Traveling to Amsterdam while unemployed

My boyfriend and I have decided to meet up in another country for our next time together.

He's from the UK, and I am from the U.S. We've decided to meet in Amsterdam.

The issue is, he is currently unemployed. He is looking for a job, but not having a whole lot of luck. Still, he can afford the trip to Amsterdam simply as he's been saving and has recently come into some inheritance.

I'm a little concerned that he'll have trouble getting into Amsterdam as he's unemployed. He's traveled a lot in the past, and has a great travel history, but a lack of a job could make an immigration officer think that he doesn't have enough ties to his own country.

Does anyone have any advice?

He's from Scotland specifically, if it matters.

Immigration tend to be wary of scruffy looking non-EU citizens who they suspect of hanging around illegally looking for a job in the Netherlands.

However, your boyfriend is a UK citizen and as such has the right to live and work in other EU member states, including the Netherlands. So even if he were planning to look for a job, he wouldn't be doing anything illegal.

Thanks for the information, Aribo! It looks like I'm worrying for nothing as usual.

I'm a little concerned that he'll have trouble getting into Amsterdam

Just for the record- Amsterdam doesn't have immigration checks. the Netherlands, or rather Schengen, does. Similarly, being Scottish matters as much as the colour of his hair. He is a UK passport holder.

Anyway, as Aribo says, UK citizens enjoy freedom of movement throughout the EU. Nothing to worry about.

That's great to know MTL. Now I can travel without worrying about him getting denied entry...now just to worry about me! But..with all my papers in order (letters from boss verifying time off, return ticket, proof of funds...) I'm thinking I'll be okay.

That's a huge relief!

But..with all my papers in order (letters from boss verifying time off,

wow- what kind of police state do you live in? you're taking this a little too far...honestly, you don;t need to prove to Immigration that your boss is OK with your trip. really.

I have made a gazillion flights with Americans into Europe. Legally you're supposed to have enough funds and a return ticket, but i don;t recall anybody ever being asked for it. And the letter from your boss...save the weight and leave it at home! relax! it will be OK.

Millions of Americans enter Europe for a short vacation every year. It's not a big deal.

Wow, you make me feel like an under-achiever! I've traveled to Europe from the US plenty of times, always carrying my passport and a smile on my face - and not much more! I've never been asked for any of the things you mentioned. Immigration might ask what your purpose there is (just visiting!) and when you are returning, but I've never been asked to verify employment or funds. Relax and enjoy!

"wow- what kind of police state do you live in? you're taking this a little too far...honestly, you don;t need to prove to Immigration that your boss is OK with your trip. really."

...I know it seems as though I am taking it too far, but on each of my international trips I have been asked for these documents. This is likely as I was pulled into secondary questioning the first time I traveled to the UK. That time I was told that anytime I was going to Europe, I'd probably be asked for additional information verifying my employment (as I get more vacation time than the typical American, and therefore travel much more frequently). Sure enough, I was asked for all that information the second time I traveled to Europe, and was once again told that I should always have it on me for international trip. The letter from my employer was especially important to immigration, as it verified that I had some ties to the US.

sorry for being a little provocative there- clearly your experience (and i don;t question it) is very different from mine. Having lived and worked on both sides of the Atlantic, i travel between Europe and the US a fair bit. As do friends, colleagues, and family. I have never heard of anybody having to provide proof of employment and authorized time off for a trip to Europe.

Was there something that could have triggered this? you mentioning that you have a boyfriend in the country? you looking scruffy? I do a lot of solo travel (probably far more than you) and nobody ever asks me whether it's for work or leisure (except for the sticklers at US Immigration, who are among the most unpleasant people to deal with). On 200 trips or so in the last 10 years, I have never carried (nor have i been asked) proof of employment or authorized time off... except for when i went to Israel on a business trip (israeli security being notoriously difficult for non-jewish single males)

The fact that you get more vacation time than the average American shouldn't matter. They don;t know when you show up how many vacation days you've already had this year.

So, by all means, bring your papers, but there is something really unusual about your experience...

When I was pulled into secondary the first time, it was due to the fact that I didn't have my return flight information on me, and as I had sort of uncertain answers regarding the reason I was there -- primarily as I wasn't sure what I was going to do while I was there. I was there to meet someone, and was incredibly nervous and unsure if I was actually going to go through with it.. My nervousness was very apparent, and resulted in them pulling me in. It was my first international trip ever, and I was completely unprepared and terrified. My fear basically just made things a lot worse.

Once I got into secondary, the officer that was interviewing me was completely shocked that I didn't carry something that would verify my employment, or a copy of my bank statement. It was only after an hour of so of questioning, and several hours of sitting alone in a small room, did she stamp my passport. It wasn't a pleasant time to say the least.

All in all, my passport got stamped and I was let in.

The reason that they know that I get more vacation time than most Americans is simply as I tend to travel back and forth to the same place a lot now, being that the man I met there the first time has become very important to me. I always say that I'm just traveling to see a friend, but I still get a bit of additional questioning. So, when I go through and they see that I was just there 3 or 4 months ago for a few weeks, it prompts questions of "how can you get so much time off?", which is usually followed by, "how can you afford to come here again so soon?"..

As I'll be meeting him in a different place this time, I'm not sure if I'll have the same issues. With any luck, Amsterdam immigration officers will look at me, look at my passport and return travel information, and stamp my passport. But I can't help but worry as I've never not been asked for additional information.

I suspect what's going on is that they are suspecting you have a relationship, and will either marry and apply for a visa or simply overstay. That's why they want to see proof you;re going back. If you are always flying into the UK, they can of course see how often you;ve entered.

if you read the first chapter of this book you will encounter a similar situation:
http://www.amazon.com/Committed-Skeptic-Makes-Peace-Marriage/dp/0143145754/ref=pd_sim_b_2

Yeah, I think that the issue is that they're thinking I'm planning to stay. In all actuality, I'm just visiting my boyfriend for a few weeks at a time, with no plans of moving there (beyond admitting that it's a possibility to try obtaining a proper fiance visa in the extremely far off future).

The immigration officer I spoke with the last time I went to the UK simply advised me to continue having copies of bank statements, a return ticket, and a letter from my employer. He didn't see any reason why I would be denied entry in the future, so long as I have all that, but he did seem to think that if I didn't have that information I'd get sent right back home.

So...better safe than sorry.

This is why we told you you were over-reacting. You didn't explain the full situation. It also explains your worry about your unemployed boyfriend. So in your case, what you're doing makes absolute sense but it does not apply to 99.9 % of visitors. And none of i will probably happen when entering Amsterdam as you don't have a history there.

So it just shows that the more information provided in the OP, the better the quality of the responses will be. Anyway, it seems you're all covered. have a great trip!