waribai

Hi,

Just arrived into Lisbon from London. For some reason we didn’t go through immigration. We just ended up in the arrivals then collected our baggage. Now, I’m a bit worried! Hopefully, we won’t have a problem when we leave!

mario

I assume you were at a remote stand and were dropped off at the wrong entrance.

You will have a problem when leaving. I'd find a police officer before leaving the airport and explain what happened. Ideally before you leave the baggage area.

EDITED to say: you will have a problem if travelling on a non-schengen passport, if you're traveling on a passport that doesn't need to be stamped on arrival you'll be fine.

corporate-wage-slave

Was it a bus from the aircraft to the building?

You may have a few problems if you are on the rolling 90 day limit for Schengen visitors from Third Countries. If you have a Schengen or Irish passport you don't need to worry, but for the time being - the next 181 days to be more precise - I would retain proof of arrival, such as your boarding pass or luggage label. Personally I would not seek out a police officer since I know what the official advice is going to be: go to the offices of SEF Lisbon, wait a long time, explain the situation and then get a stamp, begrudgingly. It happens all the time, only the Swiss, Germans and Dutch are bothered by it. If your other and future visits means that you don't go over 90 days with the missed stamp then you don't need to worry either.

It happens more in Spain than anywhere else, the Guarda are not paid extra for late shifts and weekends so if the Copa del Rey is on you'll not get a stamp inbound.

waribai

Thanks. Yes, it was a bus stand. Myself and daughter are on UK passports. My wife is on a Japanese passport but UK resident. We leave to go back to London next week.

TabTraveller

I think only the Swiss, Germans and Dutch are bothered by the 90 day rule. It seems to be frequently ignored by southern European states. Perhaps that will change when the long-awaited digital immigration system finally launches.

mario

I don't think that the Portuguese immigration officers would be calculating dates but I've seen them looking for the corresponding entry stamp.

corporate-wage-slave

They will give you a stamp when leaving, particularly if your previous inbound stamp was within 90 days. If after departing LIS you have no further Schengen visits for 90 days then it's problem over.

There is a local problem in that there is a huge UK expat population in Portugal and SEF don't check those bona fides of legal residents, on the whole, so UK passports having more than 90 days stay isn't much of an issue locally.

waribai

Thanks. I’ve kept the boarding passes and luggage tags. On Friday, I’ll try to go through immigration a bit earlier and have my inward boarding passes at the ready. Then look confused as to why there is no stamp. I’m sure it’s not the first time a non-Schengen bus has dropped passengers into the Schengen area….

fluffymitten

Apparently there are eGates at Lisbon where you don't need to get a stamp afterwards. Did you use one of those?

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-...d-ups-24190471

EDIT: posted as the same time as the above, so this is no longer a viable explanation!

waribai

No, we arrived straight into the mixed area with departing passengers after getting off the bus. Then we just followed the signs to the baggage hall.

waribai

In terms of the last entry stamp we got into the EU, that was in Montpellier on 21st December and we left there back to London a week later
We do have a week in Bordeaux planned at the end of next month. Hopefully, we won’t have a problem then!

stifle

Just carry proof of your entry date to Portugal with you on any visits to Schengen within the next 180 days and you will be fine.

If the EES goes live as planned on 5 October this should all go away.

sodaisei

I am from Spain and I don't understand the meaning of this. What does Copa del Rey have to do with this?

scottishpoet

I fully expect you will be fine, the more stamps in your passport the better.

As an EU resident on a British passport, I am not supposed to be stamped in and out. When exiting Schengen in Vienna, they have a quick flick through my passport then stamp me out, despite my protests. Never a question why I have no entry stamp.

corporate-wage-slave

If something big is on, and maybe people have booked a day off, or fall ill, then at the smaller airports the inbound flights from UK and Ireland end up walking past an empty Schengen booth. There isn't enough staff cover.