Life After The Camino

[Kait]

Hello fellow travelers,
I have purchased a one way ticket to Europe for an August 27 start of the Camino de Santiago. I have been researching volunteer and work options to contribute, experience a new adventure, stay in the EU or UK for awhile, and travel more.

Does anyone have any experience with continuing your journey after Santiago? What were the opportunities that you pursued/researched, how did you find them, stories of your post camino experiences.

Thank you for all your wisdom!

Kait

 

[notion900]

You don't mention your nationality, but a non EU citizen arriving on a one way ticket in the UK from outside the EU is likely to encounter visa issues. Have you researched this? I don't think you can volunteer in the UK on a tourist visa, but please do check.

 

[Kait]

I'm a US citizen.

 

[Kanga]

Hi @Kait - I think a US citizen would need to get a work visa even if the work is volunteering, but better to check it out yourself - the British embassy or consulate should be able to help.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Does anyone have any experience with continuing your journey after Santiago?

Assuming you take about 35 days for the Camino including travel in the EU, you will have 55 days left on your Schengen "visa." After that, you will have to leave the Schengen EU until you begin to reinstate days after 180 days after your first arrival in a Schengen country. The UK is not part of the Schengen treaty, so you can go there after the Camino. You can stay in the UK for six months, but you cannot work or volunteer unless you get a standard visa.

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

Look into Pueblo Ingles (the name might have changed but Google will find it), which recruits English speaking volunteers for their language immersion programs. Basically, you get free room and board for a week in exchange for speaking English almost 24 hours a day for the week to native Spanish speakers who are learning English. I think they also have programs in Italy and Germany now. It is an excellent opportunity to meet more people from around the world. I have done short volunteer programs such as this in various countries of Europe and the UK without needing a visa. Longterm programs might have different requirements.

 

[Castilian]

Some comments:

• If I'm not wrong, Americans comming to the Schengen area for tourism purposes are allowed to stay in the Schengen area visa free 90 days in a rolling 180 calendar days period. In other words, when exiting the Schengen Area they'll look at the last 180 days and if you spent more than 90 days inside, you'll have overstayed and be treated accordingly (it may result in warning or a fine and/or to be banned entry into the Schengen area for some time or...) That's 90 days in all the Schengen area; not in each Schengen area country. I don't know current requirements about passport validity but you may check if your passport needs to be valid not just for the time you spend on the Schengen area but also for some time after it.
• Tourism purposes means no work is allowed. If you plan to work, you have to get the relevant work visa. For info about requirements, ask the consulate in the USA (covering your home town) of the country in which you plan to work. If you plan to volunteer, ask about the rules/requirements to make it at the consulate in the USA (covering your home town) of the country in which you plan to volunteer.
• You may be refused entry into the Schengen Area if you travel just with a one-way ticket (proof that you are going to leave the Schegen area within the máximum time you are allowed to stay in is required). In fact, you might even be refused to board your plane in the USA because if you are denied entry, it's the airline that must take you back to the USA and it could be fined too.
• If by whatever reason a border official checks carefully if you meet all the entry requirements, be aware that proof of enough founds is one of them. Minimum money required per day may vary from country to country and I'm not updated about current amounts but I guess you can find that info online.
• The UK isn't part of the Schengen area so check what are the rules for Americans regarding tourist stays in the UK, working in the UK and/or volunteering in the UK. The same would apply to anyother EU country that isn't part of the Schegen Area, check what the consulate of the relevant country what are the requirements for Americans for either tourism visits, working or volunteering; depending on what you plan to make in that country.
• The US Department of State has a web providing travel advice for Americans: http://travel.state.gov where you can find some useful info (both general as well as country specific).

I have done short volunteer programs such as this in various countries of Europe and the UK without needing a visa.

I have a doubt, Do you mean you checked whether you needed a visa to volunteer in those countries and you were told you didn't need one by a consulate of each of those countries? or Do you mean you weren't asked by whoever runned the volunteer programs to show a visa and you thought you needed one to make it?

Rules for volunteering may vary in each Schengen area country so what's valid for one of them might be not valid for another one. And rules for volunteering in a specific country may vary along the time too. Therefore I would suggest to double-check what are the current regulations for people of your nationality in the specific country in which you plan to volunteer. Better safe than sorry!

