# Travelling within Schengen while awaiting resident card/permit?



## AAlZaabi (Jun 29, 2015)

Hello all, 

I have just joined this forum as I moved to Spain from the UAE a month ago, 

A couple of weeks ago the school here finished our Student Residency Card applications and told us they would be ready within 4 weeks. 

I wanted to go to Germany for the weekend (Next weekend) to meet with some family, and heard that there was no border control when I fly there. So I was wondering if I can just travel with my passport and have no problems. 

I was told I can't travel abroad as I would get a tourist stamp when I re-enter Spain and that would technically cancel my residency application? (Sounds extreme.. ) But I figured since it is within Schengen there would be no problem? 

Any help is appreciated, thank you.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

AAlZaabi said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I have just joined this forum as I moved to Spain from the UAE a month ago,
> 
> ...


:welcome:

who told you that you can't travel abroad while waiting?

if it was the extranjería, then you can't, clearly, & other Schengen countries do count as abroad

if it was 'someone in a bar' or similar - then check with the extranjería


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

I have been told the same thing, by extranjería. If there is an emergency then you can apply for a special exit/entrance permit. But you have to provide paperwork to prove there is an actual emergency situation requiring that you leave the country. And it takes several weeks to process. 

Personally I wouldn't leave the country and risk losing my residency. But it's your call...


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## AAlZaabi (Jun 29, 2015)

Thanks guys  , 
Yeah I believe I was told by extranjería that I need a permit to travel within the processing period, But I wasn't sure if that also included the schengen area. 

However , not to sound too desperate, but if the permit takes too long and I decide to go for a day or two, the only way I'd be in trouble is a manual/random check am I right? as there are no border controls.. 

I just don't see why it's a problem since I already have a valid visitor visa for schengen .. Hmm


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

Don't go outside Spanish borders without a re-entry permit (autorización de regreso). At the Extranjería office in Albacete, I have twice received the permit within 5 business days, and had the impression they can do it even faster. Oddly enough you have to show your plane tickets when you apply. 

It doesn't have to be an emergency. I have told them I wanted to see my mother during the summer and it was the best time for me to make that visit. Maybe other offices are more strict, but in Albacete that has been a valid reason.

Note that airlines might not let you fly if you don't have the re-entry permit. It doesn't matter if you have a right to travel as a tourist. It doesn't matter if you stay within the Schengen zone.

Obviously you are more likely to have your documentation inspected if you have darker skin or otherwise look foreign. All this advice is based on the experiences of my family. Talk to Extranjería. You have applied for your residence card for the first time, rather than renewing the card as I was, so that might make a difference. Good luck!




AAlZaabi said:


> Thanks guys  ,
> Yeah I believe I was told by extranjería that I need a permit to travel within the processing period, But I wasn't sure if that also included the schengen area.
> 
> However , not to sound too desperate, but if the permit takes too long and I decide to go for a day or two, the only way I'd be in trouble is a manual/random check am I right? as there are no border controls..
> ...


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## AAlZaabi (Jun 29, 2015)

Thanks for the informative reply! That makes sense, and I believe I can still make it for the next weekend if I apply for that permit tomorrow or the day after, I'll have to check first if I can just do it by myself or If I need to have to go through the school to get it. 
They did tell me today that the residency might actually be ready sooner than expected since it's a student residency, but I won't keep my hopes too high for that.. And as you said, sounds like it's too risky to just cross fingers and go without any permit. 

Thanks!


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## kdsb (May 3, 2015)

I am glad to have stumbled upon this old thread. We are an American family planning to move to Spain on non-lucrative visas next summer, and also planning to tour around Europe, but this might now change everything. I knew we had to register within 30 days of entering the Schengen states. My plan was to spend two weeks in Iceland and Denmark, spend two weeks in Spain getting settled, and then travel for the rest of the summer to France, Italy, and Switzerland. But it seems like this may be impossible. 

Is there any way to find out for sure in advance whether we would be allowed to leave the country? We could try to cram all of our travel into 30 days prior to arrival in Spain but then would have to drag a ton of luggage all around Europe, and that would limit our options for budget flights. We are a family of six so need to plan in advance and can't really wait until we are there to figure this out.

We will most likely be in the Madrid area, if that makes a difference.


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## disillusion20 (May 29, 2013)

Hi kdsb, I'm not too sure what's the process like for applying for the non-lucrative visa, but when I did my application and subsequent (6-month) wait to get my residency card last year, I asked and was told that I would not be allowed to travel out of Spain - need to apply for permission to exit the country.

In this case, perhaps it would be better to leave Spain at the end of your trip.


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