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Going to the UK and Europe for the first time want to stay

Replies: 28 - Last Post: Nov 10, 2012 8:14 PM Last Post By: MCalgar

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Nicolapicola

Nicolapicola avatar

Nov 8, 2012 2:27 AM
Posts:  164

15

#14 - Oz is the biggest island, etc - officially, it is not an island - it is a CONTINENT so island mentality probably doesn't apply

battybilly

battybilly avatar

Nov 9, 2012 1:54 AM
Posts:  12,228

16

14 - Oz is the biggest island, etc

Politically, but not geographically.

dublin_girl

dublin_girl avatar

Nov 9, 2012 12:06 PM
Posts:  14

17

Hi there,

I've been travelling around UK/Europe on a one way ticket from NZ for the last five months. If I were you I'd avoid Heathrow altogether and fly into somewhere like Edinburgh. Heathrow will grill you if you put six months on your landing card, even if you have a ticket out. I haven't tried Gatwick but I wouldn't even mention six months to any border control in the UK, I'd say "I'm here for three weeks as a tourist", once they stamp your passport it's for six months anyway.

Dublin is pretty sweet, they stamp your passport for three months and even if you come and go they just look at the original stamp and say "Grand!".

Hope that helps!

SadisticToaster

SadisticToaster avatar

Nov 9, 2012 12:19 PM
Posts:  75

18

"Oz is the biggest island, etc - officially, it is not an island - it is a CONTINENT"

So - if OZ is the entire continent, where's New Zealand?

MCalgar

MCalgar avatar

Nov 9, 2012 6:22 PM
Posts:  11

19

Dublin_ girl thanks now that's some handy info mmwah.., I think Australia is classified as an "island continent" NZ is a little country down a bit more and to the right. Reckon its about the size of Japan?

Nice_But__

Nice_But__ avatar

Nov 9, 2012 10:07 PM
Posts:  1,133

20

MCalgar, you might want to consider flying onto a Schengen country initially, then you will be allowed
  • 90 days in Schengen
  • 180 days in UK (and Ireland, it is a common travel area, though arrive in the UK first or you'll find yourself under Irish immigration law and only allowed 90 days total in the pair of countries)
  • 90 more days in Schengen (as it will by now be more than 90 days since you'd left there)

  • and you can always visit places outside of Schengen, such as Morocco or Croatia, Turkey, etc and those days don't count toward anything except their own local immigration laws.

But you likely will have to prove funds to cover your planned time, and tickets out. Or get a long-term visa.

MCalgar

MCalgar avatar

Nov 9, 2012 11:23 PM
Posts:  11

21

Oh cool thanks for the heads up nice butt, good idea too. So I would spend 3 months pottering around the Schengen countries and then go to the UK for 6 months and then I could go back to Schengen after that for another 3 months???? correct?? So I shouldn't visit the UK during that first 90 days in Schengen? or it would sort of bugger up the travel plan to stay for a year in Europe?

Nice_But__

Nice_But__ avatar

Nov 9, 2012 11:35 PM
Posts:  1,133

22

Basically correct.
The schengen rules are '90 days out of 180 days', so sure, you can visit the UK after a month in Schengen (for example), and when you get back to Schengen your initial 90 days continues counting from where you left offf.....but that all gets complicated, as you have to count days in/out of two travel areas (Schenen/UK), and dates you fsrt arrived in each, and also count back from the current date to make sure you haven't breached any rules about the 'total in the last 180 days'......

And there's only one 't' in my name, my name is not a reference to my bottom.

MCalgar

MCalgar avatar

Nov 10, 2012 5:06 AM
Posts:  11

23

Oh I totally agree with you, I think its common courtesy to at least learn basic greetings please thank you etc, in the native language of that country so I'll have a little French language guide book with me, I speak Japanese as I lived there for a few years :o)

fowler9

fowler9 avatar

Nov 10, 2012 6:43 AM
Posts:  2,151

24

Oz isn't the biggest island on earth, it is a continent. Greenland is the biggest island. Ha ha. Isn't it all to do with continental plates anyway. If not then why aren't Europe, Asia and Africa all the same continent. It has nothing at all to do with being an island or separated by water. If it is there are 2 continents and loads of big and small islands.

battybilly

battybilly avatar

Nov 10, 2012 9:38 AM
Posts:  12,228

25

Greenland is the biggest island.

Again, maybe politically - but not geographically.

fowler9

fowler9 avatar

Nov 10, 2012 11:20 AM
Posts:  2,151

26

Which is the biggest then? Euroasiafrica? Ha ha. It isn't Australia, it is apparently a continent. And i that makes it count as an island then why not The whole of the Americas.

Aribo

Aribo avatar

Nov 10, 2012 3:00 PM
Posts:  3,737

27

If Australia is a continent, what continent does New Zealand belong to? Or, say, Fiji?

MCalgar

MCalgar avatar

Nov 10, 2012 8:14 PM
Posts:  11

28

NZ is its own continent is it not? I was always led to believe Australia is classified as an "island continent" If you look up "island" and "continent" in the dictionary Oz falls into both. What makes Greenland an island and Australia not?
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