[Fultonius]

Hello fellow island dwelling, EU visiting Brits...  For those of you that voted for brexit, once again, fuck you.

Now we've got that out the way (oh, actually, has anyone yet found a SINGLE possible benefit attributed to brexit yet? I'm still waiting...)

I have an issue and it's that I've not been diligent with counting days in the EU and I've just realised that a planned trip to visit my lass' family in NL over xmas and her 40th Birthday take me 8 days over the limit. I've got various options, but the one that I probably shouldn't consider but am...is just hoping for the best...

As far as I'm aware, there is no "system" that records Entries and Exists from Scengen. There has been one in development for many year and, after more delays, it's due to be rolled out Q3/Q4 2024: https://www.lewissilkin.com/en/insights/monitoring-british-citizens-travel-in-the-schengen-area-ees-and-etias with a "visa waiver" type system in 2025 (ETIAS).

So, at present it appears that it is up to a border guard, on exit, to visually inspect the stamps, add up the days and figure out if you've overstayed. My stamps are all over the place, and I honestly have never seen the guards giving my passport more than cursory glance and stamp.

Seems like the chances of getting caught are slim, and, again, until the Entry/Exit system is in place it seems (but I can't say I've done exhaustive research on this), that the worst case would be that you would get asked to leave within 30 days and get a fine, plus maybe a stamp saying "overstayed visa" (again, probably not recorded anywhere? < this I'm least sure about).

Anyone fancy a trip to Morocco / Gayikbayiri 26 December - 4th Jan????

[spidermonkey09]

I think you're broadly correct in your assumptions. I think you would be unlikely to have any issues on the way out at least so you could have your break and deal with any consequences after.

I have had stamp issues post brexit after some misdated stamps made it look like I'd stayed in Spain for over a year rather then 6 days. Haven't had any issues since.

I think any stamp in your passport is not recorded anywhere else. When I was doing some research last year about visiting the US having visited Cuba, the advice was simply to get a new passport as then the evidence of visiting Cuba would no longer be there.

[abarro81]

I've also never had the border guards try to add up or work out days, and also have entry/exit stamps all over the place (including on passport pages that already have entry/exit stamps for various other countries, making it all-but impossible to read). I also never got an exit stamp from a trip just after Brexit (they wouldn't even rectify that when I asked them to on the next trip). You could get unlucky, but my guess is that you'd be fine.

[galpinos]

No idea on the "total Schengen" tracking but a contactor from a UK competitor got denied entry to Sweden due to too many days. This was all to the same country so I am assuming Sweden do check people in/out but not sure if that information is available "Schengen wide".

[Muenchener]

Flying or driving?

My only semi-relevant experience, as an EU resident British citizen, is the lady at a check-in desk at Athens airport asking why I didn't have a Schengen entry stamp in my passport, and having to produce my residence permit.

Would she have checked the date of my entry stamp if I'd had one? Dunno.

[Oldmanmatt]

They certainly scan my passport in and out of every country I’ve visited in the EU, so, whilst there may not yet be a central EU database, individual countries will know how often you’ve entered or exited. God knows how entertaining through Schiphol and then getting a flight out of Barcelona two weeks later is dealt with, but I’ve not had any issues yet.

Edit:
And I went in an out of Schiphol two weeks ago despite never clearing out of the Netherlands on the last visit, a year ago. Plus I’ve been in and out of Spain twice in the intervening period. 🤷‍♂️

[jwi]

No idea on the "total Schengen" tracking but a contactor from a UK competitor got denied entry to Sweden due to too many days. This was all to the same country so I am assuming Sweden do check people in/out but not sure if that information is available "Schengen wide".

Obviously countries like Sweden or Switzerland will keep the data on every controlled border crossing in a readable format in a database until the sun goes into nova. According to EES, this data should be freely shared across all countries in EU, so I would be shocked if the Scandinavian countries and Switzerland did not already do this. I would also be much surprised if Spain will implement this in a timely fashion, or if France did not instigate some kind of exception.

[Fultonius]

No idea on the "total Schengen" tracking but a contactor from a UK competitor got denied entry to Sweden due to too many days. This was all to the same country so I am assuming Sweden do check people in/out but not sure if that information is available "Schengen wide".

Obviously countries like Sweden or Switzerland will keep the data on every controlled border crossing in a readable format in a database until the sun goes into nova. According to EES, this data should be freely shared across all countries in EU, so I would be shocked if the Scandinavian countries and Switzerland did not already do this. I would also be much surprised if Spain will implement this in a timely fashion, or if France did not instigate some kind of exception.

But EES isn't actually live until Q3/Q4 2024...  Even if they did "share" I think it's highly unlikely that they actually have a database that does the counting and flags when you've overstayed?

This year I've been in via Amsterdam by air, back out Italy in the air. In France by boat, back from Amsterdam by boat. The France and back via air (tried to sort train but it just didn't work for the trip - at least took the TGV from CDG to Montpellier to save some dirty air miles - work trip).

The tricky tip will be ferry to Amsterdam as a foot passenger and back again...

[Adam Lincoln]

Ive seen border officials with a calculator out adding up stamps.

[yetix]

They defo were counting up mine in a return from france a few days ago. My passport was tallied up whilst my partners who has an EU passport just got hers back much quicker

[remus]

I had a friend who's passport had a very thorough going over at a border crossing in to the EU. If I had to guess I'd assume that most countries do some sort of randomised checks.

[Fultonius]

I kind wish I hadn't noticed...

Seems like it's maybe too much of a gamble for a non-essential trip.

No one fancy a quick trip?!?

Seems shite to fly back to Scotland, so i'll probably try to change my ferry and miss Xmas, just going out later.... Baaahumbug.

[Bradders]

Out of interest, what happens if you do outstay your welcome and get caught on the way back?

[Duma]

Surely this is the key question? If it's a slap on the wrist, or a few months not travelling, then maybe worth a shot, but if you're banned from the EU for years then clearly not.

[Fultonius]

Out of interest, what happens if you do outstay your welcome and get caught on the way back?

It's not that clear. Likely a fine, definitely "deportation" (but you're leaving anyway) and you could be banned, it's country by country.

Bans and big fines seem to be associated with long overstays, working illegally etc. rather than just being a few days over...

[jwi]

Out of interest, what happens if you do outstay your welcome and get caught on the way back?

An acquaintance from the US overstayed his Schengen visa by quite a bit. Foolishly he crossed the swiss border, where the agents can add, and was deported. He had no buy an expensive ticket to NY and was banned from entering for two years. That was all