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One-way ticket to France?

leo

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I read here a Canadian citizen bought a one-way ticket from Canada to France to join the French Foreign Legion. I thought that a person would not be allowed entry into a country if he doesn’t have a return ticket or an onward passage ticket. Or does French Customs regulations depend on the person’s nationality, such as from the European Union? Curious to know.
 

SnafuSmite

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Only the passport control officer can tell you that, depends if you need a visa. Better to get a return just in case.
 

GSP

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I read here a Canadian citizen bought a one-way ticket from Canada to France to join the French Foreign Legion. I thought that a person would not be allowed entry into a country if he doesn’t have a return ticket or an onward passage ticket. Or does French Customs regulations depend on the person’s nationality, such as from the European Union? Curious to know.
You should try to call the French embassy, they would be able to tell you better. But in my experience, most of the airlines won't sell a one way ticket, unless you are a holder of an European passport.
In theory once you arrive in the Schengen zone, they should ask you for
A) Return ticket, B) How long are you going to stay C) Health Insurance.
Depending on the officer they may ask you for all of that, or just take your word.
 

dusaboss

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C'mon guys. You are over exaggerating things. I'm pretty confident that nobody in French custom control will not make any trouble for guy coming from Canada. If it's some other country (African or Asian) yeah , maybe, but Canada ... no way! I think Franco - Canadian relationships or even better than Fr-US.

Here you go :
https://vancouver.consulfrance.org/Documents-needed-when-entering

So they say " a return plane ticket (for a short stay only), " , but one need to take this and items under 3. and 4. with big reserve. Most likely if you have Canadian passport, and you are not suspicious in any way, nobody will ask you anything. And even if they do that would be question type of "Sir, what reason of your travel?" ... You say : "I want to see Paris" ... "Enjoy your stay in France".

Maybe is better for you leo to tell us bit more about yourself ??? I think you didn't said much on that subject.
 
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Yeah someone like me would never even be granted a visa without a pre-reserved return plane ticket but Canadian come on, Canada is much better than France (according to statistics regarding life standards and so) it doesn't make sense to leave Canada to go settle anywhere else in the world, to be honest. Unless you have a strong reason.
 

mammikoura

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You'll be ok. They might ask why you don't have a return ticket, or what your travel plans are etc. but that's just normal. Just tell them you'll be traveling in western europe and you weren't sure how long it will take so you didn't book a ticket home yet.

However, financially it might not be a big stretch to get a return ticket. Often major airlines charge you almost the same for a one way ticket so might as well get the return too just in case. Low costs are a different thing, if you can find those for this route.
 

leo

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Maybe is better for you leo to tell us bit more about yourself ??? I think you didn't said much on that subject.

I had tried to join the Foreign Legion way back in 1989 but I didn't get in because I failed my eyesight examination at Aubagne. I had gone to Europe with a return ticket (landed at Gatwick Airport in the UK) and when I was in Paris I went to the airline office to cancel the return date on my ticket and left the return date as open-ended. After I left the airline office I took the RER A2 train to Fontenay-sous-Bois where I presented myself at Fort de Nogent.

I didn't buy a one-way ticket from Canada because I didn't think it was possible. But I have recently read of a Canadian citizen who went to France on a one-way ticket to join the Foreign Legion. Anyone who wants to go to France to join the Foreign Legion and is not able to buy a one-way ticket may want to do what I did. Work Visas and Study Visas are something else all together, which is different from going to France "for an extended vacation" where no visa is required.
 

dusaboss

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I had tried to join the Foreign Legion way back in 1989 but I didn't get in because I failed my eyesight examination at Aubagne.
I thought you wanted to join Legion now. Good. Can you tell us more about your experience back in 89?
 

Rapace

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A plane return ticket is generally required among the documents you have to provide to get a visa. As a Canadian citizen, you don't need a visa to enter France, and it's not the role of the immigration police officer to check this upon arrival. If you're visa is Ok (or if you can enter France without one) you'll be let in. That's it.
 

leo

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(...) Can you tell us more about your experience back in 89?
For one thing, there were not a lot of Russians joining back then as there are now. When I was at Aubagne in 1989, it seemed like the largest group joining were the Brits.
 

dusaboss

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For one thing, there were not a lot of Russians joining back then as there are now. When I was at Aubagne in 1989, it seemed like the largest group joining were the Brits.
That's nice. Really nice info which can future candidates use.
 
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To expand on the original question: do customs officers ask for hotel receipts? Cause that would imply buying a lot of nights that wont be used at a hotel
 

Le petit caporal

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Too many Russkies, imo
And you all get off your inflated bolloques about assylum seekers and I'm a grunts
Jeeze, all mighty
How many nights sleep i lost waiting for the 2 inch call
Divisions of tanks are coming. ...my arse !
Nowadays, they arrive by private jet @ côté d ' Azur
Call it progress or what ever you /they want
 

Rapace

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To expand on the original question: do customs officers ask for hotel receipts? Cause that would imply buying a lot of nights that wont be used at a hotel
Again... Do you seriously believe that the immigration police officers behind their desks at CDG airport, who have to process 500+ Chinese tourists arriving to visit Paris will have time to ask such questions? If the he/she suspects something ‘fishy’ with your passport and/or your visa, then you'll be pulled out of the line and brought to a separate office for more ‘in-depth’ interrogation.
This item about hotel reservation is typically handled during the visa request process. I don't know for Mexican citizens, but yes, among the documents required to support your visa application, you may need to provide an hotel reservation. But be clever and keep in mind that you have a cancellation policy in most hotel chains allowing you to cancel your reservation a few days before your arrival or even the same day (before 4 pm or even 6 pm, depending on the various policies). In any case, you'd better check for more details with your local French embassy or consulate.
 

SnafuSmite

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I know for us South Africans it's recommend to keep a copy of your travel itinerary as well as addresses and contact numbers of hotels that you'll be staying at. But to curb the cost of reservations, book into a cash on arrival hostel.
But as Rapace says the guy with the stamp is not going to ask for all that, it's purely there for “in-case”. I'm sure French passport control personnel is the same as anywhere else: bored, stone cold and looking for anything dodgy. He/she isn't worried about the life story of the whole flight.
 
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