So, any of you ever being held in Police/immigration station when entering a country? I want to share my very recent experience being held in Rome immgiration office.
I am going to have a month spring "break" in Europe, I got 1 year Schengen Visa from Netherlands embassy. I flew in with Qatar Airways and had layover in Doha. When we're about to embark, all passengers were requested to have their passport ready, and there were number of police standing in front of the airplane stairs checking our passport.
Long story short, I arrived at the immigration gate, and the immigration officer started questioning me
Immigration 1 (I1): Where are you going? How long are you going to stay?
Me (A): I'm going straight to Napoli, and then I'll go to Netherlands from there, in total I'll stay for a month
I1: One month? how much money do you have with you right now?
A: (Because he said right now, so I assumed what he meant was cash) 370euro
I1: 370 is not enough for a month, it's too little
A: I have my credit card and xxxx amount of money in my bank account
I1: You don't have enough money, let me see your flight ticket
I showed him my flight tickets, hotel booking, etc. I didn't print anything so it's all in my phone, and then he left the booth return with some paper and fill in those paper. I don't know what he was writing, what I can only understand is 370euro and 1 month, and then his colleague came to pick me up
Immigration 2 (I2): Sit down here and wait (and then he went to another room)
A: Ok
I2: Do you speak English
A: Yes
I2: Who is xxxx?
A: My cousin's husband
I: Your husband is italian?
A: No, I have cousin, and her husband is Italian
I: Your husband?
A: No, I don't have one (Yes, I know I know.. I'm still single *sigh)
I: Ok, come in
I entered interrogation room, and then he typed/search something on his computer, and I looked at his computer, he looked back at me and then I smile (He's cute, ok it's out of topic, but HE IS CUTE)
I2: So what are you doing here?
A: Vacation
I2: A month? that's long
A: I will just stay here for 3 days and then fly directly to Amsterdam, from Napoli. And then I'll stay in Rotterdam
I2: Where's your hotel reservation?
I pointed to the paper he was holding and then showed the hotel reservation from booking.com on my phone
I2: and your invitation letter?
A: I don't have invitation letter
I2: but you need invitation letter
A: No, I have hotel reservation, I don't need invitation letter
I2: ok, are you travelling alone?
A: My friend will come on 26, then we'll travel together
I2: ok, you're going to Amsterdam?
A: No, I'm staying in Rotterdam
I2: Why?
A: just to visit friends, I used to live there (in my old passport, there's a long term visa from 2012)
I2: How much money do you have?
A: I have 370 cash (I took out my wallet, and then he went out from the room) another xxx in my bank account, and credit card with limit of xxx (half screaming as he's in the next room)
He came with the immigration stamp
I2: Do you work?
A: I work for I** (one of the biggest IT company in the world)
I2: oh... do you have any ID card?
A: (-___- I'm on vacation, sir. I don't need my ID Card) No, but I have my laptop, wanna see?
I2: Ok
I went to the waiting room, took my laptop, and then his colleague came over
Immigration 3: Nice one, is that for me?
A: Well, you can have it only if you finish my work for me
I2 & I3: *Laugh
I don't know maybe I was nervous or the room was quite warm, so I roll my sweater up, and then he said
I2: You're not tanned enough
A: (I know he's cute, but I need it stamped) I will, after a few days in Napoli
I2: you will? really? in Napoli?
A: I only need 5 minutes to get tanned
I2: ok, if you say so (He stamped my passport, stood up and went to the door), ciao have fun
A: Grazie, Thank you, I will
I2: What do you do in I**
A: I'm benefits professional, I design benefits for the employees
I2: You work in capital? ....
A: Yes, I work in Jakarta, have you ever visited Indonesia?
I2: No not yet
A: You should, come over and visit Indonesia, it's very beautiful
I: Yes, the woman are also beautiful *wink
Well, I guess it is true that Italian are flirty.. Bottom line, when they called you in, don't be nervous, just answer as it is, don't lie and try to convince them that you will return to your country after the tour ends
Happy Travelling!!!!
