Bonsoir à toutes et à tous! J'ai une petite question technique à vous poser.
Je suis de France Métropolitaine et mon amoureux habite à Hawaii. En attendant de faire les démarches administratives pour un séjour plus long, je me retrouve à faire des séjours de trois mois via mon ESTA et non seulement ça fait grand mal à notre budget, mais c'est aussi sacrément long comme voyage.
Je m'apprête à renouveler mon ESTA dès que mon nouveau passeport est disponible et je voulais savoir si je pouvais faire une escale sur un territoire français (Tahiti) plutôt que de refaire tout le chemin jusqu'à Paris. Et si oui, combien de temps le séjour à Tahiti doit il durer pour renouveler la validité de l'ESTA.
Je voulais savoir si je pouvais faire une escale sur un territoire français (Tahiti) plutôt que de refaire tout le chemin jusqu'à Paris. Et si oui, combien de temps le séjour à Tahiti doit il durer pour renouveler la validité de l'ESTA.
En principe, oui
Quitter Hawaii pour faire un séjour à Tahiti devrait, en principe, remettre le compteur des 90 jours ESTA à 0.
Le principe est en effet que le séjour sur sol US soit limité à 90 jours et qu'un séjour ultérieur sur sol US ne puisse être demandé qu'après avoir quitté ce sol US depuis "un certain temps".
Mais entrer sur sol US n'est pas un droit mais une faveur
La philosophie ESTA, c'est le tourisme, rien d'autre et pas pour vivre 6 mois par an ou plus sur sol US
Le touriste, c'est celui qui vient quelques semaines, puis s'en va se faire pendre ailleurs avant de revenir éventuellement "largement" plus tard pour un nouveau séjour touristique
Les officiers d'immigrations US ne sont pas des c... et connaissent les astuces et les limites de la procédure ESTA.
Croire que l'on peut "tricher un peu avec l'ESTA" comme tu dis est risqué et aléatoire.
Donc, sur le plan de la lettre de la procédure, ce devrait être OK, MAIS:
- Les officiers ont devant eux lorsque tu te présentes tout ton historique de tes entrées/sorties sur sol US depuis ta naissance et un ranking de confiance lié à ces entrées/sorties.
Des "warnings" attirent leur attentions sur des situations inhabituelles.
- Si la fréquence et la durée de tes séjours attire leur attention et mettent dans leur esprit le doute que "tout cela" ne soit pas uniquement du tourisme "normal" sans autre justification acceptable dans le respect de la procédure ESTA, tu auras des problèmes.
De plus, si tu as un officier rogneux qui prend tes longs séjours fréquents pour douteux, tu risques d'être interdite d'accès.
S'il a la conviction que tu comptes (quasi) vivre à Hawai via l'ESTA une grande partie de l'année, et que tu ne peux le convaincre que tu ne viens que pour du tourisme, cela va mal se passer
Comment le convaincre que plusieurs séjours "touristiques" (quasi) successifs de 3 mois sont nécessaires pour découvrir "touristiquement" la seule 'île d’Hawaï ?
Attention, si tu es interdite d'accès une fois, tu auras TRES TRES difficile d'avoir accès ensuite au sol US sous n'importe quelle forme (même visa);
Les autorités US ont horreur qu'on veuille les tromper et ont la mémoire (et la dent) longue.
Donc en résumé:
- Aller faire un petit séjour (théoriquement un jour) à Tahiti remet théoriquement le compteur ESTA à 0.
(Mais 1 mois serait peut être plus de nature à rassurer l'officier)
- Jouer de la sorte entre des séjours de 3 mois sur sol US, c'est de la roulette russe chaque fois face à l'officier d'immigration qui a toute liberté de refuser si il a des présomptions de "tricherie" avec l'esprit de l'ESTA
- Si tu es refusée une fois, tu auras ensuite de TRES TRES grosses difficultés pour entrer dans le futur
Encore une fois, entrer sur sol US n'est pas un droit mais une faveur
A ta place, je ne chercherais pas à "Comment tricher un peu avec l'ESTA" mais plutôt une formule de visa adaptée
Fais les démarches pour un vrai visa de conjoint dès maintenant, sinon ça risque de mal se terminer tout ça... Enchaîner les ESTA risque de nuire à tes chances d'obtenir un vrai visa, ne joue pas avec le feu.
