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Ukraine citizen with DE Student visa trying to visit Ireland

Forum to discuss all things Blarney | Ireland immigration

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scrudu
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Location: Dublin, Ireland

Ukraine citizen with DE Student visa trying to visit Ireland

Post by scrudu » Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:34 am

Does anyone know of anyone who's been in the same situation, or have any advice on the following situation?

I have a friend who is from the Ukraine and is living in Germany for the last 4 years on a student visa while studying at the University there. She booked a flights, accommodation & tuition to come to Ireland for 10 days to do an English course. Unfortunately she never looked into visa requirements, as she presumed her DE Student visa would work here. I guess due to the Schengen Agreement, she can freely travel around the other EU States on this visa without any further visa requirements, and presumed it would be the same to Ireland.

The flight is due to leave today, so obviously there's no chance she'll get a Tourist Visa in time. Does anyone think if she manages to get on the flight (i.e. Airport staff don't know the rules) that she'll be refused entry in Dublin airport? Or is there a chance that her story that she didn't realise that Ireland doesnt acknowledge a DE Student Visa for entry would work to get her in for her course?

If she doesn't fly today she looses her flight ticket anyway, so I'm unsure how to advise her. Give it a go and try to get here, or loose the money she's paid on the flight and stay at home in Germany?

greentea
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Post by greentea » Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:50 am

No, German visa can't be used for entering Ireland, as Ireland is not a Schengen country. I am a non EU citizen, I went Germany by applying a Schengen visa in German Embassy in Dublin. I will suggest her not take plane. She is likely to be stopped by boarding the plane at check in counter. The airlines do check if passengers have valid visa for destination.
She should rearrange her trip to Ireland and go to Irish Embassy to get a visa.

scrudu
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Location: Dublin, Ireland

Post by scrudu » Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:25 pm

I understand she requires a visa to enter here, as does she now. My question is if the airline staff think (as she did) that her DE Student visa is valid for Ireland (as it is for other EU Schengen Countries), and they let her on the plane, what will happen on arriving to Dublin Airport and Irish Immigration? Will they refuse her entry and send her back on a plane, or be symapthetic to her story and allow her entry. Personally I imagine they will send her straight back, but I wanted to know if anyone had had personal or 3rd hand experience of similar situations.

Changing of airline ticket within 24 hours of the flight is not permitted, so she will forfeit her ticket. Hence me wondering if it was worth her while trying to come anyway, to get the use out of the ticket, and possibly get her planned stay in Ireland.

Christophe
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Post by Christophe » Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:36 pm

I think it's very unlikely that the airline check-in staff would think that a German visa would be valid for Ireland, since it would be fairly basic to their (often limited) training that Ireland the UK are not in the Schengen area. They would have to hand a list of countries whose citizens do need visas to enter Ireland.

And even if she were to be allowed boarding, there is every likelihood that she would be denied entry at Dublin.

This is of course very unfortunate for your friend.

scrudu
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Location: Dublin, Ireland

Post by scrudu » Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:39 pm

Cheers Christophe, yeah quite unfortunate. And frustrating as if she'd asked me I could have told her a visa was required :(
I can understand how confusing it is for her though, as she has previously travelled freely around the EU (as she understands it), never previously knowing about the Schengen Agreement and that it only applies to a subset of EU countries. Bring on the day when the UK & Ireland opt to take part!

Dawie
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Post by Dawie » Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:50 pm

Actually having watched and observed check-in staff on a number of occasions, when they enter the passport details of the person into the check-in computer they also enter the nationality. The computer then alerts the check-in staff to check for a visa.

From my experience airline check-in staff are well aware of the Schengen agreement and it's implications for travel between the UK and Ireland on the one hand, and the Schengen countries. I don't think she has any chance of boarding the plane.

The other thing of course is that even if she did manage to board the plane because of a dumb check-in person, she will still face the embarrassment and humilation of being deported upon arrival at Dublin airport.
In a few years time we'll look back on immigration control like we look back on American prohibition in the thirties - futile and counter-productive.

scrudu
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Location: Dublin, Ireland

Post by scrudu » Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:03 pm

Thanks Dawie, I've encountered so many airport staff who don't check properly so figured she may make it further than that point, but good point about the embarassment she'd face in Dublin. I guess I was hoping someone would say that the Immigration would be sympathetic to her story, but I guess I should have known better.

I'll let her know she should do what she can to cancel her plans and try to recoup any money spent, and then make an application to the Irish Embassy in DE for any subsequent plans.

archigabe
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Post by archigabe » Fri Aug 03, 2007 4:32 pm

This story about someone in a similar situation was on today's metro.
I Can't imagine being humiliated the same way!

http://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/display ... 61.0.0.php
A PERSHORE man's Thai wife was ordered off a plane to Ireland just before it started to taxi along the runway.

Rod and Gem Haines were taking a belated honeymoon after they got married in Thailand two years ago.

Everything went well after they booked their tickets online, went through customs and boarded the plane.But then, Mr Haines, 44, of Rod's Taxis, said: "We were sitting on the plane at Birmingham airport ready to take off when a woman from Ryanair suddenly appeared and said to my wife: Sorry you can't go'. The experience was absolutely terrible - we felt like criminals."

He said they got off the plane and eventually found out Mrs Haines needed a special visa for southern Ireland as she had a Thai passport. She is in England under a settlement visa.

He added: "I think we were treated very shabbily by Ryanair, which didn't allow us to change the flight. We didn't know we needed to get another visa and I lost about £450 in flights and hotel bookings."

Mr Haines met his 30-year-old wife, who works at Pershore Hospital, at a friend's wedding while she was in the country on a visit.

Together, they have three children by previous marriages. The Journal was unable to contact Ryanair before going to press.

Pershore Travel Agent Ruth Brunger, from Wanderers' World, said: "The drawback with on-line booking is that there is no customer service.

"Travel agents always make sure customers check their visa requirements before they book holidays."

11:41am Thursday 2nd August 2007

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