The Visa Run

Visa Run documents all in a tidy row.  Don't forget a single piece of paper or it's no visa for you, Bucko!

The limits on permitted in-country time imposed by most governments are the bane of travelers everywhere.  Hang around a group of travelers long enough and you will inevitably hear tales of a visa run.  "Yeah, I was in Southern Thailand, way down by Hat Yai and heading for Tarutao but I was almost up on my thirty days.  I made a visa run across into Malaysia, got the stamp, and I was back across and good for another fifteen.  Don't know where I'm going next, but I'm out of time here in Thai."

So it goes.  In Europe, the Gub'mints got together (European Union Pun!!!  Hahahah.  Sorry, hanging head in shame) and came up with the Schengen rules.  Bah!  The Schengen rules basically blend a whole bunch of the main European countries into one set of visa rules, more or less.  The key is that a traveler such as myself can be in country ninety days during a six month period.  By most standards, this is a pretty generous allowance as compared with many of the Asian countries.  For the ninety day "visa" I only have to show up in Frankfurt with a valid passport and a return ticket, although the Polizei have never checked the ticket.  

And the problem is?  Well, suppose you are madly in love with a smart, gorgeous and funny Austrian woman.  Would you want to be away from said person three months out of every six months?  I don't think so.  Hence the next step, the Entry Visa.  This is the foot-in-the-door visa.  It is good for six months of continuous time in Austria with allowances for travel in other Schengen countries.  The other cool thing about the Entry Visa is that the Austrian folks insist on Biometric Data as part of the application package.  Biometric Data means finger prints, even though I hold a Global Entry card and have been finger-printed prior.  The finger print requirement means that I have to fly to Los Angeles for a fifteen minute appointment at the consulate.  

Very early Thursday morning I will be winging it South with my precious stack of documents.  If all goes well, I will have my passport back in about fifteen to twenty days and in my passport will be a shiny new Austrian Visa.  If not I am sort of screwed since I had to by the ticket in advance as part of the visa package.   Once again it is time to throw it all to the care of the Travel Gods and trust that things will work out.