Reply #3: Ten years ago I spent two years in Europe [View All]

I had visited England, Ireland, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, France and then spent four months in Spain when I decided I wanted to move on and live in Ireland.

I had arrived in Europe on a one-way ticket and had no problem getting in. When I flew from Paris to Dublin on another one-day ticket five months later, I was detained by their immigration department at the airport because they believed I was looking to live and work there (and they were right, but I never admitted it to them).

After 90 minutes of dealing with them, telling them that I did not buy a round-way ticket because I was not sure where my next destination was going to be, they stamped my passport with something that said I can only stay 90 days. And they kept reminding me that I would become "illegal" once those 90 days was up.

I ended up staying almost 19 months. I worked several jobs as a waiter and at one point, I even received an Irish Social Security card, although they called it something else. But it did contain my tax number which enabled me to find work anywhere, not just at places that paid under the table.

Even without the card, I visited doctors and received medical care for a nominal fee. I was never hassled about my immigration status after that time at the airport. I even received a tax refund before I left the country from money I had earned while I was there.

Here's to the Irish!

:toast: :toast: