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Travelling post-notification period

tedstriker — Tue, 21 May 2019 09:29:06 GMT

Just thought I'd update those here on my experience travelling post-notification period as there doesn't seem to be a lot of info around. Previously I've had the usual experiences coming back into the UK as well as a particularly unpleasant experience last year being marched into a room at Brussels as I completed my exit check onto the Eurostar.

I finished my notification period this year and applied for a new passport. My first experience of travelling was recently. Leaving St Pancras I had no checks or questions from the French border control. My wife was ahead of me and did not see any notifications on the border agent's screen. When leaving Brussels I first passed through the Belgian border control (where I had issues previously) and after a passport scan I went through the same as all the other passengers. I decided to go for the e-passport gate (as we all know these do not work for those with alerts) and it worked perfectly and through I went!

I know this is all anecdotal and your experience may vary. I hope to try both planes and the ferry in coming months. Hope this helps some of you looking for stress free travel post notification.

RE: Travelling post-notification period

BenS — Tue, 21 May 2019 09:29:06 GMT

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[b]forever changes - 18 May 19 8:08 PM[/b]

I've only got a few months to go and can't wait to feel liberated free of being singled out and humiliated, did you use the same passport or get another one like the OP? I don't understand how these things work really

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Getting a new passport doesn't make a difference, as the alert system is not done based on passport number alone, but on name, date of birth, etc. Otherwise any criminal could simply change their passport to avoid detection.

forever changes — Sat, 18 May 2019 20:08:30 GMT

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[b]Hola - 25 Aug 18 9:39 PM[/b]

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[b]BenS - 16 Aug 18 8:15 AM[/b]

Thank you so much for providing your experience. It is really reassuring to those of us approaching the send of the SOR period. Personally I can't help having the feeling that it's too good to be true, that the alert will magically disappear without having to repeatedly beg the police to remove it and without it snagging at least a couple of times at passport control at the beginning. But from your experience none of that happened, so that's great. Glad it all went well and that you were treated like any other traveller!

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I had the same experience, automatically went off the register and suddenly the e-gates work, and no issue going anywhere in or out. All I did was email my PPU to remind then when my time expired

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RE: Travelling post-notification period

Monkos — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 18:08:21 GMT

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[b]tedstriker - 28 Aug 18 5:51 PM[/b]

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[b]Monkos - 28 Aug 18 12:53 PM[/b]

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[b]tedstriker - 14 Aug 18 11:17 AM[/b]

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Glad to hear that, also wondering why you were even taken aside at brussels, presumably by the UK passport checker not the Belgian one right? What did they ask? Just the usual 'where have you been have you been anywhere else'?

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No. It was a Belgian Schengen exit check. I was asked very little. Didn't give any firm details of where i'd been (nor were they asked for). My passport and my partner's passport were taken from us into a separate room and and photocopied I believe. I was then marched to the UK desk where the agent asked me "what did the Belgian gentleman want with you??". Just scan my passport and have a look mate!

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Weird. I went to belgium on the eurostar not that long ago and sailed through both sides of the process. As for what the UK desk would see, they'd get nothing more than a flag telling them to ask the extended questions to confirm where you've been, which goes into an email your PPU receive. But they themselves don't get to see the reason for the flag, which could be for half a dozen reasons. I find if you say to them you're subject to notification and that's why it's flagged on their system they get all flustered and don't know what to say because they're not supposed to talk about it.

RE: Travelling post-notification period

tedstriker — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:51:16 GMT

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[b]Monkos - 28 Aug 18 12:53 PM[/b]

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[b]tedstriker - 14 Aug 18 11:17 AM[/b]

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RE: Travelling post-notification period

AB2014 — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 13:08:52 GMT

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[b]Monkos - 28 Aug 18 12:53 PM[/b]

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[b]tedstriker - 14 Aug 18 11:17 AM[/b]

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Technically, UK staff should not check you at Brussels, because you have to transit France first, so UK staff get on the train at Lille. I've heard horror stories before about Belgian passport staff at the Eurostar terminal, and not just about this particular issue.

RE: Travelling post-notification period

Monkos — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 12:53:03 GMT

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[b]tedstriker - 14 Aug 18 11:17 AM[/b]

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RE: Travelling post-notification period

Hola — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:39:54 GMT

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[b]BenS - 16 Aug 18 8:15 AM[/b]

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I had the same experience, automatically went off the register and suddenly the e-gates work, and no issue going anywhere in or out. All I did was email my PPU to remind then when my time expired

RE: Travelling post-notification period

BenS — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 08:15:37 GMT