Forum homeTravelsearch

How US Citizens Can Live in Europe (Schengen) Forever, Legally, Without a Visa

馃搫 Rendered from the archive database (the original static capture of this page wasn't kept). Content is complete; styling is simplified.
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
afue 路 2015-10-23 10:49:00 路 #79
(10-21-2015 01:48 PM)jasond Wrote:  Have used it 3 times this year (most recently this month), all via Warsaw airport, without any problems.

Have you encountered passport checks when flying within Schengen? In traveling so far, I've had checks on EVERY bus I've taken, and EVERY train. But not at airports. Wondering if that's a shared experience, or if I've just not encountered it so far.
262 路 2015-10-23 15:39:00 路 #80
(10-23-2015 10:49 AM)afue Wrote:  Have you encountered passport checks when flying within Schengen? In traveling so far, I've had checks on EVERY bus I've taken, and EVERY train. But not at airports. Wondering if that's a shared experience, or if I've just not encountered it so far.

About two months ago, when I took a Polish train from Berlin to Poland, nobody checked passports. Same when I flew a few days earlier than that from Riga to Berlin.

Did they scan your passport electronically on the buses or trains? Or did they just look at it?
DaveR 路 2015-10-23 15:45:00 路 #81
The Schengen zone has a centralised database which collects movement data from various sources: airline, bus, train passenger lists, hotel registration, passport control, etc.
262 路 2015-10-23 16:33:00 路 #82
(10-23-2015 03:45 PM)DaveR Wrote:  The Schengen zone has a centralised database which collects movement data from various sources: airline, bus, train passenger lists, hotel registration, passport control, etc.

My guess is so far it's only connected to something like an Interpol database. So you'd have to be a major criminal to get flagged.

jasond and anyone else would otherwise have a hard time using the Poland loophole to travel within Schengen, unless the system accounts for the Poland loophole.
262 路 2015-11-04 20:38:00 路 #83
Just a heads up to save time: it's likely better to cross into Ukraine from Poland by bus than by car. Not sure how it compares to trains.

I just crossed at Hrebenne (between Lublin and Lviv) at 1:00 am local time, and the car line was still ridiculous (likely smugglers, since a good chunk of them drove vans with no windows, or cars with tinted rear windows, which the guards didn't seem to check). Meanwhile, my full passenger bus whisked through both the Poland exit and Ukraine entry in an hour.
262 路 2015-11-07 22:37:00 路 #84
Just confirming that the loophole worked for me too. I left Schengen as mentioned above on my 90th day, and just came back that way today with no issues.

Next time I may be bolder and leave my nonessentials, taking a cheap flight to the UK or Ukraine instead (no bag fees then - which is partly why I took the bus my first time).

Also seemed like much fewer cars going the reverse way - no long line.
262 路 2015-12-23 17:36:00 路 #85
A reassurance for anyone going into France from elsewhere within Schengen after using the Poland loophole, in light of France reinstating border controls -

Today I flew from Gdansk to Paris (Beauvais) after having done my first border run as mentioned above.

No issues, even though they were checking passports on arrival in Paris (Beauvais).

Will report on my return flight back to Gdansk on January 3rd.

Party on dudes!
Phil619sd 路 2015-12-23 20:09:00 路 #86
(12-23-2015 05:36 PM)262 Wrote:  A reassurance for anyone going into France from elsewhere within Schengen after using the Poland loophole, in light of France reinstating border controls -

Today I flew from Gdansk to Paris (Beauvais) after having done my first border run as mentioned above.

No issues, even though they were checking passports on arrival in Paris (Beauvais).

Will report on my return flight back to Gdansk on January 3rd.

Party on dudes!

You sir are doing a great service! I have been following you feats and I must say I look up to you. I am a hispanic living now in feminized SoCAl and I can't wait to get out of here and move to Poland.

Reason is that familiarity breeds contempt and I will have a better chance at game there, possibly in a 2nd tier city. I will be using this loop for sure!
diego69 路 2015-12-24 13:34:00 路 #87
what about false marriage for a fee? I am sure in countries like Romania/Bulgaria you can find a girl which accept it for a fee and then you are free to stay and work in Schengen!
262 路 2016-01-03 12:16:00 路 #88
As promised:

No border check leaving Paris (Beauvais) today for Gdansk.

No border check on arrival in Gdansk either.
godzilla 路 2016-01-28 22:16:00 路 #89
https://www.rt.com/news/324828-eu-scheng...ion-talks/

With the possible 2 year Schengen agreement suspension, you think it will still be 90 out of 180, or can we switch countries? Doesn't look like it will be clear for a while.

