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Old 03-20-2006, 09:19 AM   #1
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I'm going to Europe for 2 months on July 30. What do I need besides my passport and Eurail pass? Would I need to get a Visa at all? I'll be going to these countries: England, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bosnia, Greece, and Croatia. I'm from Canada if that makes a difference.
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Old 03-20-2006, 10:05 AM   #2
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You should be fine. Just need to show that you have an onward ticket in most places, but you most likely won't be checked going between EU countries.
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Old 07-17-2006, 07:38 PM   #3
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From what I'm reading throughout the forum, most countries require visas to stay over 90 days. I won't be in any one country over 90 days, but my trip will hopefully be about 5 months through eastern Europe. I'd really like to just float around at my own will, but do I have to book some sort of ticket to my next destination to show that I won't be there over 90 days? I'm clueless about this whole visa thing, I've never needed one before due to my military status, but that won't be much longer. And, sorry, I know this really sounds like a stupid question to most of you, but just how do you go about getting visas?

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Old 07-18-2006, 12:01 AM   #4
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Hollz, the only places you listed for which you *might* need visas are Bosnia and Croatia. I'm pretty sure that for Croatia you don't, but I'd look into it, just in case. Any travel book covering those countries will have details about Visa requirements in the introductory pages, pick one up from your local library if you don't have your own. It will give the details regarding where to apply for any paperwork you need.

Legit, how are you planning to get back stateside after your trip? Will you be able to use a hop, or traveling civilian? If you're flying a civilian carrier, you might want to get a flexible ticket so that you can change it if you decide to stay longer. Check the change fee, if it's only about $100, it might be worth booking a particular date and then changing it if you decide to stay longer. It's a small price to pay if it saves you hassle by having an onward ticket. I don't think you need anything to the very next destination - we've never had anything like that in our ramblings.

To get visas, if you've got access to a guidebook, check in there for details, or online, check out the State Dept webside (I think it's www.statedept.gov, but could be wrong) for the countries you'd like to visit. They'll have all the requirements listed and contact info. Do you have a tourist passport, or just a no fee? If you have a no fee, you'll probably need a tourist passport for this trip - I don't know how you go about applying for that downrange, but again, the state dept website might have info. Or if you have access to a legal office, they should be able to hook you up. If not, you can probably go to the consulate in Frankfurt when you get back to sort it out.

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Old 07-18-2006, 04:38 AM   #5
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This is a list of the countries that require a TOURIST VISA for Canadians... hope it helps!

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Old 07-18-2006, 04:07 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally posted by tumblezweedz@Jul 18 2006, 11:01 AM
Hollz, the only places you listed for which you *might* need visas are Bosnia and Croatia.* I'm pretty sure that for Croatia you don't, but I'd look into it, just in case.* Any travel book covering those countries will have details about Visa requirements in the introductory pages, pick one up from your local library if you don't have your own.* It will give the details regarding where to apply for any paperwork you need.

Legit, how are you planning to get back stateside after your trip?* Will you be able to use a hop, or traveling civilian?* If you're flying a civilian carrier, you might want to get a flexible ticket so that you can change it if you decide to stay longer.* Check the change fee, if it's only about $100, it might be worth booking a particular date and then changing it if you decide to stay longer.* It's a small price to pay if it saves you hassle by having an onward ticket.* I don't think you need anything to the very next destination - we've never had anything like that in our ramblings.

To get visas, if you've got access to a guidebook, check in there for details, or online, check out the State Dept webside (I think it's www.statedept.gov, but could be wrong) for the countries you'd like to visit.* They'll have all the requirements listed and contact info.* Do you have a tourist passport, or just a no fee?* If you have a no fee, you'll probably need a tourist passport for this trip - I don't know how you go about applying for that downrange, but again, the state dept website might have info.* Or if you have access to a legal office, they should be able to hook you up.* If not, you can probably go to the consulate in Frankfurt when you get back to sort it out.


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I'm not sure whether the military will pay for my final return to the States, I'm trying to figure that out now but these folks back in Wiesbaden aren't very cooperative via e-mail. I'm told that if I stay over 90 days I have to "register" with the German authorities. And even then, my request to stay can be denied or approved by military officials. It might just be better to fly back to the States and then arrange my own way back.

I do have a tourist passport, so that's no problem. So if a country wants to see that you're leaving within 90 days, you'd have to show them an onward ticket for sometime within that period, not just your final flight home, right? That's where I'm confused.

Tumbleweed, you really continue to be a great help with all my questions. Thanks for all the help!
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Old 07-18-2006, 11:10 PM   #7
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Hmmm, I don't see why you'd have to register with the German authorities if you're not going to be in Germany for that time - I mean, regular travelers don't, and that's what you would be once you're out. Have you by any chance contacted the consulate? They might have more specific info than your personnel office, since they'd be used to dealing with civilians. Trying to arrange all this by email must be so frustrating, I can't imagine.

Why does the military have veto power over your decision to stay? Are you using terminal leave or planning this trip exclusively after you get out? If they are paying for your ticket, I can see why they'd have some say in when you go, but if not it doesn't sound like their concern...but who knows how personnel offices work, eh?

We've never had a problem being asked for an onward ticket, or being asked how long we intended to stay someplace, so I don't think that should be a huge concern for you - within the EU things are pretty lax, although in Eastern Europe they do still maintain their border vigilance a lot more rigourously than in the west. Still, if you tell them you're staying for limited time (tell them a week, two weeks, something concrete) and have hotel reservations in another country on a specific date, you should have no difficulty.

One other thing I've just remembered - one time when we flew into Lithuania, the guy behind us got stuck at immigration because he didn't have proof of medical insurance. This was during the SARS outbreak and he was Chinese, so perhaps they were a little more wary (though my Canadian passport raised eyebrows, too), but they were quite insistent that he couldn't come into the country without evidence of medical insurance. So hang on to your Tricare card, it may come in handy.

Good luck sorting all the rest out - what is your time line again? Will you have some time in Wiesbaden to sort everything out or is it a pretty quick turn around?

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Old 07-19-2006, 05:35 PM   #8
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I haven't contacted the consulate, that's a good idea. Yeah, this personnel stuff is a real headache. Well, this is really frustrating, I'm not sure if I'll be using terminal leave . . . I'd rather not, and use some leave here and there before I get out. But, depending on how everything unfolds when we get out of Iraq, that terminal leave may be useful to keep me from getting stop-lossed (and deployed again). So yes, huge pain in the butt, and all out of my hands right now. I don't know how they can sorta control me once I'm out, I guess its all part of that Status of Forces Agreement. The Germans don's want the U.S. leaving soldiers there, unemployed, bla bla, so they want to be sure we're sent home and then we're finally out of their control. Who knows.

I should have enough time to sort this all out. I'll be out of Iraq and in Wiesbaden late next month, and supposed to get out of the Army in mid May. So that's over 8 months to enjoy Europe (I hope) while still getting a paycheck, and then travelling for 4+ months after that.
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Old 07-19-2006, 09:05 PM   #9
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Stop-loss=bad.

Hope the consulate thing works out. Now I understand a little better about why you might have to go home first, but it sounds like you'll have a good amount of time to sort it all out once you get back. Til then, stay safe and keep dreaming about cool climates. (Germany doesn't qualify this week - 93 F yesterday. Cooler than you, but still pretty dang hot.)

There's a couple other tpunks living in Germany, I think we may have to think about a meet up.

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Old 07-20-2006, 04:50 PM   #10
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Yeah, that'd be awesome! I'm definitely down for a Tpunk meet.
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