“I don’t know WHAT ANY INDIVIDUAL SHOULD DO ABOUT CROSSING heR OWN BORDERS. i ONLY KNOW THAT I LIVE A HAPPIER, MORE ADVENTUROUS LIFE BY CROSSING BORDERS”
sherman alexie
Today I’m gonna talk about a moment that many people get nervous about: The immigration. So far, in my trips, I have passed 7 times where I had to show my passport and be authorized to proceed (In South America it doesn’t count because we have freedom of movement and just need to show an id or sometimes not even that).
The first time I passed by an immigration post was in Portugal, at Lisbon airport. It was early in the morning and all the officer asked was “Are you Portuguese?” “No, I’m Brazilian”, “Where are you going my son?” and after I answered him, he stamped my passport. That was all! Second time, in Germany was a bit tougher, the officer asked where I was going, when I was going back, asked to see my tickets and hotel reservations, got in silent for a moment and finally stamped my passport.
Third time, in Madrid, was pretty much like the first, with a bit more questions from the officer, but nothing that I couldn’t answer straight away. On the same trip I left the Schengen Area by Warsaw and went to Belarus. In Minsk the officer lady seemed really surprised to see a Brazilian passport, looked in all angles, checked to her superior to be sure that Brazilians can stay up to 90 days visa-free and let me go!
I left Belarus by the country side and entered the Schengen Area again by Lithuania. Again, some surprise from the officer by seeing a Brazilian Passport (even called a colleague to show it! Haha), checked again that Brazilians don’t need a visa to Europe, asked where I was going and let me in! On that time a lot of Belarusians in the line got surprised why they didn’t take my finger print like they do with them and some of them even asked me why Haha
The toughest border cross by far was from Estonia to Russia, but I blame that to a lack of communication. None of the border officers spoke English and I didn’t speak Russian obviously XD So, apparently for them I needed the Fan Id to enter the country, but I was trying to explain them that Brazilians citizens don’t need a visa or any other document except a passport to get there. That miscommunication took like 15 minutes (with a lot of military guards near me and me starting to freak out) until the office apparently said “go to hell” , stamped my passport and let me go Haha
So, to make it short, my advices are: Always have the proper documentation: Passport (obvious), your return tickets, hotel reservations or invitational letter, proof that you have funds during your stay and health insurance. Always keep calm, answer only what they ask and you will be fine!
