Country Trip Reports
For more information about a particular trip, please contact us.
| Departure Date | Destination Country | Trip Details | Recommend trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-08-20 | Saint Martin | My wife and I traveled without incident at least three times since 2014 and before having my passport marked with the IML endorsement. Concerned there may be an issue after that, I wrote immigration@sintmaartengov.org in late 2022, explaining my background. The response received was, "This crime has happened in 1997, if no other crimes has been committed after that year, no further action is needed to enter in Sint Maarten." | Yes |
| 2023-12-23 | Bonaire | Level 3 with IML stamp. Flew from Aruba to Bonaire on the local airline. Immigration officer looks at your passport, doesn't even look at the back page and waves you through. Secondary screening when re-entering the U.S took less than two minutes. | Yes |
| 2021-04-05 | Puerto Rico | WV PFR with no tier designation and no IML endorsement on passport. No problems while traveling and no scrutiny upon reentry to the US with my spouse. I have been to PR many times with no problems. | Yes |
| 2023-12-23 | Aruba | Level 3 with IML stamp. No issues traveling to Aruba in 2019, 2022 and 2023. No questioning upon entering. Scan your passport at an e-gate, look into the camera and you're through in 30 seconds without engaging with immigration personnel. Secondary screening when re-entering the U.S took less than two minutes. | Yes |
| 2023-08-11 | Germany | No IML endorsement on passport. No issues processing through Germany immigration. | Yes |
| 2024-02-28 | Portugal | No IML endorsement on passport. No issues processing through Portugal immigration. Brief delay in Philadelphia for secondary inspection. | Yes |
| 2024-01-01 | Portugal, Spain | No IML endorsement on passport. No issues processing through Portugal or Spain immigration. Flew from Dallas to Philadelphia to Lisbon, Portugal to Gran Canaria, Spain. Returned from Gran Canaria to Lisbon to Philadelphia, ending trip in Dallas. Brief delay in Philadelphia for secondary inspection. | Yes |
| 2024-02-25 | Costa Rica | I was going on a reward trip and was denied entry. I didn't have to register in my state but, because I registered in a state that requires lifetime registration, I was denied entry. | No |
| 2023-12-27 | Italy | I've been off the registry since September 2018. I arrived in Rome and was pulled for secondary, interrogated about where I was staying in Palermo. I was let in, but the next night in Palermo, at 5 am, two police had me come down to the lobby with my passport for more questioning. Again they dismissed me after questioning. I'm not an Angel Watch candidate, so the US must be sending information overseas. In addition, I was also pulled out of line when leaving when the biometric scanner rejected me. This has never happened before. | Yes |
| 2023-11-22 | Spain | Flew from New York's Kennedy Airport on Delta Airlines to Barcelona, Spain for the Thanksgiving holidays. I had been to Spain many times in the past. My passport contains the IML identifier. Upon arrival in Barcelona, immigration didn't ask any questions and allowed me entry. That was a change because all the other times I visited, I was at least questioned. However, upon attempting to return to the US, Spanish immigration detained me for about 20 minutes asking the questions they typically ask upon entry. Strange. But I was then allowed to board my flight back to Kennedy. Upon arrival back in the US, I was pulled aside at US immigration while they checked my passport. They did not search my bag and I was free to go after 5 minutes. | Yes |
| 2023-05-17 | Hong Kong | Traveled from DFW through NRT to HKG. Upon arrival, I was separated from my wife and interviewed. Was refused entry and sent back on the next flight the following morning. Had previously been to Hong Kong on four other occasions without issue. Have an IML identifier on my passport and reported travel before arrival. | No |
| 2023-08-23 | Spain | Direct flight US - Spain. Have an IML stamp in passport and obeyed +21 day pre-registration of trip with state authorities. Upon arrival, detained 30 hours in airport, had deportation hearing, and was denied entry. Spanish authorities explained off the record that travelers with Angel Watch alerts will not be admitted to Spain for any travel. They welcomed me to return when/if the alert is removed. Registrants with an IML passport endorsement should not attempt travel to Spain. | No |
| 2022-03-26 | Mexico | At the Boquillas Border crossing in Big Bend National Park, I took a row boat across the Rio Grande into Mexico. Mexico does not have an immigration official at the crossing. There is an office in town you have to check in at, but only if it is open. Since I was there for a day trip on a day when it was closed there was no requirement (or ability) to check in with Mexican authorities. Upon return to the US my bag was searched and I was free to go. | Maybe |
| 2022-06-04 | Denmark, Iceland | Departed Dulles International Airport (IAD) on June 4. Had a short layover in Reykjavik, Iceland, and arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, on June 5. On June 6 flew to Aarhus, Denmark. and stayed 5 nights. Flew back to Copenhagen and stayed one night. Flew to Reykjavik, Iceland, and stayed 2 nights. Had secondary screening in Iceland that consisted of opening and wiping down my carry-on. Had secondary screening upon arrival at IAD that consisted of asking about my travel time and destinations. | Yes |
| 2022-12-09 | Austria, Germany | Flew from Dulles (IAD) to Munich, Germany. Drove to Vienna, Austria. Took a ferry to Bratislava, Slovakia. Took train to Vienna, Austria. Flew from Vienna, Austria, to IAD. | Yes |
| 2023-12-10 | Germany, Hungary | Flew from Dulles Airport (IAD) to Budapest, Hungary, via Munich, Germany. Spent several days in Budapest. Took the train from Budapest to Ljubliana, Slovenia. No border control since both are in the Schengen zone. Flew from Ljubliana International Airport (LJU) to IAD via Frankfurt, Germany (FRA). Had a brief (less than 3 minutes) secondary document check completed by apologetic German police upon arrival at FRA. Had a secondary screening upon return to Dulles that consisted of asking where I traveled, who I was with, and how long I was gone. Total time to make it through secondary screening, waiting plus screening, was 12 mins. | Yes |
| 2023-02-11 | Spain | Flew from Raleigh to Philadelphia and then to Madrid, Spain. We had no trouble at all in Madrid, no questioning whatsoever. We traveled by train to Malaga, Spain and had no trouble. My husband was stopped and questioned on our return in Philadelphia. They asked a few questions and let him go. As of today, he has not been asked to have his passport returned. He does not have a stamp on his, it is 8 years old. We plan on traveling back to Spain again next year, so we will see what happens then. | Yes |
| 2022-08-22 | Guatemala | I was intercepted in the concourse by immigration officers and interrogated for an hour. I was informed that I was refused entry. New law - no discretionary approval. I had entered the country about four times previously and each time was questioned and had bags searched but each time, I was allowed in. I was sequestered in a small room with about 10 other deportees. We all had to wait for a flight returning to our home country. Officers were polite but firm. | No |
| 2014-06-23 | Mexico | I advised DHS in writing of our travel plans, including my DHS Control Number. DHS did not advise me of any reason that I would be denied entry to Mexico. On arrival in Cancun, I was called off the Aeromexico flight, separated from my wife, held for an extended period by Cancun immigration officials, escorted by multiple police and immigration staff to a departing flight and returned to the U.S., leaving my wife behind for a week's vacation that could not be reimbursed. Interview staff was very cordial. Those separately accompanying my wife were exceptionally rude. In 2010, we flew to Cancun, rented a car, drove to Belize, vacationed for a week and departed from Cancun without incident. | No |