Coastline Cafe

Hi All,

I am a UK citizen. I have managed to pick myself up a conditional discharge
for being Drunk & Disorderly in a UK court. My own stupid fault, I simply
drank too much and threw up in the street. Unfortunately, in sight of a
police officer. As there was no malice or aggressive disorder, I received no
fine, merely the conditional discharge, the minimum the magistrate could
hand down.

Anyhow - The US Embassy website is nice and clear - I need to do some extra
form filling whenever I wish to visit the USA, rather than simply enter on
the visa waiver programme, and hence declare my record.

But Spain - I don't know if having a conditional discharge precludes me from
visiting, without filling in a visa application, even though we are both in
the EU. www.conspalon.org doesn't provide the answers, and nor did a five
minute phonecall on their pound-a-minute information line. A call to the
Foreign and Commenwealth Office also yielded complete uncertainty. Short of
a personal visit to the Spanish Embassy in London, I'm hoping someone here
will know whether or not, as a British citizen wishing to fly to Spain (hols
booked for three weeks time), I'm in danger of being refused entry, and/or
requiring a visa application.

Any help/pointers appreciated. An hour trawling google web and google groups
has produced nothing that's actually helped me with regard to the situation
over visiting Spain. And I don't particularly want to have to traipse to the
Spanish Embassay, nor purely rely on the advice of Thomas Cook who say I'll
have no problems entering or leaving Spain so long as I don't get in any
trouble over there!

Blib

    > I am a UK citizen. I have managed to pick myself up a conditional
discharge
    > for being Drunk & Disorderly in a UK court. My own stupid fault, I simply
    > drank too much and threw up in the street. Unfortunately, in sight of a
    > police officer. As there was no malice or aggressive disorder, I received
no
    > fine, merely the conditional discharge, the minimum the magistrate could
    > hand down.
    > Anyhow - The US Embassy website is nice and clear - I need to do some
extra
    > form filling whenever I wish to visit the USA, rather than simply enter on
    > the visa waiver programme, and hence declare my record.
    > But Spain - I don't know if having a conditional discharge precludes me
from
    > visiting, without filling in a visa application, even though we are both
in
    > the EU. www.conspalon.org doesn't provide the answers, and nor did a five
    > minute phonecall on their pound-a-minute information line. A call to the
    > Foreign and Commenwealth Office also yielded complete uncertainty. Short
of
    > a personal visit to the Spanish Embassy in London, I'm hoping someone here
    > will know whether or not, as a British citizen wishing to fly to Spain
(hols
    > booked for three weeks time), I'm in danger of being refused entry, and/or
    > requiring a visa application.
    > Any help/pointers appreciated. An hour trawling google web and google
groups
    > has produced nothing that's actually helped me with regard to the
situation
    > over visiting Spain. And I don't particularly want to have to traipse to
the
    > Spanish Embassay, nor purely rely on the advice of Thomas Cook who say
I'll
    > have no problems entering or leaving Spain so long as I don't get in any
    > trouble over there!

Unless you have a stamp in your Passport specifically baring entry to a
particular country, I doubt you will have any problems in the EU

Keith Willshaw

"Coastline Cafe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hi All,
    > I am a UK citizen. I have managed to pick myself up a conditional
discharge
    > for being Drunk & Disorderly in a UK court. My own stupid fault, I simply
    > drank too much and threw up in the street. Unfortunately, in sight of a
    > police officer. As there was no malice or aggressive disorder, I received
no
    > fine, merely the conditional discharge, the minimum the magistrate could
    > hand down.
    > Anyhow - The US Embassy website is nice and clear - I need to do some
extra
    > form filling whenever I wish to visit the USA, rather than simply enter on
    > the visa waiver programme, and hence declare my record.
    > But Spain - I don't know if having a conditional discharge precludes me
from
    > visiting, without filling in a visa application, even though we are both
in
    > the EU. www.conspalon.org doesn't provide the answers, and nor did a five
    > minute phonecall on their pound-a-minute information line. A call to the
    > Foreign and Commenwealth Office also yielded complete uncertainty. Short
of
    > a personal visit to the Spanish Embassy in London, I'm hoping someone here
    > will know whether or not, as a British citizen wishing to fly to Spain
(hols
    > booked for three weeks time), I'm in danger of being refused entry, and/or
    > requiring a visa application.

Nay problem old son

I know a good many people with far worse than that who
have visted Spain.

Keith

Coastline Cafe

"blib" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Unless you have a stamp in your Passport specifically baring entry to a
    > particular country, I doubt you will have any problems in the EU

Thank goodness for that! I have no such stamp, nothing on my passport, just
a conditional discharge handed down today for drunkenness (which I hasten to
add, is not a regular occurance for me).

Coastline Cafe

"Keith Willshaw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

    > Nay problem old son
    > I know a good many people with far worse than that who
    > have visted Spain.

