Entry and Exit

Border Crossing Points

Visits to Schwerdt must begin and end at official Points of Entry. International airports, seaports, and rail stations all have official Points of Entry. There are also many highway frontier crossings with Points of Entry.

Several activities take place at the Point of Entry. Although some border crossings occur quickly, some take longer. The average duration at the Point of Entry for non-citizen, non-recurrent travelers is 1 to 2 hours for entry and about 30 minutes at departure.

Immigration Control

Prior to granting entry, Schwerdtan authorities review travel documents, including verifying the passport and visa electronically. During processing, authorities take a digital photograph and biometric data.

Upon granting access, authorities imprint the passport with entry data and provide the traveler with a Reichskennkarte, called the R-karte. Every person in Schwerdt must carry the R-karte at all times. In addition to identification purposes, the R-karte can be used as a debit card to access deposit accounts. This is much safer and more convenient than either cash or traveler's cheques.

Leaving Schwerdt

At exiting, authorities verify the passport and visa electronically again and the traveler must surrender the R-karte. Any unpaid bills, customs, duties, taxes, or criminal charges must be settled prior to leaving Schwerdt. When cleared to exit, the authorities imprint the passport with exit data.