Intra Europe travels (can't recall last 10 years)

[mauro80]

:'(

Hi all,
I've reached the part where you are supposed to list all your previous travel history in the last 10 years.
Extra Europe is fine, but Intra Europe It's just impossible to me this...
I was travelling to Spain, France, UK, Italy and Germany; and obviously there is just no trace of this in my passport since there are no borders there.

What is the best way to approach this ?

I was planning to list a dozens of travels and then in the LOE writing the situation and advising in advance that I might be missing something. There wouldn't even be trace on each country immigration and passaport.

How picky they are on this ?

Thanks in advance

 

[picklee]

I was travelling to Spain, France, UK, Italy and Germany; and obviously there is just no trace of this in my passport since there are no borders there.

Well that's just not true. If there were no borders, then IRCC wouldn't be interested, eh?

What is the best way to approach this ?

Not sure how it works in those European countries, but in Canada and US you can request the record of your entries and exits. It's painful, but in practice you probably only need to report travel that resulted in border control or interaction with customs (i.e. most commercial border crossings: air; ship; train; bus). Those are usually the easiest to corroborate with ticket information. I had to search old itineraries in my email to get the dates correct for numerous trips to and within Europe.

 

[mauro80]

there are no borders in europe (at least up to now, not sure what will happen in a very close future).
Not internally within the countries at least.
As an european citizen you can move within the Europe region even without documents and you simply drive on your freeway from Italy to Austria, or Germany to France without any control or passport check. This is only valid for european citizens. Non UE must have a passport to move within.

Forget about what is happening in these months for the refugee panic I personally drove from Genova to Nizza thousands of times in the past without even stopping, there is just no stop anymore.

 

[picklee]

I understand and I was half-joking. The reality is that these are real countries and the borders do exist whether they are controlled or not.

I have travelled Europe several times, resulting in about a couple dozen entries to different countries in my travel history. Some only for a day or two, but in all cases, I arrived by train, plane, or ship, so there was likely a record of my passport. Even if there wasn't a record, I could still prove it if necessary from receipts or itineraries.

If you take a thousand road trips over ten years between Italy and Switzerland without border control, then what is your concern? How could IRCC possibly know and why would they care about such trips? I would be interested to hear from a European what they did, maybe if it comes to it you can explain in LOE. I am sure this is very commmon for Europeans!

 

[mauro80]

well to be precise Switzerland is not UE
yes you do get your document check if you come from outside, but once inside you don't get checked anymore.
My thing is: I won't be able to report all my small little travels inside as an european citizens.
I'll do the best I can and I'll make sure to mention this in the LOE.

 

[DRWOU]

well to be precise Switzerland is not UE
yes you do get your document check if you come from outside, but once inside you don't get checked anymore.
My thing is: I won't be able to report all my small little travels inside as an european citizens.
I'll do the best I can and I'll make sure to mention this in the LOE.

Absolutely

 

[xpressentry]

Only the Schengen area has not borders. I have no stamps from visiting one schengen country to another but I remember the dates as I have all the booking confirmation emails of my tickets and hotel stays.

 

[vensak]

In order to book train, ship or bus ticket within EU schengen, you do not need any ID stated on the ticket. So such tickets are not traceable.

Only treaceable can be a fight ticket. But for such, all you need is your National ID card.

And Schengen also includes Switzerland, also they are not part of EU.

For travelling within EU as EU citizen, all you need to have a valid National ID with you (as you can be checked randomly).

It comes that far, that you can end up in other country without realising it.

That is why I fully understand what is it living here and trying to remember when did you go just to the neighbour country for a short shopping afternoon.

 

[picklee]

In order to book train, ship or bus ticket within EU schengen, you do not need any ID stated on the ticket. So such tickets are not traceable.

Only treaceable can be a fight ticket. But for such, all you need is your National ID card.

The question by IRCC is not "which countries have you visited in the last 10 years that are traceable?" My suggestion to use commercial entries and exits is that they have a record the OP can use to substantiate a trip.

 

[vensak]

The question by IRCC is not "which countries have you visited in the last 10 years that are traceable?" My suggestion to use commercial entries and exits is that they have a record the OP can use to substantiate a trip.

EU countries are alone standing countries, but the borders between function like provincial borders in Canada. That is why it can be really difficult to remember all. So I guess the best try is to put down all you can remember. that is all.

 

[min1]

i went for 1 week holiday in europe from india should that cause any documents

 

[eagleeye_a]

I too would like some input on this issue. We did a tour of Europe for about 3 weeks (UK, netherlands, germany, austria, italy, france & switzerland). Landed in UK and left from France. Those are the only stamps in the passport. I dont remember the precice dates as we drove from one place to another.

Cheers

 

[xpressentry]

I too would like some input on this issue. We did a tour of Europe for about 3 weeks (UK, netherlands, germany, austria, italy, france & switzerland). Landed in UK and left from France. Those are the only stamps in the passport. I dont remember the precice dates as we drove from one place to another.

Cheers

UK doesn't stamp on exit but Schengen area stamps on entry and exit. So you would need to explain how you exited from France as you would have an exit stamp of France. You should have an entry stamp in another schengen area. Schengen country stamps have an arrow pointing to the right to mark entry and an arrow pointing to the left to mark exit. The stamp will also contain the picture of a vehicle depending on how you entered or exited. At the airport, it will have an aeroplane picture. At Dover / Calais, it will have the picture of a car or a boat. The country shortform with be circled with the EU stars which is the symbol of the EU. Only Swiss stamps wont have those stars.

 

[eagleeye_a]

Cheers for the detailed reply.

We were part of a tour group and we took a ferry from the UK to Belgium. However i dont see any entry stamp. I do see the exit stamp as you described.
This was in 2008 and its all in an old(now cancelled) passport. I hope it wont be an issue with CIC.

 

[kryt0n]

We just drove from uk through France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany and Austria. The only the my passport was seen was after the ferry in France. There's no record of me ANYWHERE in the other countries.

I will be listing France (1 day) and Austria (7 day vacation) on my travel history, though.