Travel few days earlier than Schengen Visa
 

Hello guys! My mom who has a Philippines passport is traveling with me and my babies (US passports) to Europe via space available flights via military aircraft. Our point of entry options are either Germany and Spain. My mom's visa for entry is 6/22/15 and 60 days forward. There may be space available for us to fly earlier than 6/22 and would like to try to catch that flight. Would we have a problem entering the Schengen zone earlier date than her visa? Or as long as we don't stay longer than 60days then it shouldn't be an issue? Thanks in advance for your response!

You need to ask the German or Spanish consulate in the Philippines this question.

While it is true you really do need to ask the authorities . . . AFAIK she would need a valid visa to enter Schengen. The visa won't be valid until 22 June.

I very much doubt that she would be allowed entry - but you do need to check with the authorities. And if a military fight I would ask them is they will let her on the plane without a visa.

>>And if a military fight I would ask them is they will let her on the plane without a visa.<<

And it isn't just military flights -- commercial airlines will check for visas before allowing one to board.

Absolutely - any airline should check - and may turn away a person without proper papers. Just thought it would be esp easy to check on military flights.

She would not be allowed to board a military flight headed to a Schengen country without the proper documents if she is not on active duty. It's no different then flying on a commercial airline in that regards.

Document Check (www.amc.af.mil/amctravel/)
Do you have all your required travel documents? This could include your leave paperwork, valid Uniformed Services ID, passport/visa or other documents required by the location you are traveling to or from. In many cases this will be different for each traveler depending on your status. Please contact your departure passenger terminal for documentation requirements or travel restrictions. Many of these requirements are described in our passenger movement regulations. You can also get more information by visiting the U.S. Department of State International Travel website.

Is your Mom now a military dependent? If not, does she have permission to fly space-a on a military plane?

They do check documents very carefully at the AMC terminals, and I don't think they would allow her on before the visa begins.

They do know most of the rules, but once in a while the person on duty will be unaware of something, so have every bit of paperwork, including a copy of any rules or exclusions that apply to your Mom being allowed to fly space-a.

For the final word on what they will do, ask the staff at the AMC terminal from which you plan to fly about the visa and the rules for who can fly.

Also, I know nothing about rules for citizens of the Philippines coming to the US, then leaving and returning. Some people are allowed a one time entry. You probably already know whatever rules apply to your Mom, but just in case there is anything that would affect her return to the states from Europe via space-a, you might check that as well.

There have been a couple of instances where someone was accidentally allowed on a flight they were not authorized to fly, and ended up stranded someplace trying to get paper work done to accommodate them. When it happens, it is a nightmare.
Check and double check.