No immigration required to exit UK via Gatwick?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
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No immigration required to exit UK via Gatwick?
Just boarded my flight in Gatwich going back to USA. Noticed that I didn't have to go through immigration to exit U.K. at all! Really?
#2
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,770
There is no routine exit control at any UK airports any more. The government gets information about your departure through API anyway, so it's not a priority.
Some spot checks are apparently conducted now and then, but I've not witnessed that.
Some spot checks are apparently conducted now and then, but I've not witnessed that.
#8
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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Yes. Exactly the same as when you left the US (assuming your profile is accurate). Neither the UK or US have routine exit passport control.
#9
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Leaving a country is, of course, emigration rather than immigration. That said, APIS should allow Border Force to match leavers against their previous arrivals. Whether Border Force is competent to do this is another question entirely.
#10
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Canada
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And unlike the US (where the system is good at picking it up), border forces system is terrible at matching up dual citizens.
#11
Join Date: Jul 2014
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Scratching my head wondering how I've not realised this before now. How come mainland EU countries are so obsessed with immigration checks, even for EU bound flights? IIRC there aren't any checks when departing Ireland either for EU flights?
#12
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SMF / SFO
Posts: 226
Schengen -> UK/IE will require exit controls, but not to other Schengen countries.
#13
Join Date: Sep 2015
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Posts: 8,405
The UK check UK bound (international) flights as well. As do the US. The reason why some don't bother to check departing passenger is explained above. Both the US and the UK use Advanced Passenger Information System and have the identities of departing passengers transmitted by airlines to check who left, who stayed, etc.
As far as EU member states go, the Schengen countries don't do any immigration checks for flights within the Schengen area. If it weren't for airlines (that want to see if the passenger is actually the one in the reservation), you could just walk up to the gate and board a Schengen flight. Only flights that leave the Schengen area will be subjected to an exit control (so no different from other nations).
I didn't not follow the debate regarding the Passenger Name Record (PNR) that will EU member states will have to transpose by May '18, but I doubt that it will change much to the current form of exit control, which is - globally speaking - still very common.
#14
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Schengen members are not obsessed but required by the implementing regulation to stamp passports on arrival into and departure from Schengen. That is the only way of noting how long an individual has been in Schengen and whether the individual has overstayed.
Even though a requirement, countries such as Italy are less than faithful in exit stamps.
#15
Join Date: Jul 2014
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I should have framed the question better. I am questioning the imbalance. UK/IE ->Schengen doesn't get checked. Seems APIS is the answer but I'd wonder why if it's good enough for UK/US why not for the Schengen lot?