Techniquement, sortir pour TAHITI suffit à renouveler le droit à l'ESTA.
Toutefois, ce qui peut être acceptable car justifié une fois (Exemple de gens qui feraient un long séjour aux US, partiraient en Amérique Latine puis reviendrait 1 mois plus tard faire quelques semaines supplémentaires aux US avant de rentrer en France) devient suspicieux dès que vous avez enchaîné les voyages aux US dans le même secteur.
Sachez que lors de notre dernier passage aux border l'année dernière, nous avons eu le droit (de façon sympathique) à une remarque de l'agent comme quoi nous aimions bien les Etats Unis.
Techniquement, nous avons fait 9 voyages aux US sur une période d'environ 14 ans.
Mais c'était dans des coins très différents et pour des périodes assez courtes (d'une à 3 semaines) et séparées franchement dans le temps (Environ 1 an entre chaque minimum).
Rien de suspicieux pour lui.
Mais si nous avions fait 9 voyages à Los Angeles par exemple, il aurait pu se poser des questions et élargir son interrogatoire ou nous refuser l'entrée...
Comme l'on dit plusieurs personnes l'ESTA n'est pas fait pour suivre son amoureux ou pour cumuler les longs séjours , et par la même l'imitateur du post est en infraction avec l' objet de l'ESTA.Donc un jour cela sera retour au pays.
Maintenant sur le nombre de voyages il n'y a pas de limite , j'en suis entre 120 et 150 voyages depuis 10 ou 11 ans et n'ai jamais eu de problèmes à l'immigration US et jamais eu plus de questions que les usuelles : tourism or business? date de retour ? combien d'argent avez vous ? J'ajouterai que 70% des voyages sont pour le travail.
Il arrive même que je n'ai plus besoin de faire les empreintes , tout en sachant que dans certain aéroports ils n'ont plus besoin de prendre les empreintes .
Peut être devriez vous considerer le risque si vous êtes pris en train de tricher.
Outre les problèmes de refus d’entrée voir d’expulsion, les services fiscaux americains ne risqueraient ils pas de vous tomber dessus pour ne pas y avoir déclaré vos revenus alors que vous étiez, même illégalement, résident principale?
Et les États Unis ne sont pas aussi bisounours que la France, ces deux faits pourraient vous valoirs de gros soucis, y compris dans un pays étranger, et de plus vous pourriez ne plus jamais pouvoir retourner dans ce pays.
Tricher un peu ou beaucoup avec l'ETSA, c'est n'importe quoi... 😕
Il existe des visas pour les conjoints et pour les fiancés qui servent justement à ça... et les consequences si ça se passe mal, seront très désagréables, de plus que si vous êtes resident de France métropolitaine, aller à Tahiti ne va absolument pas remettre le compteur des 90 jours à zero. Seul un retour à Paris le fait.
Merci pour vos réponses. Je voulais simplement savoir si je pouvais retarder toute la paperasse administratives mais comme vous le dites tous, c'est très risqué.
J'ai eu des problèmes une fois à l'aéroport de San Francisco lors d'un séjour de trois mois au premier voyage de ma dernière ESTA. Depuis j'y suis allée plusieurs fois sur longue durée sans encombre.
Enfin bref. Merci à tous. Pour l'instant j'attends mon nouveau passeport et je pensais rentrer sur Paris pour les fêtes. Faut croire que je vais avoir pas mal de démarches administratives à faire pour la prochaine fois.
Bonjour à tous,
Un résident au Benin (Cotonou) aurait t'il l'amabilité de m'informer que est le meilleur fournisseur d'acces telephonie mobile et connexion internet,
Je vous en remercie beaucoup,
Cordialement,
Juan
Hi,
I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family,
to help me sleep.
I’ll have the prescription with me.
Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it?
Same question for antibiotics?
Thanks a bunch!
Hi everyone,
I’ll explain my situation.
Unfortunately, I lost my passport, and I only realized it two weeks before my departure for a humanitarian mission in Libya. I’m a nurse, and this mission really means a lot to me.
