As I understand that many European countries have just approved new regulations that will end passport controls among them (except UK and Ireland), does anyone know if this means that my Thai girl friend will now be be to travel by train to vsit me in Berlin without showing her passport? I should add that she has a valid visa to work in the Czech Republic.

Whilst your g/f may well not have to produce her passport on entering Germany from Czecho, you should find out from the German authorities (if you don't already know) -

1) whether she needs to carry i/d in Germany, and 2) whether her residence in Czecho exempts her from having a visa for Germany.

Logic suggests that she will still need to take her passport to Germany to produce if required, but you need to find out whether the Czechs have given her a form of residence permit which would be acceptable for travel to Germany.

As an analogy, there is no formal border control as such between the Republic of Ireland and the UK, but visa nationals who are legally in Ireland still need a visa for the UK, and are treated as illegal entrants if they are found in the UK without one.

As I understand that many European countries have just approved new regulations that will end passport controls among them (except UK and Ireland), does anyone know if this means that my Thai girl friend will now be be to travel by train to vsit me in Berlin without showing her passport? I should add that she has a valid visa to work in the Czech Republic.

Frankly I don't knpw about a Thai citizen traveling in Europe. If as you say she has a valid work visa for the Czech Republic, I would expect that she would not need visas to travel in Europe. I am an American working in Greeece. You will find two lines at immigration on entering at airports, one for nationals of EU countries and one for non EU country nationals. You will be asked to show your passport on initial entry if you are from a non EU member country. You will have an entry visa stamped (depending on agreements with your country and EU). Usually that is the only time that traveling thru Europe that a stamp will be required. But non EU country nationals may be asked to show passports at entrance immigration points. However, sometimes you will find that immigration officials are just not present when you travel by bus or train in Europe. The immigration desk is often empty.

I would have her carry her passport, and her work card or work visa, just in case. But I doubt that there will be too much of a problem, especially if she can show a valid visa to work in the Czech Republic.

Thank you for your help. I have now been advised by an officer at my embassy that as of January 1/08 there will be no problem with my TG visiting me in Berlin, as long as she carries her passport with a valid Czech Republic residence visa in it.

She can visit for up to three months but is not allowed to work in Germany. These are the new rules under the Schengen Treaty.

As I understand that many European countries have just approved new regulations that will end passport controls among them (except UK and Ireland), does anyone know if this means that my Thai girl friend will now be be to travel by train to vsit me in Berlin without showing her passport? I should add that she has a valid visa to work in the Czech Republic.

Frankly I don't knpw about a Thai citizen traveling in Europe. If as you say she has a valid work visa for the Czech Republic, I would expect that she would not need visas to travel in Europe. I am an American working in Greeece. You will find two lines at immigration on entering at airports, one for nationals of EU countries and one for non EU country nationals. You will be asked to show your passport on initial entry if you are from a non EU member country. You will have an entry visa stamped (depending on agreements with your country and EU). Usually that is the only time that traveling thru Europe that a stamp will be required. But non EU country nationals may be asked to show passports at entrance immigration points. However, sometimes you will find that immigration officials are just not present when you travel by bus or train in Europe. The immigration desk is often empty.

I would have her carry her passport, and her work card or work visa, just in case. But I doubt that there will be too much of a problem, especially if she can show a valid visa to work in the Czech Republic.

Different issue to what you have just written about. What has happened is the Czech republic (along with several other eastern european countries) has just joing the Schengen Accord meaning that once you have a valid visa for a Schengen country movement among Schengen countries is pretty free. In the case of Greece, where you are working it would be like arriving from Rome, you get off plane, collect your bag and exit. Ie there is no immigration check at all. The issue of EU and non EU immigration lines only applies when arriving from a non Schegnen country, such as the UK, or Thailand. If someone arrives from a Schengen member country there are no such controls and hence lines.

As to the question at hand, it does mean that in theory your friend could travel from the Czech Rebublic to Germany without any border controls, however even when moving among Schengen countries you should always carry ID from you native country which in your friends case would be a Thai passport. Now you note I did say in theory, what I would do is get your GF to get in contact with the office of who ever issues visa in the Czech Republic and see if her Czech visa is valid or if it needs to be transfered to a Schengen visa. There may be some interim/changeover arrangements that may override normal Schengen protocol and a call to them will be the only 100% sure way to find out.