Travel to Germany on RTD without visa: does the entry stamp specify time limit?

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pvlaca

Registered Users (C)
I just found this forum, and find it very helpful - thanks to all.

This is a two-part question to wantmygcnow and all those who have traveled to Germany on Refugee Travel Document (RTD) without visa:

A) what is the maximum time the RTD holder is allowed in Germany - does the entry stamp clearly state the length of the duration?

B) Does traveling to German on RTD without a visa requires the RTD to be valid 6 months beyond the last day in Germany?

Thanks in advance

PVLACA
 
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3 months. YOu can leave at 2.5 months and come back and stay another 3 months.


I never had this problem. MY RTD was to expire in JULY and i was in germany till may 20th of this year..
 
wantmygcnow - thank you very much for your quick reply.

Two more follow-up questions:

1. When traveling to Germany, what are the documents other than RTD you brought with you or you suggest one should bring?

2. If I understand you correctly, you are saying that one can go to Germany (and for that matter, through Germany, to Schengen countries) for up to 2.5 months, and leave and then be able to go back to Germany for another 3 months. Have you done that before or heard of this being done by others? and how long should one wait after coming back to US before going to Germany again?

I'm asking the second question because according to the Visa section of the German Consulate site in Los Angeles (where I'm), those who don't need a visa to visit Germany "may not stay longer than three months every half-year or take up gainful employment requiring a work permit." Is there any risk in going back immediately (that's what I'm planning to do) for another 3 months after staying for 2.5 months in the first trip? Maybe the rule is not strictly enforced.

Thanks as always.

pvlaca
 
Well I took a return ticket and the officer looked at it. I had family emergency in november of last year so I had to stay for 6 months. I went on November 18th to germany got stamped and then came back to u.s in end of january. I went to germany february (through france) and they didn't stamp on my passport..and i exited germany in may!

Its no big deal..You can enter through france but let them know that you are travlling to germany since france doesnt recognize RTD.
 
wantmygcnow, thank you very much for sharing the information.

It's ironic that France doesn't recognize RTD but lets you go to Germany while you can go back to France through Germany.

I am planning to be in France for at least 6 weeks, and possibly 6 months. So it seems that going through Germany to France may be an option - of course one would have to break the 6 months into two trips. Please let me know if you see any risk in doing this. (FYI, I went to Germany on H1-B in 2001 and went to Paris afterwards for a short stay, and there was no check on immigration documents in crossing the border of Germany and France)

Again, many thanks for sharing your info. And I'll certainly post my experience after I have made the trip.
 
Well let me say French Embassy doesn’t recognize RTD but when you enter france they don’t make it that of a big deal.
I was in germany and went all over Europe without a VISA and no problems at all with the border control with Switzerland police or Italian police or Spanish police. I went to Spain embassy in Germany and they said they don’t’ require a visa on RTD while the Spanish embassy in Washington D.C said I require a visa!! It is weird! Just having the name U.S Dept of Justice..means more than anyone thinks! We should all thank for the BCIS that it even isssues a document with their name and logo on it...It means a lot when you are outside U.S..it has a lot of respect!

Do you have the new green RTD? If you do have you asked german embassy if they accept that?
 
Yes,I have the new RTD (the green one). I haven't asked the German embassy yet - but that's a good suggestion. I'll post the answer here if I succeed in getting one.
 
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I just called the German consulate in Los Angeles, and was told that

A. One doesn't need a visa with the new RTD when traveling to Germany,
B. The RTD should be valid for another 4 months beyond the departure date

Point A is certainly good news, but point B seems to be different from the experience of wantmygcnow. Maybe further investigation is needed on this.
 
Just worry bout part A because I didn't seem to have any problems. They ask how long you are staying..Just say 2-3 weeks and make sure you produce a return ticket..you can always change your ticket later on..

And you may want to get something printed out that says you don't need a visa because the airline people dont know crap!!
 
wantmygcnow said:
Well let me say French Embassy doesn’t recognize RTD but when you enter france they don’t make it that of a big deal.
I was in germany and went all over Europe without a VISA and no problems at all with the border control with Switzerland police or Italian police or Spanish police. I went to Spain embassy in Germany and they said they don’t’ require a visa on RTD while the Spanish embassy in Washington D.C said I require a visa!! It is weird! Just having the name U.S Dept of Justice..means more than anyone thinks! We should all thank for the BCIS that it even isssues a document with their name and logo on it...It means a lot when you are outside U.S..it has a lot of respect!

Do you have the new green RTD? If you do have you asked german embassy if they accept that?
Click to expand...

Anyone knows if Canada or Mexico recognize RTD? Do we need a visa when to travel to these countries?

Many thanks

----------------------
good luck to everyone
 
Beware of the dog

> 1. When traveling to Germany, what are the documents other
> than RTD you brought with you or you suggest one should bring?

