This post is intended as a place for discussions about International Travel ONLY.
For more information and previous discussions on the topic, please see International Travel 2020 and International Travel 2019.
In this International Travel 2021 post, the information is identical to the International Travel 2020 post. We added a new post for 2021 in order to keep the discussion manageable. Please help us by sticking to the topic of International Travel only.
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From 2020: 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 sometime 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
Older Posts
- International Travel 2020 (2020)
- International Travel 2019 (2019)
- International Travel after IML (2016)
- International Travel – Mexico (2014)
- International Travel (2013)
Does anyone have any knowledge on other countries scanning passports upon arrival by way of boat? I am looking into taking a ferry from South Spain into Tangier Morocco. Any information is useful information. I am working on a documentary series which will show videos of my travel experiences as a registered SO. Thanks.
So I spoke with the Spain embassy and they told me I would have to obtain a criminal background check from “my country” in order to apply for the Non-Lucrative Visa. I contacted the police department in my city and they told me that the only background check they can give me are for my crimes that have happened within my own city (which my crime was in another city). I guess my question is…… Is Spain meaning to require a background check from the FBI or will they not really know the difference if I just obtain the background check from my local PD?
No problem traveling by car to Mexico through the Lukeville Port of Entry in Arizona.
The Border Patrol in the USA stopped me once and had me sit in their waiting room as they rummaged thru my vehicle ( damaging some plastics ) but no problems afterwards. I did not like driving thru the X-ray machine though. Rocky Point travelers must be outraged at being exposed to radiation by our beloved useless government .
I may move to Mexico as obtaining a Permanent Resident Status or Temporary isn’t too hard if u have a decent bank account numbers for the past year and can provide proof.
USA sucks with the commies currently destroying it daily with criminal invaders and arming the Taliban and assisting enemies Russia and China
Is a registered person with no conviction eligible for a TSA pre-check?
4 years ago I applied for the global entry and was denied. I did not appeal as I had no international travel plans yet scheduled.
Any RSO have information on entering croatia.
I have a job offer there.
thanks
Has anyone gotten approved for residency Visa’s with the SO label attached to your name? Need to know. Thanks in advance!
This is an FYI post regarding my (and my wife’s) travel experiences which ended when we returned to California late last night. My intention for these kind of posts is to provide encouragement to those who are afraid to travel. I am sorry if there are those who think this is some sort of bragging. I am sure there are many like us that travel much more than I do, and I wish some of them would also share their experiences. I do have a specially marked passport (which has still never been an issue), and I did give the 21 day notice on the stupid new US Marshalls form.
We flew to Amsterdam on Nov. 7. Entering EU so passport checked and stamped. No issues other than they examined my passport info on their screen a lot longer than they did my wife’s. Flew from Amsterdam to Athens. Already within the EU so a “domestic flight” (no passport checks). Took a seven day cruise of Greek islands with NCL cruise line. After that, we took a 10 day cruise, also with NCL. this cruise was supposed to hit a couple of Greek islands and then 3 stops in Turkey and 2 stops in Israel. Much to our consternation, all the stops in Turkey and Israel were cancelled due to apparent in-fighting between governments regarding Covid-19 issues (for example, Italy announced that no cruise ship that has visited Turkey would be allowed to dock in Italy), so we ended up revisiting Greek islands that we had mostly just visited (we visited the island of Crete 3 times). The only separate country we were able to visit was Cyprus. After the 2nd cruise, we flew from Athens to Madrid (again, within the EU, so a “domestic” flight with no passport checks). We toured around Madrid and the Basque portion of northern Spain for 8 days. We then flew from Madrid to Barcelona to catch our previously scheduled flight to San Francisco, only to find that our flight had been cancelled. After hours on the phone with Priceline in the Barcelona airport and at the hotel we had to check into, we managed to secure flights for the next day. Unfortunately, the flights required a change of planes at Heathrow in London. I determined that we would be arriving at Heathrow and departing Heathrow in different terminals, and I was extremely concerned about having my passport scanned in the UK for reasons most of you are aware. Our passports were scanned and stamped when we left Barcelona, since we were leaving the EU, but when we reached Heathrow, I was pleasantly surprised that they managed to move us in-transit passengers from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 by bus while containing us in the pseudo in-transit secured area, so there was no passport scan (whew!). Of course we had the usual Secondary Inspection dance when we got to SFO, but when we told the inspector that we were returning from celebrating our 44th anniversary in Europe, he actually became very friendly, and ended up searching only one of our bags, while asking us all about our trip. We were only delayed about 10 minutes.
