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15:55
"user was removed"
i lost some rep, very little.. but was wondering who was he/she
 
2 hours later…
18:25
I have not found out yet, I lost some rep but spread over 5 sites, others lost huge amounts on one or two sites.
ok, I must be terrible at searching. I just want to know how to find out what requirements I need to go through to be ready for a visit to europe from the US. Shengen is mentioned, but I don't even see passports mentioned on these answers so I must be in the wrong place
@deltree Where are you from?
And what is your main (or first or favorite) European country? (To help me search as there is so much online.
18:39
we're going to germany to visit my sister in law
@deltree What is your citizenship, and how long do you plan to visit?
US citizen, 2 weeks...
I am not sure about the amount of time your passport needs to be valid (still searching) but if it is good for an other 6 months you are likely alright.
5
Q: Does Germany enforce a six month passport rule?

WBTSome countries require you to have six months remaining on your passport in order to visit. According to this list, Germany is not among them, but this note from the US State department says "U.S. citizens traveling on passports that expire in fewer than six months have increasingly been denied...

Found one
is there not an obvious Question posted on travel.se about this? It seems to be impossible to search for "what do I need to do to travel to Germany from the US"
We probably don't have a question for your specific scenario because it is pretty straightforward.
18:44
according to some travel.gov stuff I need a visa
do I?
how do I know?
there's nothing I can find about that
should I ask the question?
Does the question I found for you answer your basic question?
Typically, someone with a U.S. passport can enter Schengen and remain there for up to 90 days without a visa. travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/…
I searched on us citizen and germany
@Willeke this one comes close, but provides no links or proof of the statements made travel.stackexchange.com/a/61061/98202
The answer above that, by Relaxed, does give a source and a term for which your passport needs to be valid.
I think there are many more questions about US citizens, Travel to the Schengen area, and whether they need visa and how long their passport needs to be valid.
18:49
except that the answer by "relaxed" says "valid travel document" which isn't clear whether a passport or a visa would qualify
So asking a new question is almost guarantied to be closed.
yeah, but it's so hard to find, that the closer would give me a link would would make my search easier lol
Valid travel document is either a passport or a travel document for someone like a refugee.
where is that stated?
Did you follow the link @choster posted just a few minutes ago.
18:51
and isn't "valid" arbitrary based on the specific location? I mean, to the US my passport is always a valid travel document, but I imagine the rules are different with my US passport for somewhere like somalia
General knowledge, found many times on this site. Visa is visa, valid travel document is passport or replacement for those who can not get a passport.
I did
that's super helpful! Thank you @Willeke
i feel like that is not really obvious
I mean, this govt stuff is SO nuanced
Valid is until the expiry date, world wide, although some countries will ask a visa on top of a passport.
which isn't clear
do I need a visa too?
do I need other things?
do I need a monkey named jeb?
It is a special part of the language and not even the same between different English speaking countries. But some words are the same.
18:53
because the rules are unclear, I'm just trying to find a "what to do"
You do not need a visa as a short term visitor, tourist, but you might need one if you are going to do work.
is there a question we can cite for that? (while I'd rather cite the govt doc, I'm hoping this discussion can improve the site rather than be wasted on me)
While not needed for Germany, a travel insurance with a medical and a repatriation cover in it is needed for some European countries. And it is also needed for people who need to get a visa.
@deltree, I am not a visa specialist, we have people here who are. They are just not in this chat right now.
and I don't want you to have to be, but I was struggling so hard to use the site to find this information that I came to the chat and that seems wrong.
It is right. I am trying to help but if you doubt everything I tell you, it is hard for me to help.
If you want sources, search the tags, us citizen, Germany, passport, and visa will do a lot.
@JonathanReez are you still around?
5
Q: Do I need a work visa as a US student traveling to Germany for under 90 days?

SamI am an American student in the United States who is planning to travel to Germany this summer for a month and a half. I will be working there. According to Article 14 in the employment ordinance , "(2) No consent shall be required for the granting of a residence permit to students and pupils f...