Bring a credit card and some bank statements to proove to the Border Protection officer that you can affort such an extended trip and that you don't have to take up illegal employment to pay your expenses. They require proof of funds and an invitation when you apply for a visa, they might ask you for it at the border if you travel without a visa.

As for the Shengen regulations. They did lead to the end of inner-european border checkpoints, they did not change the individual countries right of residence regulations.
Typically Germany allows tourist and family stays up to 90 days.
Try not to skirt the regulations by re-entering the country through the back door. Chances are, you won't get into trouble, but just like US immigration they can get really nasty once they have chosen you as a target. If you re-enter through a different Schengen country and for some reason or another get into contact with the police, they might refer you to the 'Auslaenderamt' (which is the locally administrated equivalent of INS). If they find you in violation of the visa-free travel rules, you might end up with a big black mark in the Schengen database.

You might want to think about getting a visa for the second trip. If they issued a visa, they specifically allowed you in and you don't run a risk of trouble.
 
Hadron: Thanks for your advice on what documents to bring when traveling to Germany on RTD without visa.

- When you say "try not to skirt the regulations by re-entenring the country through the back door", could you please kindly clarify what you mean by that?

- What's your view on traveling to other Schengen countries from Germany? Any direct experience to share? (I traveled on H1-B visa with my colleagues on car from Germany to France in 2001, and when crossing the border, we didn't even see a border post, let alone any immigration agents or police).

- The last question is for all who'd like to chime in: am I right in assuming that if you travel to Germany on RTD without visa, even if you travel to another Schengen country, you'll have to depart from Germany?
 
Pvlaca,

I was in germany/europe for 6 months and I can tell you that you don't need any visa at all! YES I agree that waht the embassy says about travelling with a visa and all is true but when you are in EUROPE, if germany doesn't require a visa NO ONE ELSE asks for a visa.

YOu have a stamp in your passport. When i was to go to swtizerland which is not part of schegen, they looked at my passport and said "Hmm germany doesn't require a visa..we don't either"....!!

Just get in germany and move around and if someone asks you for your passport and show it. YOu are in GERMANY legally! Yes its good idea to have credit cards and blah but I have been to europe over 10 times and I dont ever remember anyone asking to "SHOW ME UR CREDIT CARDS"...YEs you need to just tell them where you are staying and all..

Last but not least, YOu are lucky to have a document issued by U.S BCIS and be proud of it. Show it with pride and do not worry about anything else. You don't need to prove anything to anyonme..your travel document shows to the immigration control that you are a legal traveller!!
 
wantmygcnow:

Thanks for your reassurance. It all seems to come down to two philosophies towards life: either venture out, do something and be resourceful or try to figure out all possibilities and prepare for all eventualities, which is almost impossible.

What I like about this forum is that it provides something that cannot be learned from the embassies, BCIS, the web sites and regulations. Without reading this forum, I wouldn't have known that visiting Germany on RTD doesn't require a visa - it's not even published on the website of German embassy.

Wish all a nice weekend.
 
I concur with you pvlaca ! A real life experience is worth 100 times more than written information on websites or calling those BCIS numbers and talking to those goofs at the other end of the line.
 
Don't mess with the BGS (federal border protection service)

- What's your view on traveling to other Schengen countries
> from Germany? Any direct experience to share? (I traveled
> on H1-B visa with my colleagues on car from Germany to France
> in 2001, and when crossing the border, we didn't even see a
> border post, let alone any immigration agents or police).


As for the border checkpoints: Yes, the fixed checkpoints were dismantled approx 10 years ago, some even before the Schengen treaty (germany/NL, germany/belgium). Still, the federal border police (immigration) and customs will perform random checks in the 10km zone along the border to curb the traficking in persons and illicit drugs. If you don't have local license plates, they can pull you over and check your documents. I don't think you will encounter any problems, but don't mess with the rules.

As to 'sneaking in through the back door'. If the regulations say 'not more than 3 months out of any 6', you do best to heed that advice. That some well meaning portugese officer let you into the Schengen area doesn't necessarily mean you can live legally in germany for an extended period of time.

The Schengen treaty specifically says that if one country waives the visa requirement, it doesn't mean other countries automatically have to do so. Be sure to know what you do and treat any advice from an internet BB with scepticism.

By the way. I believe you can get an extension of stay through the local 'Auslaenderamt' if you can provide a valid reason why. Be prepared to show that you are either able to afford that extension of stay by your own financial means (here is were the bank statements come in handy) or through an affidavit of support (Verpflichtungserklaerung) from your local host.
 
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Hi Guys,

I have a question if someone has an answer.

I will go to Germany on June 3, 2019.
Do I need Travel Health Insurance?
I will visit my mother and I will stay in her apartment. Do I have to prove it or only address is enough?
What they are asking at the border?

I was in Germany before with Tourist Visa in 2014. But the situation is very different right now. I don`t need a visa but I think it doesn`t mean I can just go and enter the country.
 
They can ask you for travel insurance, but the don't really do it. Your mother's address should be enough. If you speak German, you can explain things yourself.
 
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