Spain Immigration Form -- What To Do Now?
Aug 17th, 2007, 02:07 PM
#1
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Spain Immigration Form -- What To Do Now?
I was just in Spain. I flew into Madrid and had to fill out a two part form (like what the US does with I94). The top was taken away. I was left with the stub, which I was supposed to surrender when I left Spain.
Earlier today I left Barcelona and flew to Oslo, where I am now. I was surprised that there was no immigration control. When I arrived at the gate, I asked the agent what to do, and he said that I had to surrender the form in arrivals. This did not make sense, and though I only had 30 minutes left at that point I left departures and tried to see if I could find out where to drop off the form. No one knew. So I cleared security again. I rushed like mad.
In retrospect I should have asked when I checked in, but I figured that there would be immigration control so I didn't bother.
Does anyone know what I should do with this? Has anyone had a similar issue? In the US, when you leave the country, it is the airline's responsibility to collect the I94. But this didn't happen.
Can this be mailed back to Spain or should I just give up? I am just concerned and I don't want any trouble when I go back to Spain the next time.
When I arrived in Oslo there was also no immigration control. I also found it very surprising. I thought Norway is not in the EU? Maybe I should check on that. It is definitely not Schengen.
Earlier today I left Barcelona and flew to Oslo, where I am now. I was surprised that there was no immigration control. When I arrived at the gate, I asked the agent what to do, and he said that I had to surrender the form in arrivals. This did not make sense, and though I only had 30 minutes left at that point I left departures and tried to see if I could find out where to drop off the form. No one knew. So I cleared security again. I rushed like mad.
In retrospect I should have asked when I checked in, but I figured that there would be immigration control so I didn't bother.
Does anyone know what I should do with this? Has anyone had a similar issue? In the US, when you leave the country, it is the airline's responsibility to collect the I94. But this didn't happen.
Can this be mailed back to Spain or should I just give up? I am just concerned and I don't want any trouble when I go back to Spain the next time.
When I arrived in Oslo there was also no immigration control. I also found it very surprising. I thought Norway is not in the EU? Maybe I should check on that. It is definitely not Schengen.
Aug 17th, 2007, 02:13 PM
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You should have surrendered the other half of the immigration form to the immigration officer in Madrid before you left.
I seriously doubt that you'll have problems next time you visit Spain, but I could be wrong.
I seriously doubt that you'll have problems next time you visit Spain, but I could be wrong.
Aug 17th, 2007, 04:51 PM
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The thing is that I flew from Madrid to Barcelona and then I left Barcelona and went to Oslo, and there was never any immigration control in Barcelona. All I had to do was to go through security.
I was also thinking of contacting the Spanish Consulate. Thanks for that suggestion.
I was also thinking of contacting the Spanish Consulate. Thanks for that suggestion.
Aug 17th, 2007, 11:13 PM
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Can't help you on the specifics, though I have a suggestion.
Norway (like Iceland and sometime soon Switzerland)IS in Schengen, though not in the EU. The passport free zone in a slug of continental Europe has nothing to do with the EU: in fact most EU countries aren't in Schengen.
Your position is the same as someone who flies to Barcelona, then drives to Montpellier. There's simply no provision for handing in stubs of immigration forms (or any other kind of control) when travelling between Schengen states.
The likelihood is that you're supposed to hand stubs in when you leave Schengen - ie when you fly out of Oslo. HOWEVER, like Britain and the US, there is (at any rate last time I was there) no outgoing passport control in Scandinavia - and I doubt the SAS checkin person has the foggiest idea (or interest) in doing the Spanish government's job.
You might call the Spanish consulate in Oslo begore leaving Norway.
Norway (like Iceland and sometime soon Switzerland)IS in Schengen, though not in the EU. The passport free zone in a slug of continental Europe has nothing to do with the EU: in fact most EU countries aren't in Schengen.
Your position is the same as someone who flies to Barcelona, then drives to Montpellier. There's simply no provision for handing in stubs of immigration forms (or any other kind of control) when travelling between Schengen states.
The likelihood is that you're supposed to hand stubs in when you leave Schengen - ie when you fly out of Oslo. HOWEVER, like Britain and the US, there is (at any rate last time I was there) no outgoing passport control in Scandinavia - and I doubt the SAS checkin person has the foggiest idea (or interest) in doing the Spanish government's job.
You might call the Spanish consulate in Oslo begore leaving Norway.
