Practical Travel Safety Issues - Schengen Landing/Arrival/Immigration Card

Hi all, my mom is looking to join me on a tour in the Netherlands. She doesn't usually know how to fill in immigration cards without some help. And as she is arriving from another city, are these cards usually available in embassies or at airport check in? She doesn't need a visa, but could do with some language assistance with immigration formalities. Thanks.

There are no forms to complete for entry into Schengen countries.

Oh! This is strange. So only a visa-waiver-eligible passport is required then?

yeh passport and her ticket, etc which shows she will leave by a certain date if she is not from EU

Hi all, my mom is looking to join me on a tour in the Netherlands. She doesn't usually know how to fill in immigration cards without some help. And as she is arriving from another city, are these cards usually available in embassies or at airport check in? She doesn't need a visa, but could do with some language assistance with immigration formalities. Thanks.

Curious, what language(s) does she speak? If it's just English, she'll have no problems navigating Dutch immigration and customs.

As far as availability, the embassies can certainly help. Some airports hand the cards out at boarding, others do it on the airplane.

There are no forms to complete for entry into Schengen countries.

There certainly are. Every non-EU passport holder is required to fill out an arrival card at their first point of entry into the Schengen area. Granted, they're pretty straightforward, but they are there.

Oh! This is strange?

Why is it strange? I haven't travelled outside Europe enough to know how common Immigration forms are... but they've always been the exception rather than the rule in Europe. And my European travels go back long before the Schengen days.

I remember filling in a form at the Greek land border in 1977. I think there were forms to fill in for some Eastern European countries before the Iron Curtain came down. But the majority of countries, even back then, required nothing more than a passport, with no form-filling.

I don't know what the precise situation is these days, but I don't think there are many European countries, other than the UK, that require visitors to fill in forms.

Curious, what language(s) does she speak? If it's just English, she'll have no problems navigating Dutch immigration and customs.

As far as availability, the embassies can certainly help. Some airports hand the cards out at boarding, others do it on the airplane.



There certainly are. Every non-EU passport holder is required to fill out an arrival card at their first point of entry into the Schengen area. Granted, they're pretty straightforward, but they are there.

Thanks MavSeven and Aviatrix - she speaks mandarin. seems like we have two views about whether there are forms - just makes things more difficult if there are.

There certainly are. Every non-EU passport holder is required to fill out an arrival card at their first point of entry into the Schengen area. Granted, they're pretty straightforward, but they are there.

This is not true. I haven't filled out a landing card in a long time. I thought the last hold-out was France, and I haven't seen any landing cards here for years. I can't speak for the Netherlands from experience, but I haven't filled out a card for non-Schengen arrival in Germany or France in years.

There certainly are. Every non-EU passport holder is required to fill out an arrival card at their first point of entry into the Schengen area. Granted, they're pretty straightforward, but they are there.

Since when? I have never ever seen a Schengen entry card handed out to non-EU passport holders. Please provide a link or documentation about this arrival card.

Since when? I have never ever seen a Schengen entry card handed out to non-EU passport holders. Please provide a link or documentation about this arrival card.

I received one for Spain last month. I did not get one for CDG/France last month (and I can't remember the last time I got one for France). I believe I had one for London in January.

The UK is not part of Schengen even as it is part of the EU.

Every non-EU passport holder is required to fill out an arrival card at their first point of entry into the Schengen area. Granted, they're pretty straightforward, but they are there.

As a US citizen, I have thousands of entries into the Schengen zone that have been done on my US passport without filling out any landing cards. France was sort of an exception to that, but in more recent times they have not been asking me to present filled-in landing cards either. Spain is the closest thing to an exception now, whereby the exception is that of a US citizen having to fill out a landing card to enter the Schengen zone.

Most EU Schengen ports of entry do not require me to fill out an arrival/landing card.

Spain is actually the only Schengen country with arrival cards but this is not a Schengen arrival card but a Spanish national arrival card.

Netherlands hasn't had landing cards in years. Cyprus has one but not sure what became of it post-Schengen entry.

Cyprus has one but not sure what became of it post-Schengen entry.

Cyprus does not have one (Cyprus has not implemented the Schengen Agreement yet). Neither does Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Belgium, Netherlands, Lithuania, or Sweden - these are all countries I have been to recently.

Thanks MavSeven and Aviatrix - she speaks mandarin. seems like we have two views about whether there are forms - just makes things more difficult if there are.

I wasn't aware that Spain hands out landing cards to non-EU passport holders. It would appear, from subsequent posts, that they are the odd one out here.

DEFINITELY no landing cards for arrival in the Netherlands. I fly into the Netherlands from outside Schengen at least at least once every couple of months, and have never seen cards handed out on the flight or at the Immigration checkpoint.

There certainly are. Every non-EU passport holder is required to fill out an arrival card at their first point of entry into the Schengen area. Granted, they're pretty straightforward, but they are there.

Where did you get this?

Spain is actually the only Schengen country with arrival cards but this is not a Schengen arrival card but a Spanish national arrival card.

My wife (Canadian passport) entered Spain twice last year through AGP and PMI. No card needed (as with other Schengen entries) so there must be some leeway for discretion here (contrary to UK - non-Schengen I know - where a Landing Card is 100% mandatory, even with my wife's UK Indefinite Leave to Remain)...

I don't know what passport the OP holds but our Schengen entries are painless and generally involve a quick stamp and zero verbal interaction. She travels with me (UK passport) and generally the only difference is that they stamp my wife's passport, although even then they seem annoyed at having to do so :)

Thank you all. This is most helpful. I will convey the good news.

