We have updated our main International Travel section. It features:
- List of Schengen Nations (allowing entry to registrants);
- Resources (including a CA DOJ Travel Notification Form); and
- User Submitted Travel Reports.
This post is linked from the Main Menu at the top of the site.
1. The 26 Schengen Nations (which allow registrants to visit)
As an agreement, Schengen was signed among the five out of ten countries of the European Union members back then, on the 14th June 1985. Under the Schengen agreement, travelling from one Schengen country to another is done without any passport and immigration controls or any other formalities previously required.
Austria
Belgium
Czech republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Note: US Citizens are visa exempt when visiting the Schengen area for up to 90 days in a 180 day period (List of Countries, Section B or map). The European Commission is proposing creating a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for such travelers, beginning in 2021 – which may or may not take criminal convictions into account. ETIAS Fact Sheet April 2018 – July 2018
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2. Resources
Forms
Publications
- RTAG Travel Matrix
- IML Dispatch (SMART Office, Feb 2016)
- ETIAS
Old Posts
- International Travel after IML (2016)
- International Travel – Mexico (2014)
- International Travel (2013)
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I’ve read to Dec 4th so far, but have decided I must come to LA for the meeting in Febuary. I am an SO on lifetime reporting. I have traveled internationally many times, but never since 1998. Becouse I thought I couldn’t. If Martha S. Was turned away at Heathrow, well..what chance I? But reading here, I see I have a chance. And I want to.
I look forward to the meeting in LAand learning more a about my possibilities and future. I am so grateful to have found this forum.
New Mexico has a SORT Chapter, but…um, it’s not at the same level as the discussions I’ve been reading here.
My sincere thanks to you all who have been participants.
P.S. Any advice on decent hotels near the meeting site is welcome.
Kindest regards
Question:
Can we as registrants travel to Catalina Island for a weekend stay?
&
My wife doesn’t have papers but permission to work here in the U.S.(since I now have this on my record she can no longer get her citizenship through me now!) can immigration be a problem if traveling to the island for my wife? Is the island U.S. territory or Mexico territory?
We just returned from 12 days in Portugal including 3 days on the island of Madeira.
No issues during our trip.
Upon returning to the US at SFO, I was sent to Secondary, as usual. Slightly different this time. Instead of the customs agent finding someone to hand my passport to, and then have that person stay with me while I retrieved my bags, the customs agent inserted and locked my passport into a plastic case with some kind of RFI device attached to it, and then handed it back to me. She said, “Go and retrieve your luggage, and then take this case to an officer toward the exit. If you try to leave the airport, an alarm will go off.”
So we retrieved our luggage, and walked over to an agent sitting in front of a computer screen. The agent spent some time opening the plastic case to retrieve my passport, and then scanned it on his computer and stared at the screen for some time. Finally, he said “Do you have your driver’s license?”. I handed him my license, and he said “Is your address correct and current on here?” and I said yes. He then entered my street address into his computer and stared at it some more. He then handed me back my passport, and said “Ok, you can go.”
That was the first time in several years that my luggage wasn’t searched.
Also, there was a bit of a parallel with my last return to the country in Fort Lauderdale, where the officer also asked for my home street address, and keyed it into his computer. He also stared at the screen for a while before handing my passport back to me, though he did search our luggage that time.
I can only speculate that the objective of the officers was to determine if I was current in my registration, and that the main key to that information is my street address.
Two points I can continue to make:
After several trips, and visits to over 20 countries, there has still never been any person anywhere in the world (including within the US) that has looked for or seen the marked page in the back of my passport (okay, a little disclaimer: several times I have handed my passport to tour guides or hotel clerks and then retrieved my passport from them maybe an hour or two later – but if anyone did look for or see the marked page, which I doubt, they didn’t say anything).
I have yet to have any customs, ICE, Border Patrol, or any other government officer, ask if I gave my 21-day advance notice prior to travel, or even mention it in any context.
