Once a non-EU citizen is inside the EU, how easy is it to travel within the EU countries?

Question

Are passports checked at all once inside the EU? Can immigrants travel throughout the EU without being accosted etc?
Answers from those working in immigration or with a knowledge of immigration law would be very welcome.

Answer 1

Once you are in the Schengen area (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden), they will not check your passport at the border of another Schengen country, unless emergency orders are in place (usually only during big events in one country like the World Cup, etc.) when a country can temporarily reinstate border controls.

However, many EU countries require that you carry ID that proves that you are allowed to be there legally. It depends where you go and what you look like (if you look "foreign") if you will get stopped or not. It is rare that tourists get stopped, but you can have real problems if you are stopped without your ID. Don't ever overstay your visa, they have entrance and exit controls, so you might have real problems re-entering if you ever overstayed your visa in the Schengen area. If you are there on tourist visa, you are allowed to stay 90 days, unless you have a visa that says otherwise.

If you go to non-Schengen country such as the UK, Ireland, one of the new EU member-states, you will have to pass through passport control. From my experiences, UK immigration is the toughest in Europe, make sure that you have everything in order, landing card filled out, proof of funds if you are going to be there for a long time, etc. I have entrance clearance for the UK, and they still hassle me, whereas the Dutch and Germans usually look at the picture and stamp it and end you on your way without asking you a single question.

Answer 2

Once you are in continental Europe you can move around freely. There are no border checks any more. Note Switzerland is not EU and may check passports. Travelling by air you will need to show a passport or other acceptable photo ID to board. Entry/exit into/out of UK will need passport. Note; most countries (but not UK) require you to carry your ID with you, and you just might be asked to show it, so if you're "illegal" you might get caught.

Answer 3

There is a difference between the EU countries area and the Schenghen area. Not all EU countries are members of the Schenghen visa agreement - the UK and the new EU member states are not.
If you are a non-EU citizen who has a visa to a Schenghen member state, this would allow you to travel anywhere within the Schenghen area with this visa. They may or may not want to check it every time you cross a border.
However, a non-EU citizen will need a visa if s/he is travelling to a country which belongs to the EU but not to the Schenghen area. For instance - a Schenghen visa will not allow you to enter the UK, Cypros, Malta, Estonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, etc. (all these are EU member states). For these countries you will need the corresponding visa, unless your country has a visa-free agreement with them.
Example - a citizen of the USA can travel visa-free to the UK,
but a citizen of Turkey will need a visa to the UK.
A citizen of Turkey would need a separate visa if s/he is travelling to a Schenghen member state. Therefore, if this citizen wants to travel to, let's say, the UK, Sweden and Germany, s/he will need a visa to the UK and one Schenghen visa - issued either by Sweden or Germany.

Answer 4

If you are a non-EU citizen, you always have to show your passport. With a passport it´s easy. I´m just an ordinary European from a EU member country, but if your are insecure (and I don´t know which country you come from, check with the country you are planning to travel too) or your own country. (Although I have a feeling that you can´t, then it´s very risky without any passport.)

Answer 5

Once you have a valid entry stamp from one EU country, it is valid in all other EU countries. Your passport may be checked, but as long as they see the stamp, they're fine. Border guards have obviously been reduced dramatically/eliminated.

Personal experience was that I did not have my passport checked at any place other than the points of entry and departure. But as is the case in the US and anywhere else, your passport and visa are subject to review at any time by an official.

Answer 6

i am an american and live in a EU country with my husband who is a citizen of an EU country. We have travelled all over europe and have not had any travel related problems at all. He is free to travel with his ID card and I have had to use my passport. Also upon arriving in the differnt countries (by air) he goes through the EU citizen line and I have to use the non EU liine. Hope this helps a bit

Answer 7

Non-EU citizens can travel freely within the Schengen space http://www.mediavisa.net/schengen-area.html as long as they have a visa valid for one of the member countries.

If non-EU citizens want to enter an EU country which is not member of the Schengen treaty, they need to show their passports at the border. Depending on what country they come from, they might be required to have an entry visa for the country they want to visit.

Answer 8

It all depends which country your from and where you want to go. as it stands EU nations still have the individual right to request a visa from certain nations out side the EU.
EU citizens have the right to travel between any border but still need a passport.

Answer 9

im american and lived in denmark 3 years and traveled all over europe...i have never had to use my passport in the EU traveling by car. there were no checkpoints. but flying u always need your passport.

Answer 10

If you need a visa for any of the countries you are going to visit then you will get a Schengen Visa which will allow you to travel freely everywhere except the UK... For the UK if you need a visa you will need to get a separate one.

Once you have this - there is no problem at all travelling round Europe for as long as your visa is valid.