Overstaying Tourist Visa

[lydialeyba]

I was wondering if anyone knows what the penalty is for overstaying your visa?
I have an opened end return airline ticket back to the United States which is good for a year.  I thought I could just go to Morocco, but I realize now that is not a viable option.

 

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[tonytorero]

Hi there lydialeyba... Welcome to the café!  B)

Well, to over-simplify and answer your question directly, the penalty for over-staying your visa if you were to get caught is deportation. Pretty much the same as in any other first-world (or sixth! ) country.

However, and I don't know your nationality, Spain is famous for being pretty lax with immigration. Not at all, say, as stringent as the US is. Personally, I don't know of a case of an English teacher being deported personally. That doesn't mean to say that it couldn't happen though.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has heard of this happening. Feel free to post that information here. Or, and I'd do it myself by I feel lazy this morning , you could search the board for such examples. We may have some info lying around in the corner somewhere.  (Comisario: You can refrain from posting as yourself or as one of your multi-cultural alter-egos as we're sure you'd be happy to tell us about one of your conquests. We'll pass though... :angry: )

Everyone else though... POST AWAY!!

 

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[mlwalton]

I heard of the urban legend of a doe-eyed TEFL teacher getting deported but no real evidence....sorry :huh:  

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[lydialeyba]

Is there a financial penalty based on the numbers of days that you have overstayed your vista like they do in Thailand?  Or do they simply slap you on the wrist and let you past through immigration?  Or does your name go into the \"great Brother is watching you computer\" and you will never be allowed back into Schengen Countries?  

Oh, by the way I'm from the US and I'm not teaching or doing any other work here.

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[mlwalton]

are you concerned about re-entry to the States?  I ask because, when I came back no one was looking for dates, they just looked at, stamped it and that was it.  

Hope that helps....

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[laurakt]

I just read some of the comments that have been posted about overstaying tourist visas.

I've been living in Madrid for about 7 months now. In sets of 3 months, I've left the Schengen Treaty countries because I truley wanted to travel to those countries. Now, time's ticking and I need to leave again. I'm pretty sure Americans can only be here for a duration of 3 months within a 6 month period - but if that 6 month period is reactivated upon entry to the first schengan treaty country then....well...what does that mean? Does that mean there's a loophole that says that as long as you're lucky enough to get back in without someone checking or scanning your passport then your 6 months are reactivated?? My time's up in 2 weeks, gotta think fast.

Thanks.
Laura

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[mlwalton]

Has your passport been stamped?  

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[mlwalton]

I just called the National Passport Agency for information about the \"scanning\" of one's passport and what they're scanning for....the answer I got was that they don't know what other countries are scanning for, but for the US they are checking to verify that the passport and the passport holder is a match.  

I haven't been able to get any further info about this, but my logic is that given that they date stamp your passport in ink on paper, (and only if an when they actually stamp your passport) that the stamp is the dated record and that when they swipe your card, it's not tracking dates of entry or exit, it's just checking validity.

Granted I could be wrong, but I haven't come across anything as of yet to contradict my theory.

Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

Salud!
Michelle Save the :siesta:  

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