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 2022, International Travel 2021, International Travel 2020 and International Travel 2019.
In this International Travel 2023 post, the information is identical to the International Travel 2022 post. We added a new post for 2023 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 activation of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for such travelers, beginning sometime in 2023 – 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 2022 (2022)
- International Travel 2021 (2021)
- International Travel 2020 (2020)
- International Travel 2019 (2019)
- International Travel after IML (2016)
- International Travel – Mexico (2014)
- International Travel 2013 (2013)
US Passport Processing Times Are Finally Getting Shorter (Conde’ Nast Traveler, 9 Nov 2023)
“US travelers may finally be free from the bureaucratic scourge of months-long passport wait periods, for the first time in three years. According to the latest estimates, Americans could have their little blue books processed in less than a month.
On November 6, the State Department shortened its passport processing times to 7 to 10 weeks for regular applications and 3 to 5 weeks for expedited service. That’s a significant improvement from earlier this year, when wait times ballooned to as long as 13 weeks for routine service (not including mailing time), thanks to a glut of applications during the popular spring and summer travel seasons.”
Nothing mentioned of those in the fine print who need extra processing time…
Posting here too:
Great Florida attorney:
RON KLEINER, ESQ.
1-954-540-0170
Ron got me removed from the Florida Registry. I cannot speak highly enough of Ron – he really knows the law and he fights like Hell for us!!
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
– David🔱
I am flying from California to Berlin in a few months. I change planes in Copenhagen and have an almost two hour layover. Anyone see a problem with this? I am off the registry and have a 1203.4
release of penalties and disabilities for a felony conviction (with a minor) that is almost 39 years old.Passport is not marked.
Hi all
im heading to Puerto Rico in January. Originally registered in California for possession of cp. now registered in Texas. I will be there for 6 days. Do I need to register with the local authorities and do I need a 21 day notice to travel there. Thanks
The only arrival that’s relevant is your first arrival in a Schengen country which it sounds like in this case Rob is France do you really mean you just walked out of the airport without going through customs and having your passport examined and stamped. All flights after that would be domestic flights to the other countries in Europe and no you would not be required to go through customs upon those arrivals.
I’m especially interested if anybody has arrived for the first time in Schengen in Spain because that has been a source apparently of a little bit of problem lately and I’m thinking of flying non-stop from the US to Spain next summer.
Good morning all from Spain! I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I am hoping someone has recently returned to the US through LAX and can give me some idea of the time delay at secondary. I’d like my sister to not have to wait hours for me when she picks me up. Thank you in advance for your help!
I am on the registry in Texas and planning a 10 day trip to Italy. I am aware of the 21-day advanced notice requirement, however, just curious, what tells us (those on a state registry), that we would not need to notify someone (local law enforcement) in the foreign country we visit? Thanks in advance!
Does anyone have experience getting into England and Ireland after removal from the registry? Would it help if the first stop of my travel is to a Schengen country (German)?
Yours is a very good question. Without triggering a Notice by flying directly from the USA, might we stand a chance of getting into the UK if we fly directly from Europe? (At least for those of us who don’t need to provide the 21-day advance notice of international travel). perhaps worth a shot!
I wish people would stop trying to get into countries we know they can’t get into. Try something new, like going to Albania, Georgia, or even an African country. Or try going to a place outside of Europe with the mark on the front page of the passport. Ireland, UK and Asia are history. So you need to give it up!
I have dual citizenship; US and UK which is my place of birth. Level1 New York State please God done January 2025, after 20 years! I have always been told by top lawyers in London that under no circumstances could I, as a UK passport holder(and receiver of state pension) be denied entry. Mind you, after watching the pro-Hamas demos, I have no desire to visit!
OK, I just bought my flight from LAX to San Fran, then I will wait for the flight I booked for Việt Nam. I have my evisa and airfare to go. I need was convicted in AZ, and was off probation and now I am living in California. I need to get this thing going, I need to make a appointment with the LA detective to fill out the paperwork to go. I have the address where I will be living, I will stay there around 7 months then come back to completely liquidate everything I have left here. BUT when I leave in January I won’t have any address here and I need to make sure the detective knows I won’t have an address here. I will be coming back to the US in 7 or so months as visiting and my round trip ticket will be from VN to US then back to VN. I know I will still be sent to secondary, but it will be great pleasure to tell them I am just here for a visit. 🙂 I have to keep my US citizenship for my Social Security. I will be on a tourist visa so I will have to apply for a new visa each 90 days and go out of the country and come back in, but I will be looking for ways to get something better. I have adopted family there…. kind of and I heard there is a way to fill out paperwork to add me to their family.
I am scared. I saw what this Devil’s Flight can do. I have been there 4 times and I have always been the best model US citizen possible! Coming home in 2018 I couldn’t get my boarding pass because S Korea wouldn’t allow me to catch my connecting flight there. I came back through Taipei, Taiwan. I booked a direct flight this time so I hope there won’t be any problems. I live in a small sailboat and when I leave I will still pay the slip fee, but I will take off the “live aboard” fee so then I won’t have an address here. I hope after a while living in VN I will check on a new passport since I have an out of country address. I hope this all works out. I have many friends and adopted family there and I look forward to living the rest of my life there, hopefully in peace. WISH me luck!! hehe ^_^
So is it safe to have a 1-hour layover in Madrid?
I just looked at general comments about cruises and travel, the link states Norwegian cruise lines reserves the right not to allow passengers listed on registry to travel. Has anyone been on a Norwegian cruise recently??
I booked a trip from Hawaii to Tahiti and now I’m very concerned.
For those who may experience international travel challenges, https://pfr.guide is available. You can research and report problems.
🤷🏻♂️ Does anyone here have Global Entry or TSA PreCheck?
If so, what has your experience been with reentering the US and being sent to secondary? 🤔
Also, are you a current registrant?
Or no longer required to register?
Thank you, any and all! 🙂
Well I had to cancel my cruise from Hawaii to Tahiti, it seems there are fewer cruise lines which allow PFR’s to sail on their ships. This is very frustrating to say the least.
I wish everyone the best with their travel plans!!