I am going to have a month spring "break" in Europe, I got 1 year Schengen Visa from Netherlands embassy. I flew in with Qatar Airways and had layover in Doha. When we're about to embark, all passengers were requested to have their passport ready, and there were number of police standing in front of the airplane stairs checking our passport.
Long story short, I arrived at the immigration gate, and the immigration officer started questioning me
Immigration 1 (I1): Where are you going? How long are you going to stay?
Me (A): I'm going straight to Napoli, and then I'll go to Netherlands from there, in total I'll stay for a month
I1: One month? how much money do you have with you right now?
A: (Because he said right now, so I assumed what he meant was cash) 370euro
I1: 370 is not enough for a month, it's too little
A: I have my credit card and xxxx amount of money in my bank account
I1: You don't have enough money, let me see your flight ticket
I showed him my flight tickets, hotel booking, etc. I didn't print anything so it's all in my phone, and then he left the booth return with some paper and fill in those paper. I don't know what he was writing, what I can only understand is 370euro and 1 month, and then his colleague came to pick me up
Immigration 2 (I2): Sit down here and wait (and then he went to another room)
A: Ok
I2: Do you speak English
A: Yes
I2: Who is xxxx?
A: My cousin's husband
I: Your husband is italian?
A: No, I have cousin, and her husband is Italian
I: Your husband?
A: No, I don't have one (Yes, I know I know.. I'm still single *sigh)
I: Ok, come in
I entered interrogation room, and then he typed/search something on his computer, and I looked at his computer, he looked back at me and then I smile (He's cute, ok it's out of topic, but HE IS CUTE)
I2: So what are you doing here?
A: Vacation
I2: A month? that's long
A: I will just stay here for 3 days and then fly directly to Amsterdam, from Napoli. And then I'll stay in Rotterdam
I2: Where's your hotel reservation?
I pointed to the paper he was holding and then showed the hotel reservation from booking.com on my phone
I2: and your invitation letter?
A: I don't have invitation letter
I2: but you need invitation letter
A: No, I have hotel reservation, I don't need invitation letter
I2: ok, are you travelling alone?
A: My friend will come on 26, then we'll travel together
I2: ok, you're going to Amsterdam?
A: No, I'm staying in Rotterdam
I2: Why?
A: just to visit friends, I used to live there (in my old passport, there's a long term visa from 2012)
I2: How much money do you have?
A: I have 370 cash (I took out my wallet, and then he went out from the room) another xxx in my bank account, and credit card with limit of xxx (half screaming as he's in the next room)
He came with the immigration stamp
I2: Do you work?
A: I work for I** (one of the biggest IT company in the world)
I2: oh... do you have any ID card?
A: (-___- I'm on vacation, sir. I don't need my ID Card) No, but I have my laptop, wanna see?
I2: Ok
I went to the waiting room, took my laptop, and then his colleague came over
Immigration 3: Nice one, is that for me?
A: Well, you can have it only if you finish my work for me
I2 & I3: *Laugh
I don't know maybe I was nervous or the room was quite warm, so I roll my sweater up, and then he said
I2: You're not tanned enough
A: (I know he's cute, but I need it stamped) I will, after a few days in Napoli
I2: you will? really? in Napoli?
A: I only need 5 minutes to get tanned
I2: ok, if you say so (He stamped my passport, stood up and went to the door), ciao have fun
A: Grazie, Thank you, I will
I2: What do you do in I**
A: I'm benefits professional, I design benefits for the employees
I2: You work in capital? ....
A: Yes, I work in Jakarta, have you ever visited Indonesia?
I2: No not yet
A: You should, come over and visit Indonesia, it's very beautiful
I: Yes, the woman are also beautiful *wink
Well, I guess it is true that Italian are flirty.. Bottom line, when they called you in, don't be nervous, just answer as it is, don't lie and try to convince them that you will return to your country after the tour ends
Happy Travelling!!!!