Passport Control when leaving Spain

[p.hayes0509]

Hello all
I am flying from Santiago to Ireland on an Australian passport on Sunday once I finish the Camino Frances on Friday.

I entered Spain from SJPDP in May, thus have no entry stamp in my passport.

Do I need to get my passport stamped when leaving Spain by air?

Regards
Patrick

 

[Molly Cassidy]

Presumably you got a stamp when you entered the Schengen zone?
Ireland is not in the Schengen zone, so you should get a stamp when you leave Spain.

 

[p.hayes0509]

Presumably you got a stamp when you entered the Schengen zone?
Ireland is not in the Schengen zone, so you should get a stamp when you leave Spain.

I got a stamp when I arrived in France.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

Yes, that's fine. You'll get one when you leave Spain.
You can travel all over Europe within the Schengen zone without getting your passport stamped, but when you leave the Schengen zone they'll check the entry stamp from when you arrived in France.

 

[p.hayes0509]

Yes, that's fine. You'll get one when you leave Spain.
You can travel all over Europe within the Schengen zone without getting your passport stamped, but when you leave the Schengen zone they'll check the entry stamp from when you arrived in France.

Great thanks for your assistance Molly, much appreciated.

 

[RibbonRomanceAuthor]

Yes, that's fine. You'll get one when you leave Spain.
You can travel all over Europe within the Schengen zone without getting your passport stamped, but when you leave the Schengen zone they'll check the entry stamp from when you arrived in France.

I’ve been wondering the same as I don’t have a stamp from Spain. I do have one from Bayonne. But I flew from the US to Dublin on 6/5/22 and I don’t see a stamp from Ireland.

 

[Zordmot]

Yes, that's fine. You'll get one when you leave Spain.
You can travel all over Europe within the Schengen zone without getting your passport stamped, but when you leave the Schengen zone they'll check the entry stamp from when you arrived in France.

And to follow up, for those of us coming from non-Schengen countries we get our passports date stamped when we enter any of the 26 European Schengen countries. That entry gives us a 180-day period. Of that 180 day period, we may spend any 90 days visiting those 26 Schengen countries. For example: I entered France on April 25. My 180-day period expires on Oct 27. Of that period between April 25 and Oct 27, I may spend any 90 days in any of the Schengen countries. In my case, I spent 50 days walking the Camino and visiting France and Spain. I then took a flight from Santiago to London where I am now. The UK and Ireland are NOT in Schengen (and neither are Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ukraine, Moldova, Macedonia, Northern Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herz., Montenegro). So as of today, I can spend any combination of 40 days between now and October 27 visiting any combination of Schengen countries. This is all a bit complicated but it is correct. While walking the Camino I was told several times by other pilgrims that my understanding of Schengen rules is incorrect. They usually assumed (incorrectly) that after you leave the Schengen area and then set foot back into Schengen that you get a NEW 180-day period of time. The answer is NO. You can get a new 180-period ONLY AFTER your original 180 day period expires. So let’s say I now go back home to the US. If I come back to Europe in a couple of months, I do not get a new 180-day free pass. THATS WHY IN THIS THREAD it’s emphasized that you get your passport stamped whenever you arrive in Europe and when you depart. That is your personal official record to prove you are following the rules. Even if you just plan on walking the Camino for 35 days and then flying home it’s good to keep all this mind in case of emergency or hospitalization or..if you happen to meet along the way a special person with a cute accent…hahaha. You may freely pass between countries in Europe without getting stamped, and that’s OK. AND it should be noted that you can still apply for a tourist visa from any individual country in Europe at that country’s embassy in your home country.

You can travel all over Europe within the Schengen zone without getting your passport stamped, but when you leave the Schengen zone they'll check the entry stamp from when you arrived in France.

Yes, that's fine. You'll get one when you leave Spain.
You can travel all over Europe within the Schengen zone without getting your passport stamped, but when you leave the Schengen zone they'll check the entry stamp from when you arrived in France.