 

[Albertagirl]

Some comments:

• If I'm not wrong, Americans comming to the Schengen area for tourism purposes are allowed to stay in the Schengen area visa free 90 days in a rolling 180 calendar days period. In other words, when exiting the Schengen Area they'll look at the last 180 days and if you spent more than 90 days inside, you'll have overstayed and be treated accordingly (it may result in warning or a fine and/or to be banned entry into the Schengen area for some time or...) That's 90 days in all the Schengen area; not in each Schengen area country. I don't know current requirements about passport validity but you may check if your passport needs to be valid not just for the time you spend on the Schengen area but also for some time after it.
• Tourism purposes means no work is allowed. If you plan to work, you have to get the relevant work visa. For info about requirements, ask the consulate in the USA (covering your home town) of the country in which you plan to work. If you plan to volunteer, ask about the rules/requirements to make it at the consulate in the USA (covering your home town) of the country in which you plan to volunteer.
• You may be refused entry into the Schengen Area if you travel just with a one-way ticket (proof that you are going to leave the Schegen area within the máximum time you are allowed to stay in is required). In fact, you might even be refused to board your plane in the USA because if you are denied entry, it's the airline that must take you back to the USA and it could be fined too.
• If by whatever reason a border official checks carefully if you meet all the entry requirements, be aware that proof of enough founds is one of them. Minimum money required per day may vary from country to country and I'm not updated about current amounts but I guess you can find that info online.
• The UK isn't part of the Schengen area so check what are the rules for Americans regarding tourist stays in the UK, working in the UK and/or volunteering in the UK. The same would apply to anyother EU country that isn't part of the Schegen Area, check what the consulate of the relevant country what are the requirements for Americans for either tourism visits, working or volunteering; depending on what you plan to make in that country.
• The US Department of State has a web providing travel advice for Americans: http://travel.state.gov where you can find some useful info (both general as well as country specific).

I have a doubt, Do you mean you checked whether you needed a visa to volunteer in those countries and you were told you didn't need one by a consulate of each of those countries? or Do you mean you weren't asked by whoever runned the volunteer programs to show a visa and you thought you needed one to make it?

Rules for volunteering may vary in each Schengen area country so what's valid for one of them might be not valid for another one. And rules for volunteering in a specific country may vary along the time too. Therefore I would suggest to double-check what are the current regulations for people of your nationality in the specific country in which you plan to volunteer. Better safe than sorry!

@Castilian
If a visa is needed to volunteer, does this include for being a hospitalero/a on the camino? I suppose that this issue is addressed in the course of training in one's own country, as there are so many people from outside the Schengen area who volunteer. I am considering applying for hospitalera training and do not wish to encounter unexpected visa issues at the last minute.

 

[Castilian]

If a visa is needed to volunteer

AFAIK, rules regarding volunteering may vary from country to country (i.e.: not all the countries in the Schengen area have (to have) the same rules). I don't know what are the current rules neither for Spain nor for any other Schengen Area country. The staff at the Spanish consulate in Toronto should be able to provide you the relevant info for your specific case (Canadian citizen volunteering as a hospitalera in Spain).

 

[Kristen]

Hello fellow travelers,
I have purchased a one way ticket to Europe for an August 27 start of the Camino de Santiago. I have been researching volunteer and work options to contribute, experience a new adventure, stay in the EU or UK for awhile, and travel more.

Does anyone have any experience with continuing your journey after Santiago? What were the opportunities that you pursued/researched, how did you find them, stories of your post camino experiences.

Thank you for all your wisdom!

Kait

Hi Kait, I am also American and I have been using workaway.info to travel longer. Your hosts can sponsor you for the appropriate visa to stay longer.

 

[naplesdon]

I was able to live in France for extended stays from 2011 to 2015, the carte de sejour or long stay visa is a lengthy and expensive process and requires a personal interview at a consulate, in my case that required two trips Miami to the French Consulate. It also required renewal each year at the local French prefecture and more expenses.
I don't know about Spain or the UK but given your schedule I would suggest you make your application quickly.
I let my visa expire early this year and will now only be able to visit my apartment in Biarritz for 90 days twice a year with a time out in the US for 180 days.
I had a similar ex-pat experience in Australia during the 80's, the bottom line: I bought a house and took a job on a visitors visa, I ended up being required to hand over my passport to immigration authorities and provide proof that I had a one way ticket out of the country. The sponsor who had hired me was required to jump through many hoops to prove I was the only person for the job and finally after 3 months I was granted a green card and allowed to return to work and my home.
In other words, don't even think about messing with the immigration authorities.

 

[notion900]

I think that immigration advice is out of the scope of this forum. In the UK only licensed people (i.e. immigration lawyers and government officials) are allowed to give such advice. Depending on unqualified people for immigration 'advice' is likely to end up with serious problems for you - it it YOUR responsibility to research the requirements.

 

[HeidiL]

A lovely American girl I met some years ago was working as a volunteer in the Ponferrada albergue for some weeks before continuing her Camino. If you don't need to get paid (hospitaleros do get room and board, usually), volunteering on the Camino might be a possibility.

 

[sneakynin]

To answer your original question, I haven't yet had any post-Camino experiences like you describe, but I certainly feel them nagging at me. I have dreams of retiring in Spain, teaching English abroad if Trump becomes president, using workaway.info to fill my summer vacations, converting an SUV into a camper and hitting the road, etc.

I also met a man from Germany on the Camino who decided he was going to quit his job and travel because Germany was not a good fit for him anymore.

I think there are plenty of folks who feel the desire for big changes after the Camino, but I am not sure how many actually follow through. Good for you!