Might have help.
19:01
There are at least tens of thousands of Americans who visit Germany every year; there's no reason to be anxious. If you have never traveled outside the hemisphere before, you might want to obtain a guide book, read tourism websites, and the like to put your mind at ease
The accepted answer in the next link has Timatic, which is the database used by airlines to allow you on board. Most up to date source we know about.
5
Q: How long before passport expiration can a US citizen start travel in either Mexico or Germany?

sdsI seem to recall that some countries require that my passport does not expire for 6 months from the date when I enter the country. Why?! My more specific question is: I am a US citizen, my US passport will expire in September 2017. Can I travel to Mexico and Germany this summer (coming back to t...

@Willeke Do you think we could use a canonical "first time international traveler, where can I found out the relevant procedures/rules?" question?
That might be helpful. I have not searched to see if we already have something like that though.
I think we have one for arrival procedures, but not for planning. I know it sounds broad, but at a minimum, it could say things like "check the website of their embassy to your country"
I just get frustrated because the documentation is so fragmented and making one mistake is a big frickin' deal
19:15
@deltree You won't hear any argument from me. But a U.S. citizen visiting Germany is one of the most painless experiences for an international traveler, in relative terms
any travel is pretty painless...if you don't make any mistakes
I'd say an American trying to visit Russia is pretty painful, to the point where even as a tourist you might hire an agency to handle the visa application
But point taken
if I didn't know I needed a passport, looking at these answers might have told me I need it, but it doesn't tell me that I explicitly don't need a visa in any way. I get that that's arbitrary. I mean "it doesn't say I don't need to bring a banana" is an equivalent argument, which is why a simple "what do I need to do" makes sense to me
At this point a US citizen can just get on a plane, with a one way ticket and a plan to leave and go to Germany, only his passport is needed. He might be asked about return flight and money, but those questions are unlikely.
that is what I had originally hoped, then travel.gov said you needed a visa to go to schengen and I got confused and now my wife is telling me I'm crazy and so I came here lol
19:18
You'd know you need a passport (or equivalent), if nothing else, because the airline will tell you that you need a passport just to board the flight
The same rules go for a Mexican citizen, but he is more likely to be asked about money and return ticket/
@choster finding that out as I'm trying to board the flight is kinda too late
and the consequences of getting to another country before you find out some document you need...well those are pretty big
You'll see the warning about needing travel documents when you buy the ticket. A passport is pretty standard for international travel, and has been for over a century
you mean like:
All passengers traveling to the US must provide valid travel documents and details of their full US destination address for US Immigration.
Proof of citizenship is required for international travel. Be sure to bring all necessary documentation (e.g. passport, visa, transit permit). To learn more, visit our Visa and Passport page (Opens a new window) .
Remember to bring your itinerary and government-issued photo ID for airport check-in and security.
leading to this: visacentral.com/…
that says "a travel visa may be needed for your trip"
thus my confusion
hey, that website has a cool dropdowny thing
The booking agency doesn't know anything about you or the purpose of your trip, so they provide those caveats
19:26
There you go :)
What I remember from booking here (I am in the Netherlands) is a line that if you do not have a local passport, you may need different visa from those usually mentioned.
@deltree, you can write your question and post an answer with the information you have now found.
Like if you are from India, living in the UK you will need a visa for Germany, even though UK citizens do not need one.
sure thing
At this time Schengen has no electronic visa or visa-like entry requirement. But they are working on one and it is expected to start in a few years time. (I do not remember the start date but it will not be this year.)
Like the ESTA for the USA.
@deltree, are your questions answered now or do you have other points?
19:41
that was everything
Glad to help you, even though I might not have done what you needed.
19:59
I like it. 2x +1 from me. But I am fairly sure that you will get comments and/or down votes. Do not take it personal, it is how this community works.
You will likely get an other answer or help to get this one better (in their view.)
thanks
I'm cool w/ w/e. Been an SO user for years
I am not an SO user (although I do have an account there) so I am not sure how people edit and vote to close there.
@Willeke yes
@JonathanReez, it looks like the problem has been solved. @deltree was asking about passports and visa and I was out of my comfort zone. You can now see and improve his Q and self A.
Or help improve.
20:16
Got to go. Bye.

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