Sorry common ground letter was a bit lengthy,
Maybe you can find a way to post a link to the common ground letter, it is a bit lengthy but if your looking for a good letter with case law it helps get the point across, in a letter to your congressman. The other letter from an ex senator and now lobbyist even though it is all Caps,, lol is being sent to all 535 voting members of congress to plant a seed in their brain , of those who will read it, that possibly what they voted for was not in the best interest of American citizens. Politicians tend to embellish when they can , but it makes sense and gets a point across. it’s just the beginning of a process to encourage change on this bill.
Nichols v. United States, 136 S.Ct. 1113 (2016)
Associate Justice Samuel Alito authored a unanimous decision holding that a plain text reading of SORNA applies to a place in which a resident resides, not resided.[2] Because the Philippines is a foreign jurisdiction where SORNA is inapplicable and because the law uses the present tense, Nichols had no obligation under this federal law to update his registration. Under Kansas state law and under the subsequently enacted federal legislation, Nichols does have an obligation to update his registration information.
So, if you leave, under this Court ruling, and have no plans to ever return, you do not have to give notice. I can’t shepherd this, but that is what it appears.
Curious- when you guys report international travel, does it have to be in person or certified letter? Is there anyone allowed to do it over email?
In my city in California, I send my 21-day advanced travel notification in via email. However, I am still required to appear in person and sign the paperwork.
Thanks for the info. When my bf tried to report int’l travel with a 21 day notice (before all of this kicked off) he was told that he couldn’t do it over email and he had to do it in person or certified letter, even though he had done it via email to the same agency three times before. I was just curious if that was California law or what, sounds like it depends on the agency.
🤗 Good News for Europe travel fans! 🤗
ETIAS implementation delayed until mid-2023!!
Now U.S. Citizens Won’t Need to Register to Travel to Europe Until 2023.
https://www.afar.com/magazine/us-citizens-will-need-a-visa-to-travel-to-europe-starting-in-2021
🛑 I should clarify so there is no misunderstanding: International Megan’s Law has NOT changed and Registrants MUST still provide 21-day Advance Travel Notification before traveling to any foreign country.
ETIAS is a European Visa-like program that will be required in the future (2023) for nearly all non-Europeans who wish to visit the Schengen European countries.
A ~ I don’t know the answer to your question, but I wanted to point out that you are not a sex offender if you did your time. You are a person who committed a crime and paid for it. An offender is a person who is committing a crime in the present. I hope you get to travel.😉
USA the 2nd ~ There is nothing cute about this. No, we are NOT sex offenders, and the key word is “considered” a sex offender by society. Blacks were “considered” a lower class, too. Jews were “considered” a lower class to the point they were killed by the Nazis. Just because some people “consider” us sex offenders, does not mean we are. I “consider” those who committed a sex crime as “those who committed” a sex crime. Committed, in the sense that is in the PAST.
“and sex, at least Post-pubertal is what people think about, what people plan for, how people preen themselves, it is central to their identities…’
This is so true, and it is everywhere. Except you cannot pay for it, find it for free unless you go bar hoping or IDK where, and have to suffer without it if you do not have someone. Even the paid dating sites are all scams. It is beyond reason to make sex such a central part of life and then deprive every individual of it any way they can. And they wonder why people sexually offend. How about at least letting grown ass adults pay for it or sell it, there is plenty of demand yet no supply.
Yeah, I have been divorced for over six months now and I have yet to find anywhere to meet women. I am aware it is a personal problem, but this is ridiculous and a overwhelming problem for many men I bet.
@ love, peace, happiness I don’t know if you live in the Everglades’ wrestle with alligators or what but your still a dirty old party animal with you and your block parties. Why did I say that.
From Mary Devye Devoy to Mary Sue Molnar to Vicki Heneys team. Even Galen Baughmam about 5 yrs. ago for Soros Justice, sent me some e-mails and yes Janice I have a few from you also. The main article which I believe says the most is Galen’s when he stood up and gave his speech on Human Rights .
Even this thing about international travel is a bit crusty.While I’ve never been to Spain I have worked in the Everglades and several tourist area’s, had many summer jobs was a product demo person with various assignments, had to do updates and get opinions from consumers and so on so.
