The US Embassy would be of absolutely zero assistance and would put you on a watch list. In any case, they will only give you the most alarmist version of the various possibilities, since the world is ruled with fear. The more you can scare people, the more everybody will behave.

Thanks for the replies. Let me clarify. When I say I am here on Schengen tourist visa I am refering to the 90 days you get as a US citizen. I don't have an actual Visa just the stamp. I have contacted the US Embassy and was told there is really nothing they can do as far as an extension. If someone has information to the contrary please let me know.

For everyone wondering what I was thinking by overstaying roughly 4 months (5 by the time I actually return to the US). Two things happed. I was set to return beginning of Jan but due to the bad storms on the East coast my flight was cancelled. Just rebook right? Not so easy I got the "grippe". Really bad flu it took me about 6-7 weeks to get over and then I wasn't physically able to travel.

At that point I contacted the French Consulate in Houston to see if they knew of any options I might take to get legal. No luck. FYI they verified that I will have no problems getting a student Visa despite the Visa overstay.

As far as problems when I leave Schengen, yes I am worried but I'd have to be a fool not to be. BUT at this point that ship has sailed. I was sick and couldn't, not wouldn't, leave. Guys I've traveled the world from China to South America and I know the import of sticking to the immigration laws but the day I got sick it became a moot point. The reality is at this point I have no control over what happens when I leave. I'll take my hospital docs w me when I leave and if I do get stopped pray that the official will let it slide.

All that aside my original question was at the PC counter do they look to verify Visa status ( ie look at your entry stamp and start counting the days) or just look to verify identity. I'm not stupid or irresponsible and I feel like the tone if some replies intimates that some think I am. Things happen out of our control and I posted here to find out about others experiences. Thanks janisj and cowboy 1968. As an aside I won't go through customs to get to Italy but in December I flew to Barcelona and yes, I had to go the PC desk which means they check something. That was the purpose of my original post... Do they check Visa or just ID at the PC desk? If anyone actually knows please answer. If not thanks for trying. ( about the [A]nd... Really? You try typing this on an iPhone w no mistakes. Come on.)

You wouldn't be a reincarnation of sandy456 by any chance?

Nope, but I take it we have a similar tone. Is that a bad thing? Hope not I've tried to post with good humor and give you all enough info to put the situation in perspective. First time posting anywhere outside of FB. ; D

Some people still confuse passport control with ID check done by airline or other airport personnel.

Passport control is done by immigration officers at your first point of entry to the Schengen area. Period.

If you now take a flight from Paris to Rome, there may be instances when you have to show your passport or national ID card, especially when you fly low-budget airlines. Or you may have to get special clearance from the airline's desk if you carry a non-EU passport. That is either to limit the airline's liability not to carry an illegal alien (hum.. yeah, that's you), or to keep Pete from selling his €1 Ryanair ticket to Frank. Some airlines require you to show your boarding pass plus passport/ID card again at the gate - for the same reasons. None of these latter "passport controls" are done by law enforcement or immigration officers. It's airline/airport procedures or precautions.
You will have other airlines that let you fly within the Schengen zone without ever flashing your passport/ID card.

Nevertheless, at any airport, any train station, and any major thoroughfare, law enforcement/immigration officers have the right to check anybody's identity at any time for no specific reason. That is the meaning of spot control (compared with obligatory passport control if you were traveling, say, from Paris to London).

Thank YOU Cowboy1968 that answered my question. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer. You gave me very well thought out and pertinent answers. @ laverendrye-so I read sandy's posts and will say that wasn't very nice of you. Honestly I think some of you may be on here just to be nasty. Which is a shame. This is my first and last time posting on a forum like this because some of you are just downright unpleasant. It's sad that something that should be used for us to help one another (without judgement or malice)is perverted by people who seem like they just want a reason to say something nasty. People who try to make other people feel small are invariably showing you how they feel about themselves. For those of you who are on here actually to help other THANK YOU. I appreciate your time and comments. Hope everyone (especially the snarks :} has an amazing day. Good Travels to us all.

tod -

The job of the US embasy is not to get americans who break the law out of trouble. If you are arested they will help you find an attorney and see that you receive your rights UNDER LOCAL LAW. If someone decides to flout the visa rules they cannot go to the embassy to fix it. the embassy has no interest in this - no power to provide a visa or to intercede with the french government. (why would they want to help someone break the law?)

I suspect that consulting the embassy would result in the advice to get out of dodge as quickly and quietly as possible - and hoepe you're not caught.

to follow on from nytraveler's post . . .

