Many felons can recall having the desire to travel back when life was different and simpler, before their felony conviction.

They may have dreamed of traveling abroad before their conviction, and for some this may have been a reality.

This blog post will address the question of whether a felon can travel to Austria.

• Travel Restrictions
• Why Austria?
• Traveling to Austria
• Requirements to Enter Austria
• Encouraging a Felon to Travel to Austria

Travel Restrictions

Upon release, felons must complete the terms of their sentence, which typically involves being on probation, reporting to their probation officer in person or checking in online monthly.

During the probation period, felons are restricted from leaving the district in which they reside without permission from their probation officer.

Of course, travel outside the U.S. is out of the question until the conditions of probation have been satisfied entirely.

Once this is accomplished, travel beyond the U.S. border is possible.

They must obtain a passport, which is a form of identification from the federal government allowing international travel.  Felons are able to obtain a passport.

Being convicted of drug trafficking or a crime of treason against the U.S. may prevent felons from being able to obtain a passport, as well as for anyone owing at least a certain amount of child support.

Having current legal charges pending can also prevent having a passport.  This is because leaving the country will be interpreted as an unlawful attempt to avoid prosecution, which is itself a federal crime.

Traveling to another country with a passport is very possible.

Why Austria?

Why would felons want to visit Austria?  Well, for the same reasons anyone wants to travel there.  Felons may have served time in prison, but they have the same interests as any other U.S. citizen.

Traveling to Austria is no exception.

Austria is a popular destination for tourists from the U.S. for a number of reasons.

Austria is a country in Central Europe and along with Switzerland, is in the heart of the beautiful, rugged Alps.

Austria is home to many mountain villages built with Classic architecture.  There are opportunities for hiking and skiing along the mountainous regions.

Vienna is one of the oldest, best-known cities in Central Europe surrounded with ancient palaces, reflecting the long history of this nation.

Salzburg is a city famous for the location of The Sound of Music.

Many felons’ families may have had their origin in Austria.

Traveling to Austria

Flying to Austria shouldn’t pose a problem for felons.

The only restriction for them flying would be if they have a felony warrant outstanding against them.

The other possible issue would be if their name is on what is called the no-fly list maintained by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for those suspected of being terrorists.

There are about 3500 names on this list at any time.  So, felons are probably OK for flying.

Requirements to Enter Austria

Austria is a member of what is called the Schengen Agreement enacted in 1985.

The area of Europe considered to be a part of the Schengen territory consists of 26 nations, which combine to operate with one external border as part of the agreement.

When entering the Schengen area, travelers must present their passport to obtain an entry stamp.  At that time, immigration officials will decide if travelers are qualified to enter the area.

Those tourists who are U.S. citizens and who have been within the Schengen area for less than three months may enter without a visa.

If allowed entry, all U.S. tourists, including felons, may travel freely from one Schengen area country to another without having to show their passport.

They do not have to present their passport to be stamped again until they leave the Schengen area.

All U.S. citizens may enter Austria for a period of up to 90 days for personal or business reasons without a visa and travel into any of the 26 countries that participate in the Schengen Agreement.

The law in Austria states that they must have at least six valid months remaining on their passport when entering the country.

Any stay by a U.S. citizen of more than 90 days will require a visa, which must be obtained prior to departing form the U.S.

If you’re in a hurry to get your visa or want someone to walk you through the process, we recommend you use this website to help.

Felons would do best if they plan their stay in the country to be limited to less than 90 days in order to not have to be subjected to having their criminal record checked.

For felons especially, their conduct while in Austria is critical.  Of course, they will want to stay out of legal difficulties.

This would obviously result in significant problems for felons who may find it extremely difficult to gain their release.  For those felons ending up in jail, good legal counsel will be necessary.

It is best to strictly obey all laws and be able to leave the country as planned.

Encouraging a Felon to Travel to Austria

Families of felons who visit Austria can be helpful to those felons by encouraging them to travel outside the country for a sense of peace and relaxation.

Traveling is a great way for felons to re-connect with their families again.

Once the decision has been made to travel to Austria, be supportive of their making the trip.

It is important to remind them that as a traveler to a foreign country, just being there as an American will bring them under scrutiny.  Add to that their felon status, and staying out of trouble becomes even more important.

For these reasons and others, they must obey the laws and not draw the attention of the legal authorities to themselves.

Remind them of their commitment to live an honest life and how legal difficulties while in Austria will only defeat these efforts and may result in returning to prison.

Approximately 69% of those released from prison return within the first two years.  Don’t let them be one of those statistics.

So what do you think about this blog post about how a felon can travel to Austria?  Have you or someone you know traveled to Austria with a felony?  What was that like and were they successful?   Please tell us in the comments below.