Thanks. It's been an impossible task trying to get a straight answer from
anywhere official today. I'm just glad I didn't book a holiday to the USA,
in which case I'd be in quite a pickle, or more accurately several hundred
pounds down, with a very much reduced chance of either being able to get a
visa at all, or even within the time frame required. Thank goodness a trip
to Spain is unaffected!

Arnold Deheristal

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 17:10:08 +0100, "Coastline Cafe"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >"Keith Willshaw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected]...
    >> Nay problem old son
    >> I know a good many people with far worse than that who
    >> have visted Spain.
    >Thanks. It's been an impossible task trying to get a straight answer from
    >anywhere official today. I'm just glad I didn't book a holiday to the USA,
    >in which case I'd be in quite a pickle, or more accurately several hundred
    >pounds down, with a very much reduced chance of either being able to get a
    >visa at all, or even within the time frame required. Thank goodness a trip
    >to Spain is unaffected!

Sorry to hear a trip to the USA might be obstructed for you by a
simple drunkenness arrest; once you were in the country, however,
oweveryou'd have to do something pretty serious to get in trouble with
the police! Beware - That is not the case in Spain; they are really
on edge because of problems with ETA terrorists, and foreigners are
well advised to remain as inconspicuous as possible, especially
outside of established tourist areas.

Rte

"Coastline Cafe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "blib" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > >
    > > Unless you have a stamp in your Passport specifically baring entry to a
    > > particular country, I doubt you will have any problems in the EU
    > Thank goodness for that! I have no such stamp, nothing on my passport,
just
    > a conditional discharge handed down today for drunkenness (which I hasten
to
    > add, is not a regular occurance for me).

You can even rob a mail train and still get into Spain :-)

RTE

Blib

    > You can even rob a mail train and still get into Spain :-)


lol...

Evelynvogtgamble

blib wrote:
    >
    >
    > Unless you have a stamp in your Passport specifically baring entry to a
    > particular country, I doubt you will have any problems in the EU


Is the OP actually saying that our U.S. government concerns itself with
whether travelers may have been arrested for such things as
drunkenness? Don't they have more pressing concerns? (That would most
likely preclude a number of Americans from traveling abroad, too -
including our president's daughters, if various newspaper stories are to
be believed!)

Evelynvogtgamble

Coastline Cafe wrote:
    >
    > "blib" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > >
    > > Unless you have a stamp in your Passport specifically baring entry to a
    > > particular country, I doubt you will have any problems in the EU
    >
    > Thank goodness for that! I have no such stamp, nothing on my passport, just
    > a conditional discharge handed down today for drunkenness (which I hasten to
    > add, is not a regular occurance for me).

I can sympathize with your wanting to be law abiding, but why on earth
would you want to VOLUNTEER the information to the U.S. government, if
it is NOT a "condition" on your passport? Even if some of our
government officials might possibly be that bloody-minded, I doubt we
have the manpower to investigate the background of every foreign
visitor, even from "friendly" countries, unless there is some reason to
suspect they might be "dangerous"!

Sjoerd

"Coastline Cafe" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht
news:[email protected]...
    > Hi All,
    > I am a UK citizen. I have managed to pick myself up a conditional
discharge
    > for being Drunk & Disorderly in a UK court. My own stupid fault, I simply
    > drank too much and threw up in the street. Unfortunately, in sight of a
    > police officer. As there was no malice or aggressive disorder, I received
no
    > fine, merely the conditional discharge, the minimum the magistrate could
    > hand down.
    > Anyhow - The US Embassy website is nice and clear - I need to do some
extra
    > form filling whenever I wish to visit the USA, rather than simply enter on
    > the visa waiver programme, and hence declare my record.
    > But Spain - I don't know if having a conditional discharge precludes me
from
    > visiting, without filling in a visa application, even though we are both
in
    > the EU. www.conspalon.org doesn't provide the answers, and nor did a five
    > minute phonecall on their pound-a-minute information line. A call to the
    > Foreign and Commenwealth Office also yielded complete uncertainty. Short
of
    > a personal visit to the Spanish Embassy in London, I'm hoping someone here
    > will know whether or not, as a British citizen wishing to fly to Spain
(hols
    > booked for three weeks time), I'm in danger of being refused entry, and/or
    > requiring a visa application.
    > Any help/pointers appreciated. An hour trawling google web and google
groups
    > has produced nothing that's actually helped me with regard to the
situation
    > over visiting Spain. And I don't particularly want to have to traipse to
the
    > Spanish Embassay, nor purely rely on the advice of Thomas Cook who say
I'll
    > have no problems entering or leaving Spain so long as I don't get in any
    > trouble over there!

When you arrive in Spain with a British passport, they will have a very
quick look at your picture and wave you through.Citizens of any EU countries
have the *right* to travel to other EU countries (with very few exceptions
and having been drunk (who hasn't?) is not one of them) so no worries
whatsoever.