The brightside of the migrant crisis: Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria won't get admitted into Schengen anytime soon it seems.
262 路 2016-01-29 05:02:00 路 #90
^^^
Note that they're only discussing allowing member states to choose if they want to extend "border controls" from six months to two years, in light of the migrant crisis.

As for how all of the current events will affect the Poland loophole, that's uncertain. Hence why I reported on having no issues as a US citizen using the Poland loophole while flying between Gdansk and Paris when France instituted border controls, in response to the Paris attacks.

In retrospect, I may have inadvertently used the France loophole mentioned earlier in this thread. But I obviously did not receive a Schengen entry or exit stamp.
Akula 路 2016-01-30 03:18:00 路 #91
(01-28-2016 10:16 PM)godzilla Wrote:  https://www.rt.com/news/324828-eu-scheng...ion-talks/

With the possible 2 year Schengen agreement suspension, you think it will still be 90 out of 180, or can we switch countries? Doesn't look like it will be clear for a while.

The brightside of the migrant crisis: Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria won't get admitted into Schengen anytime soon it seems.

My gut is that Schengen will be gone within a few years. What's going on is unsustainable (it already was even before the "migrant" crisis) and nobody will want to have open borders with each other once Germany eventually closes large swathes of its border. One the German free lunches start to dry up these economic migrants will start to test the wates elsewhere but mostly come up empty and probably filter back home (but certainly not all of them). So eventually this "loophole" will get shut down.

They already cancelled direct train service between Austria and Germany and have passport checks there (but, importantly, they didn't stamp me or anyone, they were basically just checking for legal Western & rich country passports I think). As I was told at the train station they "closed the border." (yeah, right) but I'm sure (and was told by a couple Germans) that most of the borders are still easy crossable if you go via smaller roads and villages.

Just like in the US, the only people that get inconvenienced are the average Joes doing things legally.

In any case, if and when Schengen gets dissolved (or whenever the legal border crossings are made much more onerous, which already seems to be happening) I think you'll still have Poland and will be able to spend up to 90 days in each EU country so that won't be so bad....maybe I'm wrong...
ElJefe1 路 2016-02-04 09:10:00 路 #92
I was just renewing m residency here in Hungary and I've found out they have the same type of agreement with the US as well. Simply the 90 day rule so you do have to leave on the 89th day and return, I have a friend whom has been doing it for years but I didnt really know for sure so I didnt trust it. I asked the lady in the immigration office and she said "your american just leave get your passport stamped before the 90th day and no problems"....Thougth this would be helpful for others, See the link below the list indicates 90 days for some countries and 90 days with 180 period for others, a few with only 30 days and Canada with 120 days.... Youre Welcome!!!!!

http://konzuliszolgalat.kormany.hu/visa-...agreements
262 路 2016-02-05 17:24:00 路 #93
Fyi, just did a successful border run on my 90th day by flying non-stop from Gdansk to London and back on the same day (The UK is outside Schengen).
262 路 2016-03-08 14:09:00 路 #94
^ I should note that at Gdansk airport, the Polish border guards did take a while to process me specifically, in both directions. One even started doing the math on how long I'd been in Poland before summoning the supervisor, who seemed to expedite the process.

In contrast, at Hrebenne, which I mentioned in this thread earlier, between Lublin and Lviv, they processed me without hesitation. That may have been due to the ridiculous time that my bus crossed, around midnight, and/or that may have been due to the larger smuggling issues there, which are well-known.
jayko 路 2016-03-11 07:37:00 路 #95
@262, don't mind if I ask, you are running local independent business on your own? Or work for a MNC that has to travel frequently?
262 路 2016-03-12 04:48:00 路 #96
(03-11-2016 07:37 AM)jayko Wrote:  @262, don't mind if I ask, you are running local independent business on your own? Or work for a MNC that has to travel frequently?

The answer is in my relocation thread: https://www.rooshvforum.com/thread-47239.html
samsamsam 路 2016-03-12 05:33:00 路 #97
(03-11-2016 07:37 AM)jayko Wrote:  @262, don't mind if I ask, you are running local independent business on your own? Or work for a MNC that has to travel frequently?

He is a spy. Don't blow his cover.
samsamsam 路 2016-03-25 13:42:00 路 #98
(11-07-2015 10:37 PM)262 Wrote:  Just confirming that the loophole worked for me too. I left Schengen as mentioned above on my 90th day, and just came back that way today with no issues.