First, I applied for an emergency passport, but it was denied by the Val-d'Oise prefecture on the grounds that a planned humanitarian mission wasn’t considered an urgent reason.
So, I submitted a biometric passport application on July 20th. Since then, the tracking has been stuck, and the town hall can’t (or won’t) give me any clear information. Every time I call, I get a different story. The last update I received was that the passport had been produced since July 23rd with a status of "about to be shipped," but nothing since then.
I’ve managed to push my departure back to next Tuesday at the latest, but I’m starting to really panic.
Have any of you submitted an application around July 20th, especially in Val-d'Oise (95)? How long did you wait between the passport being produced and it being available at the town hall? Is it normal for this step to take this long?
This mission means so much to me. I had everything organized, and I’m also supposed to attend a friend’s wedding right after near the border.
Thanks so much to those who take the time to respond or share their experience. 😔
Can anyone tell me exactly if a passport "valid for the duration of the stay" is enough, or does it need to be valid for 6 months after the trip?
I checked the embassy’s website, but that info is missing.
Hi there,
I’ll be arriving in Seoul on November 18th after spending about a month in India.
Do you know if I’ll need to fill out any additional documents besides the e-arrival card?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Hi everyone,
I have to leave for Perth, Australia in a week, for 7 days, and I couldn’t get my international driver’s permit due to processing and delivery delays.
The information I’ve found about whether an international permit is required is contradictory. Some sources say you need one, others say you don’t.
Could anyone let me know if an international driver’s permit is necessary to rent a car in Australia (Perth), or if a French license is enough for a 7-day rental?
I’m a bit embarrassed because I need to travel to Quebec from February 27th to March 13th. I’m a regular visitor to Canada—this will be my 10th trip since 1997, plus a year as a permanent resident (2000–2001) and a cross-country run from Vancouver to Halifax in 2011. So, I’m definitely not a terrorist!
But since our last trip in July 2015, they’ve introduced this eTA thing. Seems more like a way to make money than to actually secure Canada, if you ask me, but anyway, that’s not the point.
I applied for an eTA for myself, my wife, and our two kids. They all got approved within hours, but not me! I was asked to create a GC key and then an IRCC account, which I did. Normally, you get news within 72 hours, but since Monday, January 15th, nothing!
In the "message" section of the account, it says "explanation letter (required)" with a deadline of January 25th, but I can’t find any explanation anywhere—despite searching the Canadian government website and Google. No links, nothing!
I’ve emailed them but haven’t heard back yet. I’m thinking of calling the Canadian embassy in Paris tomorrow. Even though I’m not stressing yet, it’d be a bummer if everyone else got to go without me!
If anyone’s had this issue before or knows what this explanation letter is about, I’d love to hear more.
hi there
I’m heading to Seoul in September, and to do that I need to get a travel authorization that we apply for through K-ETA....... turns out I can (barely, I admit) fill out the form up to the address of our "stay location," but every address I’ve entered has been rejected by the system. I’ve tried my hotel, the Lotte Hotel (which is well-known in Seoul), the airport—basically, I’ve entered at least 20 addresses, all rejected....
So, to anyone who’s successfully gotten the authorization, could you tell me which address you used to get that "elusive" approval?...
Question for those who’ve done it:
In theory (French national), I’m visa-exempt for a 30-day tourist stay, but on France Diplomatie it says on this page
Hi there,
I know there are similar topics here and elsewhere, but they’re a few years old, and I need an up-to-date answer to make sure I don’t throw over 1000 € out the window. Thanks for your patience.
I’m planning a trip from France to Alberta/British Columbia, and I’m unsure about which bank card to use for the security deposit with the rental company (I’m thinking of going with AVIS).
I contacted Avis Canada, and they told me a credit card is absolutely required. I asked my bank for a credit card (a *real* credit card), but they only offered me a deferred debit card.
My question: For a rental with Avis Canada, is a Gold International Mastercard deferred debit card usable for the security deposit needed to finalize the rental? Is the "CREDIT" label enough? (Some cards say "CREDIT" and others say "CARTE DE CREDIT"—seems minor, but it’s actually a big deal in how the card works.)