"<i>Would it not be advisable to go directly to the US Embassy . . . . </i>"

What on Earth does the US embassy have to do w/ anything. One doesn't get a Schengen visa from the US, they get it from the country they are visiting. The US govt doesn't have a role in the process.

LaCoccinelle

My apologies for suggesting that you might have anything to do with the infamous sandy456. Best wishes for solving your visa problems--I'm sure that you'll get useful advice from fodorites.

There are hundreds of places where you could have gone in and out of Schengen without a trace -- either physical or electronic -- of your passage.

This is really not what they are worrying about, and you will have no problem exiting through France.

Bonjour LaCoccinelle:

I'm wondering about the end of your story. What happened when you flew back to the U.S. on May 15th (assuming out of CDG)? Did anyone notice that you had overstayed? Someone at the French consulate had told you earlier that it wouldn't cause any problems with getting your student visa after you returned. Was that true?

Merci for any updates you can provide!!

I find myself in a somewhat similar situation and wish that I had done more research early on before I created this nightmare I'm in now. Brief summary for anyone who has suggestions: US citizen, 40 y.o. female with a passion for France. Decided to take a career break to study French in France for 6 months. Knew about the 90-day rule so went through the proper channels to get a student visa (yes, even at my age!). Arrived in France in May 2009, left just before my student visa expired in November 2009. Met a wonderful man and fell in love in the meantime. Came back to France after Christmas to spend more time with him. Returned to U.S. in early March for a couple of weeks (with him so he could meet my family). Came back to France with him in late March and figured I had another 3 months until I had to leave. Now we want to continue the relationship so I started researching getting a long-stay visa and came across the 90/180 rule. I mistakenly (and, yes, stupidly) had thought the time limit "started over" on each entry. Now, of course, I'm over that total limit and am petrified with fear about flying back to the U.S. later this month, especially with some of the stories I've since read on the internet. If they only look at my last entry date from the end of March, I guess I'll be OK since it will still be within 90 days of then. But if they see that I had also been in France in January and February, I worry about possibly being banned from returning and/or denied a long-stay visa to return.

So, I am very interested to know what happened in this case and hope all worked out well for you.

If anyone has any suggestions, I welcome them. If you only want to tell me that I am stupid, careless, naive, should have known better at my age and deserve what may be coming to me, yes, I agree. You are definitely right, and I know that now. This is a hard enough situation to be in as it is, so please be kind. :-)

I guess you could go to the US Embassy/Consulate and get a replacement passport.

LittleFish58, you will have no problem. The French authorities <b>DO NOT CARE</b> about Americans. They are chasing other fish.

kerouac,
That is precisely what a Dutch passport policeman told me when I asked for an exit stamp at Schiphol a few years ago.

Just wanted to post a follow-up to my story for others who may be in the same situation and come across this thread in the future. Thankfully, I did not encounter any problems leaving France. When I was checking my bags for my flight, the man who was checking passports did come track me down in the line after I had already passed by him to ask for my passport again as there was "something in the system." He didn't explain further but came back just a minute or so later to return my passport and said everything was OK. Not sure what that was about, but it almost gave me a heart attack. When I got to immigration/border control, the officer starting looking through my passport but then he just smiled, found a blank page, gave me the exit stamp and sent me on my way with a "have a nice day." No questions at all.

By the way, I did contact the U.S. Embassy in Paris before leaving for any advice or help they could offer. Their email response was: "It is entirely up to the French authorities to decide how to proceed concerning your situation in case they make inquiries when you are traveling. In most cases the French authorities will try to be helpful as far as your misunderstanding is concerned, but please be informed that they are taking stronger actions in these cases. We do not, however, have any detailed information about the consequences since each case is specific. We do not think that you will mistreated in any case, you will probably be given a warning."

I do not recommend that anyone overstay their visa and think they will get out as easily as I did. Maybe I just got lucky this time. It definitely is not worth the stress.

Now, I just hope that my long-stay visa application will be approved and that I won't have any problems re-entering later.

Happy travels everyone!

I'm glad things worked out all right.

Be thankful that capital punishment exists in US, but not EU !

Peter

Thanks for the update, I'm glad you're OK.

Hi LittleFish58, I am an American and I'm considering overstaying my 90 day visa by a little bit but I don't want to risk having trouble getting a long stay visa down the line. how did your application for a long stay visa go after your overstaying saga? Have there been any ramifications?
Thanks!

alana565: LittleFish has not been on the boards in nearly 2 years.

(what is it w/ folks who think the rules are only for other people)