Dear all,

I can’t begin to tell you stressful getting a visa for Spain is!  I was issued a weak letter from my institution in Spain and because of that they wouldn’t let me submit my paper work at the Spanish consulate.  I am suppose to be in Spain from Sept 24 to mid Feb (approx 5 months) and I wanted to know how I can travel to Spain without a visa. 

Could I just go till December, go to Portugal for a day, and then come back?  Is it that simple?  And if this OK, what do I tell Spain that I’m doing when I get to Spain?  I certainly can’t say that I’m a student because I’d need a visa for this, correct?

I could really use some help me….I’f I don’t leave son I’ll be 3-4 weeks late for my program!

Un saludo!!
Sean

I can only tell you that a person I know was refused check-in at the airline desk in Gatwick London for his flight to Spain by the airline because he did not have a visa. He unwittingly assumed he did not need one. Moving around without the correct papers may not be as easy as you think, in these days of anti-terrorism controls, but good luck!

i am moving to spain without a visa, for approximately 100 days.  applying for a visa was too much of a hassle and i did not have the time to spare. do you think i will run into trouble if i travel? is going to portugal / france an option, to restart the 90 days?
ltell me information you have!

Go to Portugal for a day, and then come back? Restart the 90 days? Sorry guys, it doesn’t work like that in Spain. See the truth about visa runs here.

Gracie22: On the flip side, I doubt the Spanish authorities would go after someone who overstayed a tourist visa by only ten days.

Panjabigator: Did you get everything all figured out for your program?

ROBI - 13 September 2007 11:22 PM

I can only tell you that a person I know was refused check-in at the airline desk in Gatwick London for his flight to Spain by the airline because he did not have a visa. He unwittingly assumed he did not need one. Moving around without the correct papers may not be as easy as you think, in these days of anti-terrorism controls, but good luck!

and now airline need to pass you info on to the spanish aswell so the airlaine will not carry you
you do not what this on your passport record as its seen buy all Usa Eu and so on

Hi Sean,

I suppose you need a visa because you will stay longer than 90 days.  Unlike the U.S. where entries and exits from U.S. territories are strictly recorded, I doubt if the same happens here in Spain. If you are carrying a passport from a Schengen State then you should have no problem entering Spain, as long as you enter with a two-way ticket. 

Last year, a friend of mine from the U.S., who was doing a summer arabic course in Tunisia, flew to Barcelona from Tunis via Air Europa(?).  Imagine my surprise when he informed me in the arrivals lounge that none of the passengers on this direct flight from an Arab country were asked for their passports or visas, etc.  Apparently, they got off the plane, walked to the luggage pickup area, and walked out… nobody asked anyone anything. This means that the Spanish authorities that night trusted the judgment of the personnel at the Tunis airport who checked passports and visas.

Food for thought.
Joseph

Panjabigator - 13 September 2007 08:21 PM

Dear all,

I can’t begin to tell you stressful getting a visa for Spain is!  I was issued a weak letter from my institution in Spain and because of that they wouldn’t let me submit my paper work at the Spanish consulate.  I am suppose to be in Spain from Sept 24 to mid Feb (approx 5 months) and I wanted to know how I can travel to Spain without a visa. 

Could I just go till December, go to Portugal for a day, and then come back?  Is it that simple?  And if this OK, what do I tell Spain that I’m doing when I get to Spain?  I certainly can’t say that I’m a student because I’d need a visa for this, correct?

I could really use some help me….I’f I don’t leave son I’ll be 3-4 weeks late for my program!

Un saludo!!
Sean