I’ve seen conflicting info everywhere I look... My bank says it’s *usually* okay (the deferred debit card), while Avis Canada insists it *must* be a credit card, not debit—even when I mention the deferred debit card.
I know the whole credit card concept is already confusing, and on top of that, some sites say a deferred debit card counts as a credit card, while others say it doesn’t.
Thanks to anyone who can share a recent experience!
Have a great day
Hi there,
I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit?
Thanks!
JL
I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?
Hi there,
I have a 9-seater passenger vehicle that I use for my business in Paris, transporting people.
I’m planning to go to Algeria with my family.
The vehicle registration lists my company as the owner.
Can I get a TPD (Temporary Admission Document)?
Will I need a KBis extract or a power of attorney?!?
Thanks for your help.
Worst case, I can add my personal name as a co-owner on the registration, but that would be a real shame!
Hi,
I’m writing to ask for some info—I’ve heard that you **must** have travel insurance to land in Zanzibar.
What’s the process, and which insurance should I get?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Seb
Hi, are there any travelers who’ve recently crossed the border between Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Beineu in Kazakhstan?
It was closed for a while.
Thanks for any info!
I bought a one-way flight (Ryanair) and a return flight (EasyJet) to spend a week in Morocco in April.
My passport expires 3 weeks after the return date.
Some websites say the passport must be valid for 3 months at the time of entry.
However, it will still be valid both on entry and return, but its validity will only be 1 month at the time of entry (and 3 weeks on the return date, everything prepaid).
It's an individual family trip.
The consulate can't give me an answer—they're still looking into it (really!)
Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht).
This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea?
Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast!
Cheers,
Bruno.
My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.
We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?
Hello,
We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term.
As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris.
No issues with that procedure so far.
If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones).
If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies.
Best regards,
M. Buisson Eric
I’d like to know if anyone has already applied for a private visa to Russia with an invitation from a Russian resident.
I traveled earlier this year with an e-visa, but since I want to stay longer, I’ll be visiting my friend who lives in eastern Russia.
For the visa application, does the invitation need to be on an official paper form issued by the Russian ministry? And most importantly, do I need to present the original for the application, or is there an electronic version that can be sent directly to the consulate in France?
Thanks for any info if you’ve gone through this process before!
I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this?
Thanks for your feedback!
Elisabeth
There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.
Paper documents might not be accepted.
Is this real or just a hoax?
Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received.
Thanks everyone.
Hi there,
We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect?
Thanks in advance!
Elisabeth
Hi there,
In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam.
I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice.
Has anyone here been in this situation recently?
Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding?
Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival?
Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient?
Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?
Hi there,
Just a question that’s probably been asked before (though usually the other way around for my situation :))
My wife and I are heading to the US.
On her ticket, it only has her maiden name (e.g., Martine DUPOND).
On her passport, it’s written as Martine DUPOND épouse AVRY.
No issues for travel, I hope I did the right thing with the ticket?
Then for the ESTA, is just Martine DUPOND enough, or do I need to include the "épouse AVRY" part like on the passport?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I’m spending a few days in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) and would like to cross the Argentine border to make a loop toward Salta and then return to Chile to drop off the rental car.
I’ve heard that crossing the border can be tricky!
Is it possible with a rental company’s authorization? Which company, and at what cost?
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Best regards,
Arnale
I saw on the French Embassy in Peru’s website and the Peruvian Consulate in Paris’s site that the rule is to have a passport valid for 6 months *after the arrival date* (not the return date).
I arrive in Peru on August 13, 2019 (for about twelve days), and my passport is valid until February 16, 2020.
That’s 6 months and 3 days after my arrival date in Peru. In my opinion, I’m good to go.
But could I still be denied entry if they say I don’t cover the return date or that I’m too close to the 6-month mark?
I read on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that it’s possible to apply for a temporary driving permit in China, valid for 1 month.
I’m planning to rent a car (without a driver) to explore part of the country next August, so I was wondering:
Has anyone here already gone through this process upon arrival?
How long do the formalities take on the spot?
Is it possible to handle these steps in advance, before arriving in China?