Next time I may be bolder and leave my nonessentials, taking a cheap flight to the UK or Ukraine instead (no bag fees then - which is partly why I took the bus my first time).

Also seemed like much fewer cars going the reverse way - no long line.

(03-25-2016 12:49 PM)Irenicus Wrote:  WSBBNM (would still bang, but not marry).

So, I just want to confirm this 90 day thing. As long as you are leaving on the 90th day you are cool. I know it is an obvious thing, but when buying tickets, etc a being day off would suck.
262 路 2016-03-25 14:58:00 路 #99
^ Technically, you can leave before the 90th day and come back, and the clock will reset, but obviously you don't get credit for leaving early.
the biggest cheetah 路 2016-03-30 20:08:00 路 #100
I'd like to confirm that this still works. I'm planning on spending July until December (150 days) in Spain. So I fly into Poland, travel (by air, land, what?) to Spain. In December, head back to Poland and fly from there back to the Americas.
262 路 2016-03-31 05:06:00 路 #101
(03-30-2016 08:08 PM)the biggest cheetah Wrote:  I'd like to confirm that this still works. I'm planning on spending July until December (150 days) in Spain. So I fly into Poland, travel (by air, land, what?) to Spain. In December, head back to Poland and fly from there back to the Americas.

No guarantees, but the Poland loophole has worked for me. I'll be doing a border run in early May, so I'll report then.

Now, to your case, based on my experience:

The most secure way of using the loophole is to leave and enter Schengen via Poland every 90 days. So you:

1) Fly into Spain
2) On or before your 90th day in Spain, go to Poland however you want, just don't leave Schengen
3) On the 90th day of your stay in Schengen, you leave Schengen via Poland (for example, by flying from Warsaw to London, or taking a bus from Warsaw to Lviv). This resets your Schengen clock.
4) Come back into Poland
5) Go back to Spain, however you want, just don't leave Schengen
6) On the last day of your stay, or your next 90th day, whichever is earlier, again, leave Schengen via Poland
7) Fly back to the Americas (You can even transit through airports in Schengen like Frankfurt once outside of Schengen, because these airports have non-Schengen connecting areas)

Based on what I've read in this thread though, I've heard Spain doesn't care if you overstay Schengen, or they also have a loophole similar to Poland. If that's true, you have two more options:

1) Easiest but riskiest - Fly into Spain, stay as long as you want, and fly back to the Americas

2) Less easy but less risky - Fly into Spain, leave Schengen via Spain to reset your clock on the 90th day (for example, fly to London), come back, stay some more, then fly back to the Americas on or before your next 90th day

Also, as I understand, at least with Poland, you can also simply leave Poland every 90 days (by, say, going to Germany), and, as long as you have proof you left Poland on or before your 90th days (like hotel receipts), you should be fine leaving Schengen via Poland. I believe Roosh has done this. That may be the case for Spain too (ie, go to France every 90 days or less, and get hotel receipts).

Finally, read this entire thread before asking any more questions, if you haven't already. Also, do a Google search, since there are other forums that cover this.
the biggest cheetah 路 2016-03-31 09:44:00 路 #102
Thanks 262. I did read the thread fully, and I'm active in the travel blog community, so this thread was quite a surprise to me since I haven't seen this loophole mentioned elsewhere. I was planning on getting a student visa, but that can be expensive and time consuming.

As far as option 1 goes, it makes me slightly nervous to overstay in Spain. I have friends teaching English there, and they've had both good and bad experiences with overstaying or with going to Morocco or somewhere outside Spain and coming right back in. I'd prefer not to put my fate in the hands of a random border agent if it can be avoided.

My ancestry is actually Polish, so I'd enjoy having a chance to go visit. Thanks for clarifying that I should fly into Spain and then leave via Poland, I understand the loophole better now.

Please do let us know how you fare in May, and I'll add in my own experience later this year.
262 路 2016-04-02 12:34:00 路 #103
Anyone crossed into Germany using this loophole, since they instituted "border controls" (apparently on September 13, 2015 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_A...r_controls )?

Reason I ask is I'm planning to go there on Tuesday from Poland by bus.

My guess is the checks (if any) are similar to those the French are doing - basically screening for security and migrants, and not visas: https://www.rooshvforum.com/thread-31412...pid1176862

Edit: Re-read this thread. Looks like it'll be the same as the French, if anything: https://www.rooshvforum.com/thread-31412...pid1206176
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9