We’re sharing a real-life situation with a crew member that could happen to anyone:
First contract with a company. The crew member spent 101 days in the Schengen Area—he simply miscalculated how many days he’d already spent in the Schengen Area.
Planned flight route:
Warsaw → Frankfurt (FRA) → Newark (USA) → San Juan
❗️Important: You are allowed to stay in the Schengen Area for no more than 90 days within a 180-day period, or you must have Temporary Protection (for Ukrainian citizens).
📃 At Frankfurt Airport (FRA), the sailor was stopped at passport control for exceeding the permitted stay in the Schengen Area. The document check took a long time, resulting in him missing his flight from Frankfurt to Newark.
In addition to the lengthy check and the missed flight, he also had to pay a fine of €110.
Immigration Police also issued an official document stating that the crew member was only allowed to remain in the Schengen Area for one more day before exiting. During this time, he was required to leave the Schengen Area. The Immigration Officer advised that exiting the Schengen Area was only possible through the following options:
🟢A direct flight from Europe to the US
🟢Or a flight via Turkey to the US
✈️ An urgent search for a new flight began. The difficulty lay in meeting Immigration requirements and still meeting the ship in San Juan Port. After a lengthy search, a suitable flight was found.
🧳 The second problem was luggage. It turned out that the luggage remained in Frankfurt and did not continue on. On the one hand, this was a good thing. But the situation was complicated by the fact that the baggage tag was damaged and the lower numbers were illegible. We started checking: the confirmation email for any available information about the baggage.
⏳ It took some extra time, but the Lost & Found / Baggage Services employee finally found a solution: the baggage was found and rebooked on the correct flight.
✅ Conclusions
🔘 Always monitor the number of days you stay in the Schengen Area.
🔘 Ukrainian citizens should apply for Temporary Protection if planning a long stay.
🔘 Regarding baggage:
- Make sure all numbers on the baggage tag are clearly visible.
- Take photos of the baggage tag and the baggage itself.
- Be sure to use a personal baggage tag with contact information.
⚓️ These details can save time, stress, and even a contract.
Author: @vicky_crewmanager
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