A short question:

my visa ends on Jan 14th, but flight out is just after midnight on Jan 15th.

If I pass the passport control on 14th before midnight, will I have to pay overstay fees, or would that be ok? Will the airline mind?

Thanks for your answers!

You'll have no problems.

Even if you went through immigration on the 15th you would not pay an overstay. They give you a 24 hour grace period at the airport,

main point is to pass immigration thats where date is counted

then you can even live on other side as long as you want

main point is to pass immigration thats where date is counted

then you can even live on other side as long as you want

Not true!

It is the departure time which counts for immigration.

A large portion of the Europe bound flights leave between midnight and 4 am, which is the reason they have that 24 hour grace period, as most people indeed thing it is the hour you go through immigration which counts.

I once had a flight leaving about 1.30 am.

My entry stamp expired the previous day but I figured that I would get through immigration before midnight so no problem.

I hadn't reckoned on a slightly delayed flight and a long queue at immigration.

I finally got my exit stamp at about 15 minutes past midnight.

No overstay fine but an overstay stamp in my passport which was a shame!

I finally got my exit stamp at about 15 minutes past midnight.

No overstay fine but an overstay stamp in my passport which was a shame!

So do I understand correctly, that your actual overstay was 1 day, 15 minutes? Or just 15 minutes only? I certainly want to avoid and overstay stamp, just got a new passport

15 minutes,

For overstay of less than 24 hours it says it on stamp. An overstay stamp is a small blue stamp that looks a lot like all the other stamps. It means nothing for anything you do in the future.

Edited December 22, 200817 yr by ubonjoe

I got a whole collection of 1-2-3 day stamps. No effect on your future. No effect on getting a year visa either. It might have one day in the future, but sofar no problemos!

I finally got my exit stamp at about 15 minutes past midnight.

No overstay fine but an overstay stamp in my passport which was a shame!

So do I understand correctly, that your actual overstay was 1 day, 15 minutes? Or just 15 minutes only? I certainly want to avoid and overstay stamp, just got a new passport

15 minutes overstay!

Ubonjoe is correct in his post, it's of no consequence and the immigration officer said himself that it is nothing to worry about but I felt cheesed off having a blemish on my previously pristine record.