Also stressful during this trip was all the Covid-19 issues. We had to be fully vaccinated to enter most countries and get on the cruise ships. We had to have special paperwork (with QR codes) for Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, and a form to return to the US. We were tested for Covid-19 eight times during our trip, and of course, masks were required most all the time (having to wear masks for me is like a microcosm of restrictions with too many similarities to being on the registry, but I guess that is just me – some people enjoy wearing masks!). It was kind of weird to have to pull out and show your vaccination record to enter a museum and many restaurants.
Don’t forget to submit your 21-Day Advance Travel Notification!! And keep a signed receipt copy with you when you travel (because you may need it when CBP sends you to “secondary” upon returning to the U.S.)
Man Charged with Failure to Report International Travel as a Sex Offender
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Is there any other group of free U.S. citizens from whom such an Advanced Travel Notification is required??? 🤔
Oh how it feels to be free and legal !!!
I was searching online about going to Hong Kong they will stop you and question you but I heard they will let you in, Can anyone help me verify this.
Thanks.
✈️ Upon return from recent travel to Europe, CBP sent me to “Secondary” (as usual 🙄). This time, I have submitted a complaint to CBP and have requested a “Redress Number.”
I find the delays very annoying, so I am going to push back whenever/wherever I can. If you annoy & frustrate me, I am going to annoy & frustrate you. ✈️
I am dropping the article below here for your reading leisure because as international travelers, I believe it gives some insight to what PFRs are possibly subject to when they travel given their mystique and what a PFR could be up against by CBP.
For example, there are the CBP Databases: CBP’s Automated Targeting System, a tool that compares travelers against law enforcement and intelligence data; TECS, which tracks people entering and exiting the country; the Treasury Department’s FinCEN, used for identifying financial crimes; and the State Department consular database, which included details of her passport application.
Also, there is the collection of your information unknowingly by DOMEX, a program that collects information from the contents of a person’s electronic device when they cross a U.S. border. The controversial program sweeps up everything from phone contacts and emails to the contents from encrypted messaging apps and social media. (One of the reccos made here is to send back your personal electronic devices if you can and don’t mind being without them for the return trip.)
Operation Whistle Pig: Inside the secret CBP unit with no rules that investigates Americans
The ultimate goal guys is not to run or evade any laws but to completely comply with them and do an about face moving on to conduct business as usual. Give them the notification in person by mail or through email ( however they think they want it). By then they will have their nerves calmed and you will be the last thing on their radars!
The comments below reflect your experiences and they’ve been informative. Yes they shouldn’t have Schindlers list, but two men created a political firestorm (John Walsh’s son was kidnapped and Megan was severely harmed.) If we cannot neutrally examine what happened we see our own mistakes as they are at blame. If you have committed the crime there’s no blame shifting! In cognitive intervention they teach you to accept responsibility for your actions. Take their classes and ask the Judge to remove you. Prove that you’re not really the monsters they believe you are. Show rehabilitation and don’t just let your lawyer talk. You have the right to speaking with the Court. Your public defender may say no but if you are quiet you won’t get fed! Learn to defend yourself and instead of traveling spend money on your lawyers to make the problem go away. There’s nothing final! God speaks man listens.
New ETIAS being implemented soon,,,
European travel permit
More ETIAS information can be found in these two articles:
Europe Travel: Why/When You’ll Need The New ETIAS Document (U.S. Travelers Included)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexledsom/2021/11/21/europe-travel-whywhen-youll-need-the-new-etias-document-us-travelers-included/?sh=1c0bc73c509d
1.4 Billion People Obliged to Apply for an ETIAS When Travelling to EU by End of 2022
https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/1-4-billion-people-obliged-to-apply-for-an-etias-when-travelling-to-europe-by-end-of-2022/
Are you required to bring in a physical passport when giving 21 day notice of international travel? I’m asking because the information from the SMART office is only asking for the passport number. Not the physical passport itself. I am aware that they require physical copies of flight itinerary.
