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 2021, International Travel 2020 and International Travel 2019.
In this International Travel 2022 post, the information is identical to the International Travel 2021 post. We added a new post for 2022 in order to keep the discussion manageable. Please help us by sticking to the topic of International Travel only.
====
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
—
2. Resources
Forms
Publications
- RTAG Travel Matrix
- IML Dispatch (SMART Office, Feb 2016)
- ETIAS
Older Posts
- International Travel 2021 (2021)
- International Travel 2020 (2020)
- International Travel 2019 (2019)
- International Travel after IML (2016)
- International Travel – Mexico (2014)
- International Travel (2013)
Checked into a hotel in Zadar Croatia they scan ALL the passports in the party no matter who makes the reservation which I think is common in europe even our air bnb wanted the passports and it has not been an issue. Hotel desk barely glanced inside and noticed nothing. I asked if their scanners are tied to the govt scanning and he said “not yet”. For air bnb we just took pics of the passports I just took it without showing shame stamp. Wife made air bnb reservations.
Greetings – I am planning to go to a Sandals Resort in Barbados this December. Has anyone been to Barbados as an RSO? and if so, what are the restrictions for entry? I have contacted the Embassy for Barbados but have not yet received a definitive answer.
Might be of interest…🤷🏻♂️
Want To Escape From America? 12 Countries Where You Can Buy Citizenship (And A Second Passport)
What I don’t understand (which is a lot) is how IML and having to give a 21 day notice is not punishment. I get it , they keep saying the registry is not punishment, which means to me, they don’t think registering in person is not punishment. Anything beyond “registering” should be deemed punishment unless it is applied to everyone, and not just a select few. They have speed limit laws, and they can change on a whim, BUT they apply to everyone, and not just those driving a red car. That would be considered discrimination. If they want to keep harping on the actual act of registering, deeming it not punishment, fine (not really but we’ll take it for now), but any law that does not apply to everyone should be complete discrimination, ESPECIALLY when it is supposed to be only administrative. If it were punishment, they can apply it to whoever they think deserves this punishment, but if it is regulatory only, they should not be able to apply it to whoever they want. Can anyone name laws that only apply to a few and not others? I don’t want to hear about Marijuana being legal in one State and not in another since all people in that State would have to follow that law.
Travel from Thailand back to Poland and other information regarding the stamp being moved to the front of the passport.
Im currently overseas and will return early than i planned due to my job (i told them four months overseas). Coming back early, would i get in trouble if i went to a state for a few days to visit a relative on the way back? I only had a departure ticket when i left, and told them i would get a return ticket when i come back since i may not stay gone for the entire four months.
Anyone thought about how people can identify as whatever they want to be (male, female, non binary, none of the above, etc,.) Why can’t we identify as a upstanding citizen with no criminal records? I don’t identify as an SO or a criminal or a felon. Why have this label that a man-made law imposed?
If someone can change what their birth certificate says… I mean… 😂
Just got back from Mexico again…the customs ran my whatever and let me go. I gave them my motion paper copy demonstrating the fraud by the State of Michigan . They recommended I get it taken care of. I informed them that after 15 years of motions its in the home stretch .
No problem in the least entering Mexico. I informed the 2 ladies with guns and uniforms I was heading to Ejido del Desierto I was welcomed by one who lives there! Its a dusty burg with a LOT of people passing thru to what used to be a free country ( USA)
Traveling soon. I surrendered my passport with a written request to please force compelled speech upon me with the unique identifier. My passport came with “See P. 27” written in the endorsement section at the bottom of the page with the photo and the identifier statement is on p.27. Now I’m good to go for increased risk of vigilantism. Because my registering office is appointment only and my 21 days before departure they had no appointments, a officer took me in on a weekend day, that was earlier than 21 days, and I was able to fill out my notice of international travel and have it signed dated and time stamped. I called the SAFE office and asked what if I’m delayed for my annual registration when I return due to being quarantined due to a positive covid test before flying back to the US, or due to airline cancellation because of labor shortages, which in part are due to covid, or flight cancellations due to weather? They said well we’re dealing with the penal code, we can’t give you the answer you want to hear…at least they confirmed the 5 days I have after my birthday are 5 business days. Since my state is not SORNA compliant, I think I’m done doing everything I need to do to go on my international trip to a travel safe country. I will carry a copy of my travel form on my person.
It looks like as of Feb 2022 they have a way to add certain endorsements to passport cards which appears to have been done with the passport re-design? Anyone know if that means PFRs can get the stamp on the passport card now too?
Landed in Barcelona. No issues breezed right thru.
My travel back to the U.S. from abroad.
If anyone needs an email address for IML and 21-Day Travel Notification questions, try this one:
IOD.NSOTC@USDOJ.gov
Hope it’s helpful! Good luck!
