Travel laws... how strict?

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Kathrin

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If you travel to a foreign country and it says in some paragraph that foreigners have to be able to prove that they have enough resources to finance their trip, and you will rarely be asked for proof but if you are they look for say,100 dollars per day (which you would never spend because you travel on a budget) - does that make it unlawful if I travel on a smaller budget??? If let’s say I KNOW I won’t need more than 40 dollars per day, so that’s how I calculate my budget… I probably won’t be asked to prove I have more, but I read that number somewhere… would you say I am breaking the law and thus sinning if I enter the country with less money?

I know these laws are made so that nobody who can’t support himself crosses the border and becomes a burden. If I know that my family would help me out if something happens, and I wouldn’t become a burden, I just know I can live on much less than that… what do I do? Is it ok to just hope that I won’t be asked and if I am, that i will be able to make it clear that I don’t need that kind of money (let’s say, I am camping, or staying with a friend)?

Am I being scrupulopus here?

Kathrin
 
p.s. Actually I just thought, what if a traveler doesn’t know how long exactly he will stay, is just travelling around?

Then (just a train of thought) I guess he/she could just take it day by day and make sure there is enough for at least one more day and otherwise, well… go home, or something. That way it could be seen as not such a limitation. So let’s say I have 500 dollars, so I could stay 5 days. But if on those five days I spend less than 100 dollars altogtether, I still have 400 and could stay another 4 days… whcih I can stretch again. I don’t think that would even be unlawful?

Probably it’s not really that strict anyway! It wouldn’t make sense! I mean, a lot of young people travel on small budgets.
(Older people too of course. ;-))

Kathrin
 
Are you asking about laws in a certain country or whether it’s a sin to travel with less money than the authorities think you need?
Are you actually planning a trip, or is this just coming up in your mind?

Don’t make yourself crazy for nothing. If you’re actually going somewhere, have an adequate amount of funds available, cash and credit, for the length of your trip. If you’re just thinking about this, stop.
 
Where are you planning to travel to?
Kathrin said:
p.s. Actually I just thought, what if a traveler doesn’t know how long exactly he will stay, is just travelling around?

Then (just a train of thought) I guess he/she could just take it day by day and make sure there is enough for at least one more day and otherwise, well… go home, or something. That way it could be seen as not such a limitation. So let’s say I have 500 dollars, so I could stay 5 days. But if on those five days I spend less than 100 dollars altogtether, I still have 400 and could stay another 4 days… whcih I can stretch again. I don’t think that would even be unlawful?

Probably it’s not really that strict anyway! It wouldn’t make sense! I mean, a lot of young people travel on small budgets.
(Older people too of course. ;-))

Kathrin
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I live in a vacation/resort spot. I’ve had many people ask for money “we came here on vacation and do not have the $$ to get home”. Be sure you have enough money to get home from where you are, and be sure your health insurance works there.
 
I am not making any definite travel plans right now, but I am thinking about it. 🙂 So I read this money thing yesterday on the internet somewhere.

The situation is this: I live in Switzerland. This summer I went camping in Croatia. I know some people from there and I may want to go back and spend more time.
Camping doesn’t cost that much. Living expenses, I need very little, I am used to living on about 5 dollars a day or so. If I stay with friends, costs are even lower.
Of coruse if somebody stays at an expensive hotel, the 100 Euros (I think it was calculated in Euros, actually) a day would make sense. But not for a camper! (with a confirmed booking, the number is 50 Euros.)
Somebody said that for example Germany has such a law too.

So… what is the law, really? That you have to have that outrageous amount of money available, say, even if you stayed with friends for 2 weeks, you’d have to have 1400 Euros?
I never read the law like that, literally, just that “foreigners have to be able to prove that they have enough funds”. And then: In some individual cases, officials are can ask for proof. And then it mentiones the numbers they go by.
But hardly anybody would be asked.

My question was: So if for me spending 100 Euros per day would be a crazy amount of money ;-), and I know that I have enough for the way I travel and most likely nobody would ask me, am I breaking the law and thus committing a sin if I travel on a lower budget and don’t have more funds?

Or do the actual numbers only come into play IF you are such a case where they think you might not have enough money for your trip, and otherwise everybody can use their own judgement on how much they need?

(And, let’s say, for somebody who is travelling around Europe, or travelling from campsite to campsite not knowing exactly how long he wants to stay, how can the rules apply then?)

Kathrin
 
Kathrin said:
Somebody said that for example Germany has such a law too.

So… what is the law, really? That you have to have that outrageous amount of money available, say, even if you stayed with friends for 2 weeks, you’d have to have 1400 Euros?
I never read the law like that, literally, just that “foreigners have to be able to prove that they have enough funds”. And then: In some individual cases, officials are can ask for proof. And then it mentiones the numbers they go by.
But hardly anybody would be asked.

Kathrin
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When we went to Germany last year we were never asked such questions. I believe that the German law (as in much of the EU) is there mainly to keep out those who might be traveling there just to stay and live off of their social services. The only thing I was ever asked for was my passport and of course “Fahrkarte, bitte” (train pass)

I would make certain that you either had a return ticket or funds to return home so that you do not get stuck. Many countries have laws stating that if you are unable to return home you may be PNGed (persona non grata) and not allowed to return to that country but I don’t know that it is ever used.

Dang, just thinking about the trip makes me thirsty for a Paulaner.
Or a Franzikaner, I’m not that picky 😃 😃
 
Hello,
yes, I know the reason for these laws is to keep out people who come to live off the state.
My question is just, does that make it SINFUL to travel on a smaller budget than they have set as a standard, in CASE you get asked?

Kathrin
 
Kathrin said:
Hello,
yes, I know the reason for these laws is to keep out people who come to live off the state.
My question is just, does that make it SINFUL to travel on a smaller budget than they have set as a standard, in CASE you get asked?

Kathrin
Click to expand...
As a well intentioned heretic I would say no. Sin requires intent. Governments have to set a threshold somewhere and the person staying at 4 and 5 star resorts will need more money than someone camping. Since you have enough to both cover your expenses and to get home I do not see it as a sin.
 
Kathrin said:
Hello,
yes, I know the reason for these laws is to keep out people who come to live off the state.
My question is just, does that make it SINFUL to travel on a smaller budget than they have set as a standard, in CASE you get asked?

Kathrin
Click to expand...
No.
 
Hi Kathrin.

I don’t have any answers for you, but I just have to say that I think it is funny that someone who lives in Switzerland would need to go somewhere else for a vacation!!!

Peace

Tim
 
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