rosiev

hey everyone,
i need some help! i have been travelling thru italy for close to 3 months (in two weeks i will finish my original travel plans) i know i also am only allowed 90 days according to the italian law. does anyone know what i can do to stay another three months. i have heard i can leave the country for 24 hours, get my passport re stamped and then return. does this qualify me to stay without any hassle? i am currently in southern italy but my hope is to return to florence... and will my passport get stamped again if i am not technically travelling internationallY! that is my first question, second is... can i rent a room in an apt without any type of permit and can i seek employment without a visa in the hopes that a potential employer might be able to handle the paperwork should i be offered a position! need help ASAP!! thanks everyone... r

HowardR

I would suggest that you contact an American Embassy or Consulate office in Italy for the official word rather than relying on us amateurs.

GSteed

Latter post..excellent advice. Ex-patriates in Poland regularly travel to Germany at end or just before expiration of 3 month limit. Passport is stamped upon re-entering Poland. Three more months! Lots of problems here if you overstay 3 month limit.

funjohn

Technically, you can only be in the Schwengen Act countries for 90 days out of 180 days. Leaving italy and coming back in will do you no good whatsoever. You technically need to leave the Scwhengen area for the next 90 days and then come back in.

However, Italy has no clue and rarely cares. If you are worried take a trip to Switz, Slovenia, or Croatia. The three closest non Schwengen countries and get your passport stamped. Hopefully on your way back in you will not recieve a stamp from Italy.

JonJon

I've traveled into and out of Italy several times over the past couple of years and since I did it by train I never got any sort of stamp in my passport...that said, without a stamp how would they know anyway?

rosiev

okay.. so here is a question. my original return flight will take me back into the states, through frankfurt. do you think if got out, spent 24 hours in frankfurt, and hopped on a flight back to florence, i would get re stamped?? not in frankfurt though, but would italy?? they didnt stamp my passport on the way in, only germany because it was international... has anyone heard of going to MALTA. i will be in palermo for two weeks and can possibly do it then??? write soon!

siena_us

24 hours will not cut it legally. You need to leave the Schengan area for 90 days before returning. Doesn't matter about the stamp either as they can get plane records if they really want.

I would say just lay low and play dumb if they stop you for a routine document check. I am assuming that you also haven't applied for the required Permesso di Soggiorno which you need to apply for within 8 business days of being in Italy. If you do not have that, pulling off the "I didn't know defense" will be easier.

All that being said, you could find someone who is royally in a bad mood (maybe a carabiniere who is pissed that 13 of his or her fellow carabinieri died because of Bush's war on Iraq) and follows the law to the letter and follows through until you are deported. If this happens you will be banned from returning to Italy for 5 years and then you will be allowed to return only after you have permission from the minister of the interior here in Italy.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

rosiev

okay, so basically going to malta for a quick trip (not in schwengen act) still wont be enough. i thought it will at least LOOK better should they see a stamp from a different country within 90 days..... i mean, i think it is better for them to see my passport with a stamp... than to go see it without one and then attempt to go thru the hassle of getting airline information??? i don't know what to do....

siena_us

As I think I said, my advice is to lay low and just play dumb if stopped. Worse case scenario in the hoping over to Malta idea is that the passport control guy looks at your passport a little morre closely than usual and sees that you have already been in the Schengan area for your 90 days and that you just hopped out to get a new stamp and does not let you come back in. WOuld be a waste of money. If you play dumb instead and have a nice smile on your face they may let you go!

rosiev

yeah... i think i will just chill and see if i can pass through the next seven weeks going undetected... you know it is like the day you don't bring the umbrella.... or the one day you try to get on the bus without validating the stamp.. yeah, you know what i am saying... well, i will get it a shot. mille grazie, ciao ciao,
r