck!

qwovadis

If you are not in overstay date YET as you say

It is totally legal for you to leave and go to

ANY non-schengen country for the months u need to

stay out of Italy...

Ferries to Africa or Planes to www.visitmorocco.com

Have served me well in trhe past for this.

With your dog ferry best... www.aferryto.com

StCirq

Whether or not your passport is stamped is irrelevant. Mine hasn't been stamped for years. They have you on record as entering the country on a particular date. You can work on your Italian anywhere. Get out while you're still legal.

easytraveler

Here's one thread from Lonely Planet - even backpackers know better than to overstay - most bakcpackers, anyway:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...readID=1841750

easytraveler

Sorry , hit "send" too early.


Love the story of the woman who got her passport stamped "Illegal Immigrant"! Guess the US isn't the only country with porous borders!

Alec

There are various ways a country can check on passenger movement. Stamping has been the traditional in pre-electronic days, and it's still religiously practised by some countries, notably UK (though it's not in Schengen). There is scanning, which in most cases simply runs a check against Schengen Information System, a database that issues alert for those considered <i>persona non grata</i>, such as fugitives from justice and previous immigration offenders, without recording passenger movement (this is all that EU requires of Schengen states). Some countries scan against their own database, and record entry/exit of non-EU passengers, though it's incomplete as people can leave Schengen through another country.

In addition, if you travel by air, most countries require you to give advance passenger information (API; name, DOB, passport number etc) ahead of travel through the airline, so there is an extra layer of record being kept.

Now all these various layers of data aren't necessarily joined up, so if anyone decides to flout the rules, they may not always be found out, but an immigration officer can do a manual search and find out your movement, often in a matter of minutes.

So my advice is, don't overstay in Schengen, even though other people have done so without being detected. You may not be so lucky.

jmuratoriasaro

Thank you everyone - I get the point. My bags are packed my dog (Luigi) and I are heading home as scheduled. I'm going to miss Italy but I'll be back since I wouldn't have broken any laws! (I don't suppose any of you speed…..)

november_moon

Speeding isn't going to get us deported and/or banned from re-entering the country.

I wish I had the freedom and the funds to be away from home long enough to have to worry about becoming an illegal immigrant. I think I need to work on that as part of my long-term financial planning

ipod_robbie

I love the speeding ticket analogy. I'd love to see this posted on the US board, but slightly reworded.

"I'm a Mexican citizen and my dog and I are traveling around the US to improve my English. My tourist visa is about to expire, which will make me an illegal alien. I read on the internet that being an illegal is about the same as speeding, which since everybody does it's considered ok. What should I do..."

jmuratoriasaro

piano - piano - adiamo longtano - forte forte - arriva la morte. Relax everyone - I'm going home. I was questioning and you were all wonderful to send me information. Grazie!!!! Homeward bound - Hello beautiful Vermont!~

jmuratoriasaro

Oh and by the way november_moon, my late husband used to say "be careful what you wish for…."

Thanks again for all your help - everyone!

easytraveler

j: you asked and we were trying to be helpful, even if the message wasn't exactly the one you wanted to hear.

We want you to be able to go back to Italy as soon as your 3 months in Vermont are up!