Hi All. I am currently on a schengen tourist visa which I have overstayed (by a considerable amount of time). I plan on returning to the US on the 15th of May but before then I would like to fly to Pisa, Italy on Ryanair. I am living in Paris currently so the flight would be from Paris to Pisa. I have gone through Passport Control before but honestly didn't pay very much attention to what they looked at. So I am now wondering if PC checks your Visa validity as well as verifies your identity during the passport control office. I know that enforcing Schengen really varies depending on the airport and country but I have a sinking feeling that instead of a plane I should have gone with the train. My worry is getting stopped and deported. Any assistance would be appreciated. I'm flying out of Paris Beauvais (BVA) to Pisa (PSA) Leaving May 4 and returning to Paris on May 13. (I know I know what was I thinking to overstay in the first place?? but going home to get my student visa. ; D )

If I were in your shoes I would be very reluctant to fly. Have you considered the train?

In simple words: "What a stupid idea for an illegal alien to fly instead of driving".

That's one way of looking at it logos.

To the OP, sorry I overlooked the part where you said you had already thought of the train and yes, that would have been the more sensible choice under the circumstances.

You mentioned going back to the US to get your student visa. If you are caught and deported there is a chance you will be barred from the Schengen zone for several years. I know not everyone is caught but I was just in Europe a month ago and they did ask to see my entry stamp. That's the first time anyone actually asked me that question, but I have a lot of stamps in my passport so the guy needed help finding my entry stamp. It's possible they have always looked and were able to find it without my help.

There is no regular passport check/control for traveling between Schengen states, such as France and Italy. Flights are treated like internal flights. You will be expected to show your passport as ID when you check into your flight and maybe again at the gate. As US citizen (?) you are on visa-free stay of up to 90 days. It's unlikely that your overstay will be detected, but of course you are in France (and in Schengen) illegally, and you could be held and deported should the authorities find out. You are much more likely to be caught if you come to the attention of the police, such as traffic violations or as victim of crime. The onus then is on you to show you haven't overstayed, not for them to prove you have.
If you are not a US citizen and you do hold actual Schengen visa sticker in your passport, then of course your chance of being caught is much greater. Remember under Schengen rules, member countries are allowed to stop any non-nationals anywhere to check their IDs. I hear the Italian police is getting hotter on randomly checking passport of any non-Italians, esp in large cities and tourist centers.

Lol Logos I know i know cut a gal some slack sheesh. I think that I am going to book a ticket on the overnight train to Florence from Paris instead and then take a train into Pisa after. After reading more posts I realized how ridiculous it would be to chance it but I was still curious as to exactly what PC looks for when you go to the desk. Plus I figured there are others w the same question ( minus Visa problems of course ; D).

So now we've decided plane is the High risk alternative. Second question is do they check your Visa on the trains?

Thank y'all so much for the quick replies and brutal honesty that's what I'm lookng for. nd yes I have a US passport. FYI the reason I didn't just go with the train initially is because they have been on strike and friends of mine were completely unable to use their Eurail tickets and ended up have to buy plane tickets on Wednesday just to get out of France. With no idea how long it would last I thought flying was the better way to go. Didn't realize Ryanair was cancelling flights left and right due to ash. Damned if I do and damned if I don't lol. But I would like to know if they check Visa stamps on the train.

Thanks again all. Snarky comments welcome. : p

I've never had a Schengen visa, but I've never been asked for anything other than a passport on a train in Europe, if that helps.

I sure wouldn't go to an airport in your situation.

Thanks, train it is. I can exchange the plane ticket for a later date once i've returned all nice and legal.

How are you going to get all nice and legal, just out of curiosity?

I don't get this actually. There's no immigration control within the Schengen zone. What are you afraid of?

When you depart Schengen, that's when your problem can arise. If you are flying to the US from Paris, there will be passport control there, and that's where they can discover you have overstayed.

Ok, you say you have a US passport, so then you don't need a Schengen tourist visa. Or do you have a tourist visa for a stay longer than 90 days? I am not sure what the rules are regarding that.

I find this confusing.

Does someone know whether the passport is scanned upon entry to a Schengen country? I get the feeling that they don't always stamp it.

I think UK immigration always stamps the passport, but then UK is not Schengen.

I think you have overlooked a bigger problem. Presumably you are going to return to the US at some point. And then it's quite likely that the airport staff will look at your passport and visa. If you're very lucky they ay imply let you go since you are laving anyway. But it's at least posible - and perhaps more - that your name will go on a "no return" list - and you could be banned from re-entering Schengen.

I think nytraveler has hit upon a good point. These days, your every move is scrutinized and you bucked the system and will probably pay for it. If not, you're lucky.

Everyone saying she doesn't need a visa under 90 days -- are you perhaps missing her very first sentence? Well, first after >>Hi All<<

"<i>I am currently on a <u>schengen tourist visa</u> which I have overstayed (by a <u>considerable</u> amount of time).</i>"

Possibly the OP isn't a US citizen (since she has a tourist visa)?? Or, she IS a US citizen and has been in schengen a lot longer than 90 days

But in any case, even though taking trains will probably be safe enough, there are lots of ways your "considerable" over stay could be discovered - and if it is, how likely is it you will ever get a student visa?

If you have a US passport, there is nothing to worry about. Any anyway, you can finish a student visa and follow up with another trip around Europe...

1) No obligatory passport control within the Schengen area, regardless of means of the transportation
2) Random passport controls can happen and do happen on any cross-border train (actually, under the Schengen agreement, they can happen on any major artery regardless whether rail or road)
3) That does not apply to non-nationals only, but to anyone, locals and foreigners.

I'd seek advice from your own/ US embassy first. It won't be the first time they hear that story. The embassy won't be able to help you directly, but their legal staff might have an idea which procedures would be best to solve your problem before you get caught with an expired visa upon departure.

I flew in and out of Paris a year ago and have not a whiff of evidence in my passport.

Why would you, LaCoccinelle, get a Schengen tourist visa in the first place? US citizens don't need it.

LaCoccinelle on Apr 15, 10 at 10:20pm

... [A]nd yes I have a US passport.

Right, US dont need a visa for Schengen. But it did not means that they can stay inside Schengen as long as they want to stay. There are not passport controls if you take inside the Schengenpart a plane? There are. First when you check in, second on the way to the gate, third leaving the airport taking the plane. There are no controlls in trains? Probably no, but it can be exacly as on the street, in any countries.
As OP got her first stamp incoming Europe at each control if there are somebody can see that she is absolutly illegal in this moment. To find out what happend after the best is to take a plane.

Would it not be advisable to go directly to the US Embassy and get them to make arrangements with the French embassy for you to get an extentsion to the visa or a completely new visa?
If I were in this position I would seek aid from my embassy first and see what they had to say. They must have come across others that have overstayed.....