Aug 18th, 2007, 12:16 AM
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Well the stub says to surrender the form when I leave Spain. The funny thing is that the form has a note in Spanish, English, and I think Arabic, but no one really knew what I had to do with it -- except for the guy at the gate who said that I had to find this place somewhere in the terminal, which I couldn't find.
Yes it did occur to me later that if I had left Spain in a car and driven somewhere else, most likely I'd not have passed through passport control either.
I doubt that Norwegian passport control would know what I should do with it. I'm leaving tomorrow, which is a Sunday.
I think that either I will forget about this whole thing or try calling the consulate in NYC. But consulates never answer their phones and I don't really have time to take off to go there and ask. Maybe I'll try email.
Yes it did occur to me later that if I had left Spain in a car and driven somewhere else, most likely I'd not have passed through passport control either.
I doubt that Norwegian passport control would know what I should do with it. I'm leaving tomorrow, which is a Sunday.
I think that either I will forget about this whole thing or try calling the consulate in NYC. But consulates never answer their phones and I don't really have time to take off to go there and ask. Maybe I'll try email.
Aug 18th, 2007, 01:34 AM
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Unless your name is in some data base somewhere in Spain and it is noted you didn't turn in the stub I seriously doubt anyone knows or cares about it.
Personally, I wouldn't do anything else about it.
We've been to Spain...in and out...at least three times...by train, by ship, and by air and I don't ever remember having to do this.
Personally, I wouldn't do anything else about it.
We've been to Spain...in and out...at least three times...by train, by ship, and by air and I don't ever remember having to do this.
Aug 18th, 2007, 06:44 AM
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Last November I spent a week in Madrid, flew to Israel for a couple weeks, returned to Spain and spent a night at a hotel airport then flew back to the US. On the way back, I showed the form I still had because no one collected it when I went to Israel. The immigration guy didn't want it.
If they wanted it, I figure they would have made arrangements to collect them.
If they wanted it, I figure they would have made arrangements to collect them.
Worst case scenario, they can always look at my arrival date stamp back in the States.
Aug 18th, 2007, 02:01 PM
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Well presumably there is a tracking system that matches departures with arrivals. I imagine that that is why the US has the I94 form and the Spain form is similar. Theoretically they must want to know if you're overstaying.
But yes, practically, I agree that it is unlikely that someone is actually checking this if they are so cavalier about it. Basically it sounds like people have had similar issues and nothing bad has happened.
I also can't recall what happened on prior trips. Actually I was last in Madrid in April, but at that time I flew from Munich, so maybe I didn't have to fill one out at all. Last August I was also in Madrid, but I flew from NYC and went back to NYC, so I guess I must have passed through immigration control both times. I can't recall what happened on that trip. But I do know that I have filled this form out before.
But yes, practically, I agree that it is unlikely that someone is actually checking this if they are so cavalier about it. Basically it sounds like people have had similar issues and nothing bad has happened.
I also can't recall what happened on prior trips. Actually I was last in Madrid in April, but at that time I flew from Munich, so maybe I didn't have to fill one out at all. Last August I was also in Madrid, but I flew from NYC and went back to NYC, so I guess I must have passed through immigration control both times. I can't recall what happened on that trip. But I do know that I have filled this form out before.
Oct 29th, 2008, 04:09 AM
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Just wondering what people's experiences are with this form.
So I was in Spain again a few weeks ago. I flew into the Barcelona and had to fill out this form. I went to Ibiza and then flew to London and no one wanted this form.
After my experience, I didn't think much about it this time. And obviously I went to Spain and left again with no problems after my failure to submit the form last year.
What's your experience? I'm curious about people who go to Spain and back from the US. So far I've always left Spain and gone elsewhere to Europe.
So I was in Spain again a few weeks ago. I flew into the Barcelona and had to fill out this form. I went to Ibiza and then flew to London and no one wanted this form.
After my experience, I didn't think much about it this time. And obviously I went to Spain and left again with no problems after my failure to submit the form last year.
What's your experience? I'm curious about people who go to Spain and back from the US. So far I've always left Spain and gone elsewhere to Europe.
Oct 29th, 2008, 05:06 AM
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<i>there is (at any rate last time I was there) no outgoing passport control in Scandinavia</i>
Copenhagen, at least, has outgoing passport control for non-Schengen flights. They don't always stamp, but you definitely have to pass through a passport checkpoint, even for flights to the UK.
Copenhagen, at least, has outgoing passport control for non-Schengen flights. They don't always stamp, but you definitely have to pass through a passport checkpoint, even for flights to the UK.