Sjoerd

Evelynvogtgamble

Coastline Cafe wrote:
    >
    > "Keith Willshaw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >
    > > Nay problem old son
    > >
    > > I know a good many people with far worse than that who
    > > have visted Spain.
    >
    > Thanks. It's been an impossible task trying to get a straight answer from
    > anywhere official today. I'm just glad I didn't book a holiday to the USA,
    > in which case I'd be in quite a pickle, or more accurately several hundred
    > pounds down, with a very much reduced chance of either being able to get a
    > visa at all, or even within the time frame required. Thank goodness a trip
    > to Spain is unaffected!

I really wonder why you'd even consider MENTIONING it to U.S.
officials! Do you actually think they'd care that much, or have the
time to dig into the background of every single innocuous-appearing
tourist who enters the country, searching for records of arrests for
minor infractions? (Obviously, this has been quite a blow to your
self-esteem - which speaks well for your normal behaviour - but I
honestly think you are inflating it out of all proportion to the actual
offense, or its long-term consequences.)

Johnt

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > blib wrote:
    > >
    > >
    > > Unless you have a stamp in your Passport specifically baring entry
to a
    > > particular country, I doubt you will have any problems in the EU
    > Is the OP actually saying that our U.S. government concerns itself
with
    > whether travelers may have been arrested for such things as
    > drunkenness? Don't they have more pressing concerns? (That would
most
    > likely preclude a number of Americans from traveling abroad, too -
    > including our president's daughters, if various newspaper stories are
to
    > be believed!)

From the US Embassy, London, Consular Section website at
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/visa/niv/vwp.htm

"Some travelers may not be eligible to enter the United States visa free
under the VWP. These include people who have been arrested, even if the
arrest did not result in a criminal conviction, those with criminal
records, (the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to U.S.
visa law), certain serious communicable illnesses, those who have been
refused admission into, or have been deported from, the United States,
or have previously overstayed on the visa waiver program. Such travelers
must apply for special restricted visas. If they attempt to travel
without a visa, they may be refused entry into the United States."

And, before la Diva Manqué makes some Political comment about that, it
is not a new Policy. Similarly, the EU is not anxious to admit without
Visa anyone from outside its domains who has a Criminal record. And it
is always unwise to believe everything one reads in the newspapers,
either in the USA or here in the UK.

JohnT

Derek F

Are you kidding? It is prerequisite for Brits visiting Spain to be unable to
hold their liquor and spew everywhere, most of them are drunk on their duty
free before landing.
Derek.
"Coastline Cafe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hi All,
    > I am a UK citizen. I have managed to pick myself up a conditional
discharge
    > for being Drunk & Disorderly in a UK court. My own stupid fault, I simply
    > drank too much and threw up in the street. Unfortunately, in sight of a
    > police officer. As there was no malice or aggressive disorder, I received
no
    > fine, merely the conditional discharge, the minimum the magistrate could
    > hand down.
    > Anyhow - The US Embassy website is nice and clear - I need to do some
extra
    > form filling whenever I wish to visit the USA, rather than simply enter on
    > the visa waiver programme, and hence declare my record.
    > But Spain - I don't know if having a conditional discharge precludes me
from
    > visiting, without filling in a visa application, even though we are both
in
    > the EU. www.conspalon.org doesn't provide the answers, and nor did a five
    > minute phonecall on their pound-a-minute information line. A call to the
    > Foreign and Commenwealth Office also yielded complete uncertainty. Short
of
    > a personal visit to the Spanish Embassy in London, I'm hoping someone here
    > will know whether or not, as a British citizen wishing to fly to Spain
(hols
    > booked for three weeks time), I'm in danger of being refused entry, and/or
    > requiring a visa application.
    > Any help/pointers appreciated. An hour trawling google web and google
groups
    > has produced nothing that's actually helped me with regard to the
situation
    > over visiting Spain. And I don't particularly want to have to traipse to
the
    > Spanish Embassay, nor purely rely on the advice of Thomas Cook who say
I'll
    > have no problems entering or leaving Spain so long as I don't get in any
    > trouble over there!

Marie Lewis

In article <[email protected]>,
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" <[email protected]> writes
    >Is the OP actually saying that our U.S. government concerns itself with
    >whether travelers may have been arrested for such things as
    >drunkenness?

Indeed they do. From this year onwards, no-one who has been even
arrested, even if they were subsequently found to be innocent, has to
get a full visa and is not able to travel on the visa waiver scheme.
    > Don't they have more pressing concerns?

I would think they do.

I just hope our government (UK) insists on the same conditions for
Americans.
    >(That would most
    >likely preclude a number of Americans from traveling abroad, too -
    >including our president's daughters, if various newspaper stories are to
    >be believed!)

--
Marie Lewis