No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

Hello Forum Friends,

Wife and I managed to navigate all the various Covid hurdles and enjoyed a fabulous (if very hot) month in Seville, returning to the UK last week. It was our first trip to Spain since Brexit :thumbdown: and upon arrival both our passports were stamped with the entry date. Upon leaving Seville the Officer at the passport desk seemed to stamp my passport, but on the plane home I noticed my passport had no exit stamp. My Wife's passport had been stamped with the exit date. The Immigration Officer definitely stamped something while I was at the desk, but it wasn't my passport?? We were directed through E-Gates on return to Manchester so no opportunity to request a stamp there unfortunately.

Do you think this will be a problem for me when returning to Spain / Portugal etc considering the 90/180 Rule? Most research I have done suggests if I take a copy of my return flight boarding pass that should be sufficient proof of exit, but I have seen a few suggesting I could have a problem?

Any thoughts / advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

No it wasn’t you fault they didn’t stamp it on the way out. And so far I’ve not heard of anyone being pulled on the 90 day visa rule.

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

In a similar set of circumstances, I flew out of Vienna, out of the EU and Schengen, to a country in the Balkans and my passport wasn't stamped. I asked the Austrian Immigration official if I'd have problems returning to the EU/Schengen as there was no record of me leaving. He indicated that the 'swipe' he did is the record (electronically). With no inclination to get into a 'discussion' with him in a long queue and a plane being held for a number of us whose first leg as delayed I left it to find out later.
Any information I've found backs up what he said and subsequently I've returned and flown in and out with Immigration checks several times without complications.
I'm now in Spain again after driving from Montenegro into Bosnia, then into Croatia, where my passport was checked, then Slovenia where checked again and then into Austria where there was another check but that was the last one and then driven here without any more checks.
I don't anticipate and problems for you if my experience is anything to go by.

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

Wife & I arrived Alicante on 11 August. Using Assistance, we were in wheelchairs and were taken to the Assistance area for Passport Control but there were no Immigration Officers at the desk. The Assistance guy picked up the phone at the desk, spoke to someone and seemingly was told to escort us through, which he did, so no arrivals date stamp in our passports. Now when we are returning, we're not sure what will happen but we'll be ready with our Arrival boarding cards, if asked anything. would be interested if anyone has been in the same position? Cheers.

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

Hello Forum Friends,

Given recent events regarding Passport Stamps this is an update on my original post dated August 30th.

Following the story that emerged a couple of weeks ago regarding a Lady being refused entry to Gibraltar as she did not have the relevant exit stamp from a previous visit, this elevated my concerns for a planned trip I have to Spain in December this year. I decided the best option was to seek clarification / guidance direct from the Spanish Consulate.

Below is a reduced version of the email I sent to the Consulate, which also provides a more detailed recap of the events in my original post: -

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAO: Consulate General of Spain in Manchester

I visited Seville for a month earlier this year. My passport was stamped on arrival in Seville. On my departure from Seville the Border Official appeared to stamp my passport but when I looked through it later after boarding the plane there was no exit stamp?

I am now concerned that I will be considered to have overstayed, and this will present me with difficulties when returning to Spain in December? I possess the following documents as proof of my return to the UK: -

· Boarding Pass for Flight from Seville to Manchester (Ryanair pdf document)

· Ryanair Hold Baggage Receipt Label for flight from Seville to Manchester (original document)

· UK Passenger Locator Form confirming arrival at Manchester Airport (UK Gov pdf document)

I would be grateful if you could confirm that this would be accepted as sufficient evidence by Spanish Border Officials that I did not remain in Seville beyond my actual exit date? I can provide all the above documents on request, and I am happy to discuss any aspect in more detail if that will assist you?

Thank you,

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is over a week since I sent this and, so far, I have had no response from the Spanish Consulate.