Cyprus does not have one (Cyprus has not implemented the Schengen Agreement yet). Neither does Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Belgium, Netherlands, Lithuania, or Sweden - these are all countries I have been to recently.

Add France, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Norway and Finland as Schengen countries that also don't waste my time with forms to enter as a foreigner. When it comes to foreigners entering the Schengen zone, Spain is the biggest exception in this regard.

Add France, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Norway and Finland as Schengen countries that also don't waste my time with forms to enter as a foreigner. When it comes to foreigners entering the Schengen zone, Spain is the biggest exception in this regard.

Seems like a pretty futile exercise to me. Visitors don't have to fill in forms if they enter Spain via other Schengen countries, so why make them complete forms if Spain is their first point of entry?

Seems like a pretty futile exercise to me. Visitors don't have to fill in forms if they enter Spain via other Schengen countries, so why make them complete forms if Spain is their first point of entry?

+1

Especially since, as the case of my wife, it doesn't seem consistently applied (and I've never seen these cards on holiday flights from the UK).

Agree with the above, especially as one could fly for example MAN-CDG-MAD and be in Schengen/Spain quite legally having entered via France.

Also seems to go against spirit of Schengen as does this not provide for common procedures on entry of 3rd party nationals? Seems odd therefore that Spain has an incongruous procedure like this...

Where did you get this?

In some kind of haze I mixed up "Schengen" with "EU". It didn't help that when I went to Spain last summer they still have an arrival card, as mentioned before.

Apologies for my confusion

Oh! This is strange. So only a visa-waiver-eligible passport is required then?

There is no such concept as "visa-waiver" for admission to most countries, nor do most countries impose a requirement for your passport to have certain features such as machine-readability or biometric chip.

There is no such concept as "visa-waiver" for admission to most countries, nor do most countries impose a requirement for your passport to have certain features such as machine-readability or biometric chip.

Indeed even as most countries have some kind of visa on arrival program for some and even as some of the OECD countries -- the US and UK more than most of the OECD -- do what they can to try to crack the whip to get their way in controlling and monitoring international traffic.

Seems like a pretty futile exercise to me. Visitors don't have to fill in forms if they enter Spain via other Schengen countries, so why make them complete forms if Spain is their first point of entry?

Spanish tourist authorities are addicted to the information they obtain from the international forms. If the tourist authorities had their way all travellers would complete a form, however for efficiency purposes they do not require the forms for Schengen arrival flights.

Nor from EU passport holders...

Add France, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Norway and Finland as Schengen countries that also don't waste my time with forms to enter as a foreigner. When it comes to foreigners entering the Schengen zone, Spain is the biggest exception in this regard.

Spain is odd man out in a couple ways. When traveling from France to Spain by train an agent actually got on the train after the first stop is Spain (or maybe the last in France?) and checked everyone's documentation. The only thing that comes close to this I've seen is an agent on the platform watching people as they exit the train but seldom stopping anyone.

Ive had to fill landing cards for Spain,Iceland(Scheghen) and UK (Non Scheghen)

My Scheghen trips...

Enter FRA (from SIN), Depart AMS - no card
Enter MAD (from LHR), Depart FCO - arrival card filled in, noone was interested in removing the 'to be collected' part upon leaving
Enter CDG (from JFK), Depart HEL - no card
Enter FCO (from JFK), Depart MAD - no card

Just would like to update that no card for AMS required

Just would like to update that no card for AMS required

With the exception of Spain, an immigration landing card is not a general requirement in any Schengen country that has a hub for a Star Alliance, Oneworld or SkyTeam airline.

And AMS is a hub for a SkyTeam airline.

I had to fill in one for France but that was back in 2003. Compared to forms required for entering Australia, Canada, and the UK the French one was a joke. It actually called for my home residential address in the US, not the address I was staying an in France.

I had to fill in one for France but that was back in 2003. Compared to forms required for entering Australia, Canada, and the UK the French one was a joke. It actually called for my home residential address in the US, not the address I was staying an in France.

France has in the main phased that out. Even before they were generally phased out, the French one was a joke in that often at CDG they wouldn't even look at them or collect them; and if they did collect and/or look at them, then they wouldn't necessarily even open the passport presented to the biodata/photo page.

Spain no longer uses the immigration form, at least not for US Citizens. I can confirm having entered Spain by air multiple times this year (2012).

Nor does Germany or France.

They should get rid of the stupid forms in Canada/US, and make it more like Europe/Schengen/EU. It enables a faster flow of people and less hassle for all involved.

The Canadian customs form particularly is a nuisance

France did use a form during 2009. It was only for public health reasons and was due to swine flu and they wanted to be able to link passengers to a particular flight if anyone got sick. You turned the forms in as you exited the plane to the flight crew, they bundled them, and turned them over to the authorities. It was mandatory to enter the country for all, Schengen and non-schengen, passport holders.

France did use a form during 2009. It was only for public health reasons and was due to swine flu and they wanted to be able to link passengers to a particular flight if anyone got sick. You turned the forms in as you exited the plane to the flight crew, they bundled them, and turned them over to the authorities. It was mandatory to enter the country for all, Schengen and non-schengen, passport holders.

Yeah, I remember those. THey were interested in where you sat on the plane and how to contact within 24 hours even if in transit.

Spain no longer uses the immigration form, at least not for US Citizens. I can confirm having entered Spain by air multiple times this year (2012).

Nor does Germany or France.

Not used for anyone anymore.