My registering officer seems to think I am going to provide him with extra details that I am not required to give him. #WrongAnswer
2 more weeks and I’m out of America! Passport without stamp… No revoke letter in the mail ever… Wish me luck
I moved to Mexico 3 years ago, and I basically just fell off the website…Now I am wondering if I can return to California for a day trip to seek medical attention, do I have to give 21 day notice, and if so, to whom do i do this with?
This involves all aircraft travel not just international but this article explains a bit about how information is sent between airlines and the TSA to flag people for additional screening at security checkpoints…. “When you book a plane ticket in today’s digitized world, your airline submits your name, gender, and date of birth to the TSA for clearance”.
So the TSA doesn’t seem to do so now but I’m wondering how long before PFRs are designated SSSS so that they can be harassed just like they are when entering this country by CBP.
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/what-to-know-if-an-ssss-code-shows-up-on-your-boarding-pass
Air travelers may find this interesting:
What to Know If An SSSS Code Shows Up on Your Boarding Pass
I found more detailed, official ETIAS information. These are official websites (and in the first case, the actual law) rather than third-party. The usual disclaimer applies that I am not an EU immigration lawyer.
It seems ETIAS could prove problematic for some registrants. Note, I just say “problematic”; we will need actual cases to really have a sense of it. What any of the below will do is trigger manual (human) review by the member state at which you will be entering Schengen, not result in automatic denial, and there is an appeals process. This is based on the actual ETIAS implementation law, which can be found here:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02018R1240-20190611
Supporting FAQ:
https://frontex.europa.eu/future-of-border-control/etias/
In terms of the questions asked on the application, there will be a question if the applicant has been convicted in the last 10 years “and if so when and in which country”, of any offenses covered in the annex related to Article 17(4)(a) including, pertinent to registrants’ situations:
* Annex 3: sexual exploitation of children and child pornography
* Annex 10: computer-related crime/cybercrime
* Annex 22: rape
If the answer is yes, you will be asked (unspecified) additional questions.
It seems on my understanding that this component relates to the ETIAS Watchlist, one of the component databases for which a “ping” triggers manual review. So possibly, the way it works is that first, upon your first initial application, you answer the question. If it’s yes, you are asked additional questions. It then gets subject to manual review by the state you are planning to enter via, and presumably you are added to the watchlist (if you renew some time later and the time since the conviction is greater than 10 years, maybe you are removed from the watchlist, but I need to read the rest more carefully).
A complication here is that the definition of “serious criminal offense” (Article 3(16)) includes the qualification “if it is punishable under national law by a custodial sentence or a detention order for a maximum period of at least three years.” It is not clear whether “national law” refers to the national law of the state of origin (US) or of the destination member state: in most of the rest of the document “national law” is used in the context of “of the member state,” but “national law” is not an explicitly defined term. Perhaps this is part of the point of the additional questions answered in connection with the above: for the destination member state, in its manual review, to decide if the US offense is equivalent to any of theirs, if so which one, and then what to do about it. They may request supporting documents.
Another database that triggers manual review is INTERPOL TDAWN, which is the one associated with the green notices. However, I am not sure if this will be any more relevant than it has been in the past, since the notices are triggered by our actual or imminent travel, which they already get anyway, and would presumably occur after ETIAS authorization so would remain a matter of manual review at the border.
How relevant any of the above ends out being of course remains to be seen. I am once again not an EU immigration lawyer, but it seems likely that, if your conviction is more than 10 years old, things are probably not gonna be much different than they already are due to the 21-day notification, because presumably they get a lot of information about us from that anyway (although God knows exactly what the feds send them). If your conviction is 10 years old or less, you will have to jump through some extra hoops, the outcome of which will probably be case-by-case.
so what happens here in california when you’re off the registry and you do international travel?
I am no longer on a registry in the USA because I no longer live there. Most countries only bar registered sex offenders. I am now deregistered. Do you guys think I can now go into that country like the UK. Also, do green notices expire? When I went to Hong Kong I was still flagged and let through. What about now that I no longer live and register in the USA, Will the green notice still be active?
Does anyone have report(s) or awareness of instances of denied entry to Mexico AFTER being removed from the registry? Thanks.