Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hagwonnewbie]

I'm an American who is planning a trip to Germany, Belgium, France, and Holland. Will I pay any fees when I arrive from Korea in Germany? What is the process when crossing borders in Europe? Will I have to go through immigration in the same fashion as when I travel through other foreign countries? I figured it would be easier because of the whole European Union thang. What is the time limit for my stay in Europe? What if I want to stay longer? Do I have to go out of the union or return completely to the U.S. before I can return on a tourist visa to the E.U.?

[Natalia]

Why would you pay fees? No, you don't have to.

You go only through immigration between countries in Europe if you are entering a country that is not a part of the Schengen Treaty. Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

If you travel between these countries it is just like travelling domestically.

If you travel to a non-Schengen European country (like England or Estonia), you will have to go through immigration. You will not need a visa for, well, anywhere in Europe.

If you were going somewhere like Russia you would need a visa, but you can't just turn up at the border and pay some money; you need to organise that in advance.

I don't know about time limits for Americans, but Australians can generally stay for three months in any European country. But this is difficult to police, because if you're in Europe for six months authorities have no idea whether you spent all that time in just one country or if you were travelling around to lots of countries where there are no border patrols. You don't need to worry about this. And you are not generally issued 'visas', just a stamp in your passport.

The only place a non-European Westerner will have any trouble with immigration is Britain - where they are downright arseholes, even if you are only staying a couple of days.