Job Discussion Forums

[jleerolfe]

I'm coming up against a problem I didn't think I would have. I stopped by the travel agency today to have a chat with the folks there about getting my ticket to Europe. I was explaining to them that I plan (hopefully) to teach for over a year. All in all, I foresee being abroad for possibly a year and about 5 months.
I was told, though, that it's not really possible to enter a country without a return ticket, and that most tickets are only good for a year. So what do I do? Is there ways to get around this? Since this will be my first time venturing abroad, I'm not sure if this is a big deal or maybe not much of an issue.
Either way, just wondering if anyone else has dealt with anything similar.
By the way, I'm flying from the U.S.
Thanks,
Jason

[coffeedrinker]

It depends on the country you're flying to - how strict they are about this or whether they have rules at all. I guess the fact that there are lots of English teachers abroad (who haven't had to just buy and not use return tickets) shows that it is possible.

One option would be figuring out when/if you'll come home for Christmas.

Another - probably better - option is looking specifically into the country where you want to teach and find out what the regulations are. In the UK it seems like they are quite thorough checking that people have a return ticket becaue people overstaying and working illegally is a big issue - but if you're American and going to teach English, you probably aren't going there (if you're starting a trip and landing there, pick another country to land in if you don't want a return ticket).

Some countries may theoretically expect you to have a work/residence permit in place before you arrive if you plan on working, but this seems pretty impractical and uncommon for English teachers. You might need to say you're there as a tourist if that's the case.

I've flown into Switzerland on a one-way ticket and have taken a flight that originated and ended in Vienna even though I don't live or work in Austria and there was no problem.

So in summary:
Ask your school or a couple potential schools.
Know that it may vary from country to country but it's definitely not just always impossible to fly on a one-way ticket.

[Bayden]

I think this is a scam by the travel agents to sell more tickets.
I've never been asked to show a return ticket at the airport. My attitude is that if I have a legal visa then I'm entitled to enter the country and it's immigration controls job to control or question the issue, not the travel agents.
I never tell a travel agent my reason for travel, it's none of their business.
I suggest you tell them you intend to take the train when you leave (That is if you don't tell them to mind their own farking business and just give me the ticket or I'm taking my business elsewhere.)

[JZer]

I doubt that in a European country an American would ever be asked about having a return ticket or not. Americans are not so likely to stay in Europe illegally.

[tedkarma]

If you enter a country with a legal visa, particularly a visa that will allow you to work (or that leads to that permission), you will not be expected to provide proof of transportation out of the country.

Try different travel agent. Or, buy your ticket on line.

[Jetgirly]

If you're coming from North America, it's usually cheaper to buy a return ticket than a one-way ticket, even if you're only going one way.

I flew Victoria -> Vancouver / Toronto -> Frankfurt -> Milan several times and nobody ever checked to see if I had a return ticket. This could possibly be because I have a German passport. I don't speak a word of German so I have no idea what was being said to me.

[Justin Trullinger]

Check with immigration authorities in the country you'll be going to.

Travel agents are experts on flights, not visa law.

Justin

[jleerolfe]

Thanks everybody for the helpful replies. I had a hunch that it might not be so serious as it seemed. I'll definitely start looking more specifically into the countries I plan on being in. I was starting to feel that the agency would probably charge me a lot more anyhow. I might just get a ticket online and go for it.
Cheers,
Jason

[coffeedrinker]

I think the thing is most new teachers are unlikely to have a work visa before they arrive. But still, lots of people travel on one-way tickets, and it's an option built into the menu at orbitz and such.

Regarding Americans flying into European countries...in general I agree but I'm American and was asked for a return ticket flying into the UK - I think they are understandably concerned about people working illegally, so I'd consider it a necessity to have a return ticket flying into the UK.

[Jetsam]

With respect to the naysayers, the possibility of being denied passage does exist. I used to work for an international school in Cyprus, which provided return tickets to its teachers every summer. The point of origin being Cyprus, that meant as a Canadian, I was returning to a foreign country. SO guess what, one time en route back 'home' to Cyprus - the return portion of my ticket, I was stopped at Milan airport and refused a boarding pass. Not until I went and bought a ticket out of the country then and there could I finish the last leg of my flight.
My mistake was I didn't have a residence or work permit on me, nor even a copy of my work contract, even though I'd lived and taught there 3 years. It was the only time this has ever occurred, and I have flown into countries on a one way ticket since. (It seems especially easy within/between Middle Eastern countries.) But be warned, it does happen. I think it largely depends on how strictly any airline wants to follow international customs laws.
Oh - and if you were wondering where I ended up flying to (on a return tickey), it was Beirut. A lovely half hour flight that cost about $200. USD at the time.

[vashdown2]

You can either buy your ticket online...

Or do what I always, just throw away the return ticket- and chalk it up to a business expense of travelling....!