Sex offender but not registered. I was convicted of a misdemeanor sex offense against a minor 15 years ago and have since gotten off my states registry. It was a state crime non federal and the time requirement is up for sorna as well. I was able to get the stamp removed from my passport and no longer give notice. My question is I’ve successfully gotten into a few of the countries on the red list, like UK and Ireland Does anyone know what information the US shares with other countries regularly assuming they’re not sending a green notice on you? Like if I fly to japan and just say I was never arrested or fly to india, would they be able to run a US background check on me?
For other countries like columbia or barbados that I’ve read in here that RSO get turned away, do non registered non stamped non felon sex offenders get turned away as well?
Hi all,
I have a trip planned to Costa Rica which is set to take place in 1 week. Gave the 21-Day thing. I’m curious to know if there’s a way to find out if I will be denied entry prior to the visit (to save $1k of the ticket and the grief associated with the rejection. Was thinking about drafting an email to their customs. Anyone wanna guess my odds? I was 19 from NYS at the time. Off probation by 23 years old. and now, I’m 30. Rape 2nd (Statutory).
Thanks guys!
How is it going through CBP when landing in Chicago? I have a layover in Chicago (where I think I’ll be checked) prior to coming back to LA as my final destination.
Yesterday traveled from Mallorca to Zagreb via Amsterdam had zero issues as they all scanned my passport. Today leaving Zagreb to come home something came up on their screen I was standing there for 15 minutes. They wanted to know everywhere i went to in Croatia. It was literally 6 cities and 7 islands. I had been to Croatia before and never had this issue. I finally said I had been here before and never had this issue. The other agent who was making jokes the entire time when other people were coming up said “You’ve must of done something really bad” and laughed. I said “Maybe i forgot to pay my taxes” They both laughed. They had no clue why they needed this info. They were pleasant and sent me on my way. Only issue i had the entire trip. Now we’ll see about LAX in a few hours.
Back in the good ole USA. Pulled into secondary. Very nice agent just verified my address and asked about my occupation. Asked how long ago my situation was told him 97 and he shook his head as if this is stupid we are doing this. Said “welcome back to the usa have a good night”. No checking of baggage very simple.He didn’t even notice the identifier.
Flew into Detroit as my first stop from 2 months out of country. Was sent to secondary and they had me open my suitcases but not my backpack……anyway they pretty much ran their hands over my stuff, not even searching for anything, it was more of a just going through the process to get it over with, then I was sent on my way. Fast and easy. They didnt even take anything out of the suitcases.
5 Things I’ve Learned Since Being Off of the Registry.
Here’s some additional good news for those wishing to visit Croatia:
War Spurs EU to Bring Croatia Into Passport-Free Schengen Zone
Here is the Revised corrected link.
I ran across this YouTube channel and this article while searching countries to move to in the future. Most of his YouTube videos pertain to taxes and investments, a few talk about moving to country with a criminal background such as this one. The Forbes article also is about 5 Countries Where You Can Establish Residency Without A Background Check.
How long does it take to find out if your passport has been revoked upon returning to the U.S. I listed my residence as Germany when I left. Now I am back for a few weeks before leaving again. Don’t want to book my ticket with a letting revoking my passport unknowingly on the way. Also, no my passport is not marked. It shouldn’t be marked because I am not currently registered with any agency since the state that I am currently in, does not require me to register.
Update on my travel after getting off the registry:
We returned yesterday from 25 days in Spain and Germany. I still have the marked passport.
Basically, there were no issues. When we checked out of the EU in Madrid for our flight back, the customs official leafed through my passport looking for a blank page to stamp. I noticed that by chance, my passport opened to the page with the marking. The official stared at it for about 2 seconds, and then turned to find an open page, and stamped it. I don’t think he really had time to read the marker text – he either just thought it was a weird passport stamp, or maybe he recognized it. Either way, it made no difference. He just stamped it, handed it back, and said “have a good trip home”. That was the first time that I know someone actually looked at the “stamp of shame”.
Regarding arrival in San Francisco:
The CBP official scanned my passport, and then stared at his screen for a full 10 seconds, before calling another CBP person to come over and look. He said, “I’ve never seen this before”. The other agent stared at the screen for a while, and then she turned to me and said, “have you ever reported a passport lost or stolen?” I said no.
They both stared at the screen some more, and then the 2nd agent said to the original agent, “I think I would just let that go”, at which time the original agent handed me back my passport, smiled, and said “have a good day”.
So, for the first time in many years, I was NOT sent to Secondary Inspection 😊.
However, there is still something popping up on my file. I don’t know if it was a message about no longer being registered, or related to when my passport was revoked, or what, but if I escape going to Secondary another couple of times, I will stop worrying about it.
Meanwhile, task number 1: Ordering a new unmarked passport, and getting a passport card.