I have been off the Pennsylvania sex offender list for four years. Once I was removed from the list my research indicated that I did not appear on any state or national database. I obtained a renewed passport two years ago and it is not restricted. I have traveled through Schengen countries several times over the last 10 years and have not had a problem at all, other than returning through customs at my home airport in Philadelphia while I was still on the list.
In September I will be taking a river cruise from Amsterdam to Switzerland. During this time I will be traveling through Schengen countries. However, on my flight home from Switzerland I will have a connecting flight in London. I will have a two hour layover. I know the UK does not permit entry by sex offenders or felons. Do I have any reason to suspect I will run into a problem while waiting for my connecting flight?
I appreciate anyone’s thoughts.
Since it’s your return flight, there shouldn’t be much of an issue. What are they gonna do? Put you on the next flight back to the US? LOL. If you were doing this going towards your destination then you would be returned. The Brits have access to the shared NCIC database that Interpol and the FBI use so you will be flagged as having a record and likely be harassed by customs. They might even detain you while you wait for your connecting flight. Honestly though, if you can change your return flight to bypass the UK completely you would have nothing to worry about; there are dozens of direct flights from CDG (Paris) to JFK every day that you could use instead. Have a safe trip!
Thanks for your comments. I should be fine as it turns out my flight into Heathrow will put me in the same terminal where my departing flight back to the states is located. I won’t have to go through customs at all. I’ll just have a two-hour layover in the same terminal.
Save money, and only book to London and let them pay the rest of the way!
Not sure what that even means.
Simple, only buy the flight to London, when you land, say “I am a convicted sex offender in the USA!” (make sure you leave or mail you money / credit cards etc… before) They will pay your flight back to USA