Exit fees from Spain for citizens

[oftheherd]

I have recently been told by a friend of mine that someone he wishes to come visit him from Spain has related there is a $4,500 exit fee for Spanish citizens to leave Spain. Naturally the person in question has inferred my friend pay those fees.

Doens't sound right to me. Any of you from Spain who have traveled out of country have any experience with exhoribitant fees about the $20 to $50 many countries charge for leaving from an airport?

Thanks for any help. Just don't want any problems for my friend.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Never heard of it. Besides, there are no exit fees for crossing a land border, so if such a fee existed, any sane Spaniard would fly out of France. This sounds like a ridiculous try-on, and personally, I'd not want anyone who was trying to extort $4500 from me to come and visit.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Chuck Albertson]

Bail, perhaps?

 

[finguanzo]

Ive never heard of this, my family in Spain fly to the US all the time, and never had to pay anything, nevermind 4k$....

They might be trying to get a free 1st class ticket... 😉

 

[MartinP]

Maybe the visitor is on an Interpol wanted list and the 'fee' is to lubricate some palms. Or possibly I read too many spy thrillers.

Last time I was in Spain they did want me to pay extra, but that was the airline for the baggage and it wasn't $4500 🙂

 

[VíctorRF]

Tell your friend to be cautious! Surely this is a scam. We do not charge any fee for leaving the country.

 

[kully]

This is rollocks.

Yes, there was a fee if a Spaniard stopped being a tax resident in Spain and paid some amount for the current/previous year(?), but I haven't heard of anyone being had for that or whether it still exists.

You don't pay anything to leave Spain for a visit anywhere (my wife is Spanish).

 

[sevo]

Well, I can think of a couple of rather dishonourable reasons involving bailiffs, fines, tax or maintenance debts. But that is hardly what any sane person would call an exit fee...

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Is that an exit tax? Some countries have it, but now they're usually added to the ticket cost, so there's no need to hand over cash at the border.

 

[oftheherd]

Thanks everyone. Please continue to provide any first hand information so my friend can see the weight of evidence.

 

[BillBingham2]

My son is part of an exchange program, next year he goes to Spain. This year the kids came here. Never heard of an exit fee for a visit across the pond at any meeting.

Something does sound funky, like I would expect in Chicago/Cook County Politics.......

B2 (;->

 

[finguanzo]

Like I said up top, I have a dual citizenship in the US and Spain, have lived in both countries, currently live in US, travel there at least every other year, my family from Spain travel here every other year. Never in my life, or my families, have we ever payed any type of exit/entrance fee or tax. We are law abiding citizens, for the most part 😉 , and never had any warrants etc. that I guess might change things, like others said...

 

[Landshark]

[QUOTE
Something does sound funky, like I would expect in Chicago/Cook County Politics.......

B2 (;->[/QUOTE]
Hey now, are you intimating that something in the windy city is Less than honest? Just because Peraica hired 3/4 of his family doesn't mean it's dishonest. Does it?

 

[Brian Levy]

Is it an exit fee, i.e. a charge against a citizen terminating residency by establishing a residency in another country or a travel tax/fee, i.e. a user fee for transitting from a particular airport.

The latter is tied to the ticket price but can be seapartely stated and generally varies by airport. Locally, Pearson has a charge that chokes many who elect to travel to Buffalo, NY. Even with travel costs, the savings from the airport fee charge is significant.

In the US a departing resident alien is required to file a 1040C and pay the outstanding tax to receive a certificate termed a sailing certificate. Technically, a person may not exit the country and terminate residency without it but while I've prepared a number of these in my profession I've never heard of immigration and customs asking for the certificate on departure.

 

[gcardenal]

First time I hear that. I'm spanish and have several friends in the USA that have come here to visit me, and none of them have paid anything.
I'm shure it's a clear scam.

 

[Gid]

My brother lives in Spain and leaves to visit regularly and it doesn't cost him anything. There was and probably still is a scam where an internet relationship results in party saying that they would like to visit the other party but can't because they need $$$ and if only they had $$$ ................. Of course the gullible other party pays and then .............. I'm not saying that this is a scam, but it doesn't sound good.

 

[historicist]

Sounds like nonsense - even if there was such an exit fee (which I'd be very very surprised if there was) there is free movement within the EU and there would be no way of stopping someone travelling to another EU state and flying from there.

 

[Jamie123]

Thanks everyone. Please continue to provide any first hand information so my friend can see the weight of evidence.

As others have said, it's bollocks.

But I really think you're friend shouldn't look for 'evidence' in internet photography forums. A call to the Spanish consulate would surely carry much more weight.

Why do I have the suspicion that your friend's 'friend' is a (supposedly) female individual he met on the internet?

 

[Ranchu]

Might be time for a counteroffer.

"GBS: Madam, would you sleep with me for a million pounds?
Actress: My goodness, Well, I’d certainly think about it.
GBS: Would you sleep with me for a pound?
Actress: Certainly not! What kind of woman do you think I am?!
GBS: Madam, we’ve already established that. Now we are haggling about the price. "

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php...me_for_madam_weve_already_established_that_c/

 

[Damaso]

Um, scam. Spain is part of the Schengen treaty area and its citizens can come and go within most of Europea with no visas. I hope your friend didn't pay any money to his "visitor."