We all at times can get different view’s about this registry and some don’t know or understand how to tackle it. All these restrictions, crefews, poly tests, etc, Its mind boggling. Even a new agency guy was limited to what he could do and print in the papers. Even mothers that have to go thru this with someone in the family has a hard time. Course I’ve never been to Spain. One wonders if were all gone Japanese. Least I spelled it right.
@USA
If the laws changed and we would no longer be labeled sex offenders, would you still identify yourself as one?
@Hopeful. What site do you use or recommend? I have tried several sites and just get scammers that want you to join other sites, pay more money or are just bots responding.
@ Bill in CA. Since this pandermic has came up who is “social distancing” who today with this labeling. Isnt’ the person that works 9 to 5 no better than the other or are we all tattooed in some ways and means by some committee or even Government. Take a look at things today or do all on here want to just crawl up in a ball and panic or be afraid to stand up. Hey Galen’s speech while inspirational is good for all on the registry. While he has his walk in life and I’m sure is still trying to find his way, don’t we all strive to find our way in this international travel suit.
Sure I don’t agree with many peoples lifestyles but I can’t judge another. Hey its bad enough for many on the registry. Yes I talk about a bit of Gospel but that’s for each one to decide and chose. Yes this whole registry issue is watered down in many ways but are we all not to look for better things to come or I wonder who said . Thou your sin’s be as scarlet they will be as white as snow. Take an example from Paul in the bible.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=galen baughman&&view=detail&mid=56D8F2155ADB2DF9753656D8F2155ADB2DF97536&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=/videos/search?q=galen+baughman&&FORM=VDVVXX
Folks, please put your remarks in “General Comments” section if they have nothing to do with “International Travel”.
(I am someone who reads the international travel section to learn more about international travel.)
Hi
I am a SO, but have not traveled overseas since 2011. I was sentence in 2010 and I am of supervised released. It looks like I can go to most EU countries even with my new passport with the identifier? Is that true. Also, when I looked at the the ETIAS regs starting in 2023 I saw that they only check convictions 10 years past? I wonder if that will includes non-violent sex offense?
Please help. In 2019 I got a Certificate of Rehabilitation and in January of 2020 my name was taken off the Megan’s Law website here in California. The superior court judge said that I will no longer have to register as a sex offender. My charge was a Misdemeanor 647.6 for streaking a birthday party (San Joaquin County), the neighbor said their children saw me. I got 90 days in county jail and registered as a sex offender from 2003 till 2019.
I traveled to the Philippines in December of 2014 but was turned away. Now in 2020 I am making plans to go to the Philippines but I am worried they might think I am still on the registry when I am not.
Does anyone here have experience in this and what can you tell me about it? Should I be worried and hire an attorney to help me or am I safe?
I will get a new passport soon and obviously it will not have a sex offender stamp in it but does that really matter?
It was the worst time ever when they sent me back. They detained me and forced me to pay for a “Day Room” they even had a security person who watched me till I left. They gave my passport to the airline and I did not get it back till I was back in the Los Angeles. Then they went through all my things and made me wait again for several hours at the airport in Los Angeles till I was finally allowed to leave.
I never want to go through that again.
cnn.com/cnn/2020/06/29/europe/eu-travel-ban-us-coronavirus/index.html
Welp there goes travel for a lot of people
I am an RSO in Texas and I am about to move aboard a sailboat and sail off to wherever the winds take me. I have a new passport with no stamp and I’m free of supervision. I am interested in discussing coming into ports of other countries on a private vessel that is my home. I know there are yes and no countries and I have a sail plan that is made accordingly. I am interested in any experiences anyone may have had that is similar
❓❓ Barbados & Bahamas❓❓
Hi all, Just curious… Anyone have any experience traveling to Barbados or the Bahamas (obviously, I mean as an RDO)? I know that both of them remain part of the British Commonwealth (although the Bahamas aren’t independent country.)
I found this guys web site who moved to Germany but I am not sure if it is legit or not maybe he makes extra cash with his web site who knows!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOCiIEDiqbNFl8qmz1Hb4mw