h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.h2g2.com/A504488

I wish someone had written an article like this for me to read 2 years ago. I would have found it quite useful. I've written this hopefully to spare others some of my same difficulties.

You suggest that tourists need to get their passport stamped when they enter Italy. This is not true for residents of the European Union. Although you officially need a passport to travel from one country of the EU to another, border officials are not entitled to stamp your passport.

This was written from the point of view of a citizen of the USA. EU citizens have wider rights and less restrictions when staying in other countries of the union. They will still need to report to the questura, however.
Though border officials are not required to stamp your passport, they will if you ask them to and provide a good reason. I found my self needing to prove I left the country after my three months were up, and a passport stamp was the most obvious, if not the only, way to do it.

Excuse me, now I see the misunderstanding. When travelling between EU countries you don't get a stamp on your passport, and anyway it won't help because if you have to leave the country, this means also leaving the union. I went to Swizerland, and they stamped my passport there. I will update the entry to clarify this.

Excuse me, now I see the misunderstanding. When travelling between EU countries you don't get a stamp on your passport, and anyway it won't help because if you have to leave the country, this means also leaving the union. I went to Switzerland, and they stamped my passport there. I will update the entry to clarify this.

Excuse me, now I see the misunderstanding. When travelling between EU countries you don't get a stamp on your passport, and anyway it won't help because if you have to leave the country, this means also leaving the union. I went to Switzerland, and they stamped my passport there. I will update the entry to clarify this.

I've updated further and added GuideML. Have a look!

Hi i.v.,

This is a really good entry, and in the best traditions of the fictional Guide that is our inspiration.

One clarification, though - if you are a citizen of an EU country, there is no 3-month limit on your stay in Italy: the concept of "free movement of labour" applies across the Union. You do, however, still have to perform the relevant paperwork to inform the civil authorities where you are living.

Good work!

GVI

Dearest GVI Congratulations on finding the old thread: I was unable to and so started a new one located at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F48874?thread=98539 Thank you also for the comment. This "three month limit" point is still one of much controversy, and you are formally invted to join the furor! see you there. --Il Viaggiatore

great entry, and very informative (at least for someone who has never had the priviledge of visiting Italy, and therefore is rather uneducated)

This entry was featured on the frontpage yesterday (as http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A558362 ), so this thread shouldn't be on the PR any more.

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review Sin Bin' to 'How to Avoid Being an Illegal Alien in Italy'.

Back to Entry - became Edited Entry A558362 How to Avoid Being an Illegal Alien in Italy