Presumably you got a stamp when you entered the Schengen zone?
Ireland is not in the Schengen zone, so you should get a stamp when you leave Spain.

Presumably you got a stamp when you entered the Schengen zone?
Ireland is not in the Schengen zone, so you should get a stamp when you leave Spain.

I got a stamp when I arrived in France.

Presumably you got a stamp when you entered the Schengen zone?
Ireland is not in the Schengen zone, so you should get a stamp when you leave Spain.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

I’ve been wondering the same as I don’t have a stamp from Spain. I do have one from Bayonne. But I flew from the US to Dublin on 6/5/22 and I don’t see a stamp from Ireland.

I would have thought they would have stamped the passport in Ireland. Did you have an exit stamp from Spain?

 

[Dennis Pack]

I never worry whether or not I "need to get my passport stamped" ... I figure the immigration people know what they are doing. I just keep my passport handy.
Aren't open borders wonderful

 

[Molly Cassidy]

Aren't open borders wonderful

Absolutely! It's a shock (as a European) when you reach a real border. I spent 5 hours waiting at the land border to re-enter the EU from Serbia to Hungary last year. When I came back I went to long way round!

 

[VNwalking]

You can get a new 180-period ONLY AFTER your original 180 day period expires.

True. Pay attention or risk overstaying and not being allowed back in.

 

[henrythedog]

And to follow up, for those of us coming from non-Schengen countries we get our passports date stamped when we enter any of the 26 European Schengen countries. That entry gives us a 180-day period. Of that 180 day period, we may spend any 90 days visiting those 26 Schengen countries. For example: I entered France on April 25. My 180-day period expires on Oct 27. Of that period between April 25 and Oct 27, I may spend any 90 days in any of the Schengen countries. In my case, I spent 50 days walking the Camino and visiting France and Spain. I then took a flight from Santiago to London where I am now. The UK and Ireland are NOT in Schengen (and neither are Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ukraine, Moldova, Macedonia, Northern Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herz., Montenegro). So as of today, I can spend any combination of 40 days between now and October 27 visiting any combination of Schengen countries. This is all a bit complicated but it is correct. While walking the Camino I was told several times by other pilgrims that my understanding of Schengen rules is incorrect. They usually assumed (incorrectly) that after you leave the Schengen area and then set foot back into Schengen that you get a NEW 180-day period of time. The answer is NO. You can get a new 180-period ONLY AFTER your original 180 day period expires. So let’s say I now go back home to the US. If I come back to Europe in a couple of months, I do not get a new 180-day free pass. THATS WHY IN THIS THREAD it’s emphasized that you get your passport stamped whenever you arrive in Europe and when you depart. That is your personal official record to prove you are following the rules. Even if you just plan on walking the Camino for 35 days and then flying home it’s good to keep all this mind in case of emergency or hospitalization or..if you happen to meet along the way a special person with a cute accent…hahaha. You may freely pass between countries in Europe without getting stamped, and that’s OK. AND it should be noted that you can still apply for a tourist visa from any individual country in Europe at that country’s embassy in your home country.

That’s almost; but not precisely correct.

Enter on day 1 for a day and in the remaining 179 days you can spend 89 more days in Schengen - BUT - you don’t get a new 180 day period on day 181. You get a ‘new’ 180 day period every day. At any time (as a non Schengen resident) you can have spent only 90 days or fewer in Schengen without an additional visa in the preceding 180 days; including the day you depart. It’s a backward-looking rule; not forward looking.

 

[C clearly]

You can get a new 180-period ONLY AFTER your original 180 day period expires.

I realize that you understand it correctly, but that is not a good way to describe it.

BUT - you don’t get a new 180 day period on day 181. You get a ‘new’ 180 day period every day.

Exactly!

It might be better to think of it from the perspective of your departure from Schengen. On that day, looking back 180 days, you must not have been in the Schengen region more than 90 days.