Then I spotted this article yesterday, and my concerns were further escalated: -

UK Advises Its Citizens to Ensure Their Passports Are Stamped When Travelling to & From the EU - SchengenVisaInfo.com

Upon checking the updated guidance on the UK FCDO website, I noticed an interesting discrepancy between Spain and some other Schengen Countries. Taking Portugal as an example, the “Regular entry requirements” Section now contains the following entry: -

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Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through Portugal as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit.

You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.

-----------------------------

But the above paragraphs are currently not included in the “Regular entry requirements” Section of the FCDO Spain Guidance? Would you interpret this as indicating Spain does not guarantee that Boarding Passes will be acceptable as evidence of exiting the Schengen area, but Portugal will?


So, with just over a month to go before my visit to Spain, I remain unsure if my travel documents listed above will provide sufficient evidence to enable passage through Spanish Border Control?

It has been suggested to me that I should negate this risk by applying for a new Passport in advance of my trip. For several reasons I would prefer to avoid this, but unless timely clarification is received from the Spanish Consulate will this become my only remaining option to guarantee entry?

If I do receive a reply from the Spanish Consulate that I am able to share I will place it on this Thread.

In the meantime, I would welcome any thoughts or potential other solutions people might have?

Thanks

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

Why would the lack of an exit stamp prevent anyone entering Gibraltar which is not in the EU?

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

Thanks for spotting my error Fredbargate.

My opening paragraph should have been worded as follows:-
"Following the story that emerged a couple of weeks ago regarding a Lady being refused entry to Spain from Gibraltar as she did not have the relevant exit stamp from a previous visit...."

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

Right, so if you dont hear about something, it doesnt happens?
Men was shot on street of NYC, but you didnt hear about it, so it really never happened?

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...f25771c9aa.jpg

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

At that time there wasn’t that many reports of fines for overstayers. I heard of someone getting a 6 month ban who overstayed in Finland. He had a Finnish GF. Heard of a few people with fines now. Just have to stay in the UK. Won’t be long before you need another jab to travel. And with track and trace ringing you to say that someone has came into contact that has covid and now you have to isolate another ten days on top of your holiday. Have to ask your self is it really worth leaving the UK with all this going on still.

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

Passed thru Malaga airport recently from the UK.

There were at least 10 huge queues for non-EU travellers and there were mostly if not all from the UK.

I sailed past to the one queue for EU nationals, waved my EU passport and straight thru in SECONDS!

:welcome: The nice security guy even managed a smile, when he saw I was an EU citizen. I did greet him with a HOLA, perhaps that is what did it.

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

Last week I too arrived at Malaga from London. The passport queues weren't too bad, but as soon as I showed my TIE and UK passport, I was just waved through without even touching my documents.

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

I note that the UK Gov has issued updated guidance on it's Spain Foreign Travel Advice website that now includes the following paragraph:-

"Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through Spain as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit. You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets."

As such, I'm hoping that my Ryanair Boarding Pass for my return flight from Seville to Manchester will be sufficient evidence, although this is simply a pdf document Ryanair issue you to download once you have checked in.

I'm also mindful that whilst this is the UK Gov guidance, I'm so far unable to find any documented official Spanish confirmation that this is the approach that Border Guards will adopt. If a Boarding Pass / Ticket is not accepted as sufficient evidence, would a Spanish Border Guard be swayed by somebody producing a copy of the UK guidance and saying "Look, read this, it's what the UK Government say you should do!" :unsure:?

So, if anybody has managed to locate confirmation by an official Spanish source of the UK Gov guidance set out above, I would be very grateful for link to same - or any other thoughts you may have?

Thanks

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

You wont have problem with travel to/from Spain as your travels is recorded on computer.
However, other states might suspect you being overstayed.
Stamps cant be added retrospective or backdated.

Re: No exit stamp flying back to UK - Problem?
 

The UK passport has 32 pages. Border guards open the passport and stick the entry and exit stamps wherever they find room. Especially if you are a business traveller border control doesn't have the time or inclination to find the entry stamp in your passport.