I never worry whether or not I "need to get my passport stamped" ... I figure the immigration people know what they are doing. I just keep my passport handy.

Me too. There is generally no expectation or need to actively "get" a stamp. But I suppose there are situations where someone might cross an uncontrolled land border, leaving the Schengen area, and they might want to "get" a stamp to show that they have left, so their 180-day-clock is stopped.

 

[Zordmot]

And to follow up, for those of us coming from non-Schengen countries we get our passports date stamped when we enter any of the 26 European Schengen countries. That entry gives us a 180-day period. Of that 180 day period, we may spend any 90 days visiting those 26 Schengen countries. For example: I entered France on April 25. My 180-day period expires on Oct 27. Of that period between April 25 and Oct 27, I may spend any 90 days in any of the Schengen countries. In my case, I spent 50 days walking the Camino and visiting France and Spain. I then took a flight from Santiago to London where I am now. The UK and Ireland are NOT in Schengen (and neither are Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ukraine, Moldova, Macedonia, Northern Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herz., Montenegro). So as of today, I can spend any combination of 40 days between now and October 27 visiting any combination of Schengen countries. This is all a bit complicated but it is correct. While walking the Camino I was told several times by other pilgrims that my understanding of Schengen rules is incorrect. They usually assumed (incorrectly) that after you leave the Schengen area and then set foot back into Schengen that you get a NEW 180-day period of time. The answer is NO. You can get a new 180-period ONLY AFTER your original 180 day period expires. So let’s say I now go back home to the US. If I come back to Europe in a couple of months, I do not get a new 180-day free pass. THATS WHY IN THIS THREAD it’s emphasized that you get your passport stamped whenever you arrive in Europe and when you depart. That is your personal official record to prove you are following the rules. Even if you just plan on walking the Camino for 35 days and then flying home it’s good to keep all this mind in case of emergency or hospitalization or..if you happen to meet along the way a special person with a cute accent…hahaha. You may freely pass between countries in Europe without getting stamped, and that’s OK.

I realize that you understand it correctly, but that is not a good way to describe it.

Exactly!

It might be better to think of it from the perspective of your departure from Schengen. On that day, looking back 180 days, you must not have been in the Schengen region more than 90 days.


Me too. There is generally no expectation or need to actively "get" a stamp. But I suppose there are situations where someone might cross an uncontrolled land border, leaving the Schengen area, and they might want to "get" a stamp to show that they have left, so their 180-day-clock is stopped.

We’re both saying the same thing. My reason for writing was to discover that some pilgrims were under the impression that they had a 6-month visa in Europe. One pilgrim from the US that I talked to was planning on walking the Camino and then spending 5 months with family in Holland. She had no idea what I was talking about. My point is to understand the idiosyncrasies of Schengen and to be able to plan accordingly so as to avoid being pulled out of line as you begin the trip home.

 

[trecile]

That’s almost; but not precisely correct.

Enter on day 1 for a day and in the remaining 179 days you can spend 89 more days in Schengen - BUT - you don’t get a new 180 day period on day 181. You get a ‘new’ 180 day period every day. At any time (as a non Schengen resident) you can have spent only 90 days or fewer in Schengen without an additional visa in the preceding 180 days; including the day you depart. It’s a backward-looking rule; not forward looking.

Right. It's a rolling 180 day period.
There are a number of online Schengen visa calculators that you can use, like this one.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

That's a great calculator and answers the necessary questions needed to stay legal.

 

[Ronald Boivin]

Yes, that's fine. You'll get one when you leave Spain.
You can travel all over Europe within the Schengen zone without getting your passport stamped, but when you leave the Schengen zone they'll check the entry stamp from when you arrived in France.

And remember you can only remain in the Schengen zone for 90 days within a 180 day period.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Over 100 posts on understanding the Schengen tourist limits are on this thread:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/90-day-tourist-limit-schengen-countries.73289/