Acting against the law can happen to anyone even unwanted. “Can felons leave the country” Is this the question that comes to mind when they want to go on a holiday and have some fun? But can you leave the country if you have a felony? This article answers the question and provides all the information that you need.
Can you leave the country if you have a felony?
The answer to the question “can you leave the country if you have a felony?” is up to the country you live in and the Federal rules. There are rules and exceptions that you need to figure out.
You would better consult with a lawyer before traveling.
For instance, in the US, if you have committed drug trafficking or security crimes, it is highly unlikely that you receive a passport and leave the US. The same is true with:
- Taking arms against U.S. citizens.
- Overthrow the government plot
- Bomb threats
- Federal arrest
- Felony-related subpoena
- Have large amounts of debts*
*The amount could be larger than $2,500. It is particularly true if the amount is due to child care.
Can US felons leave the US?
The US felons can leave the country. They are allowed to visit the following countries and regions:
| Caribbean countries | Ecuador | European countries |
| Mexico | Peru | South Africa |
| Columbia | Venezuela | Thailand |
Countries you cannot visit with a criminal record in 2022
Felons can’t leave the country and enter a few areas. If you have committed a crime and are considered a felon, you may not visit the following countries. The rules for each one of them are different. They might require you a clean record certificate before you enter, or they might deport you when they find out you are a felon:
| Macau | United Arab Emirates | Taiwan | Canada | Tanzania |
| New Zealand | Dominican Republic | Australia | Ukraine | UK |
| Ireland Deny | Cuba | Nepal | Argentina | Turkey |
| Singapore | Tunisia | Malaysia | South Korea | Iran |
| Hong Kong | Cambodia | Peru | Kenya | Egypt |
| Israel | Chile | Morocco | South Africa | Philippines |
| Ethiopia | Mexico | Indonesia | India |
| Japan | Brazil | The United States | |
Countries you can visit with a criminal record
The following countries permit the felons to cost:
| Cambodia | Malaysia | Tanzania |
| Chile | Mexico | The Dominican Republic |
| Egypt | Morocco | The Philippines |
| Ethiopia | Nepal | Tunisia |
| Hong Kong | Peru | Turkey |
| Indonesia | Singapore | Ukraine |
| Ireland | South Korea | United Arab Emirates |
The answer to the question of “can felons leave the country” is up to different factors.
Are felons allowed to visit Europe or Schengen Area?
There are no borders in the 26 countries members of the Schengen Area. But the rules and regulations are strict for entering the area.
If the felon has not committed smuggling or drug crimes and the sentence period is less than three years, he/she is likely to enter the area.
There are some particular rules for a few countries as well—for instance, Germany. The felon of a drug crime with a sentence of 2 or more years or a public order offense with more than 3 years will not be allowed to enter the country.
If you are among the visa-waived countries that don’t need a visa to enter the Eu, you can enter the Eu with a criminal record.
The ETIAS system will be launched this 2022, and it will become a bit more difficult for people with a criminal background to enter the EU.
What about the UK?
The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. In terms of felons leaving the country and entering the UK, the person’s sentence must be between 6-30 months, and 10 years have passed since its completion.
In case the felon was in prison for less than six months, the time after it must be five years. So the person can enter the UK.
The applicants are often refused if they have served 12 months imprisonment before.
The person can also be refused entrance on the basis of:
- Character
- Conduct
- Associations
- Represents a threat to national security.
The UK government will check every background and record, but they have no access to other country’s criminal backgrounds.
No-fly list
There is a list of people that must not fly to the UK under any circumstances, and it is held by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This is because the people on the list are suspected of being terrorists.
There are about 3500 names of people on this list, and the applicants who are among them may not enter the UK.
Are felons allowed to visit the US?
According to the national law, the people who need a visa for temporary US visas need a clean record to enter the country. If they can’t provide one, they are likely to get rejected.
But not everyone with a criminal background becomes ineligible to enter the US. For instance, if a person is caught driving under the influence of alcohol, it doesn’t make him/her inadmissible to enter the US. However, it can become them ineligible for the medical checkup.
The following ones are often led to visa inadmissibility:
- Drug crimes
- Assault (crimes against others)
- tax fraud (crimes against the government)
There is the “sentencing exception” that if the person was in jail only for one year, they can receive a US visa and enter the country. In some cases that you want to work or live in the US for the long term, you might have to apply for a waiver from the government.
Can felons enter Canada?
Canada is more strict on entering people with convictions and felons. It is true even with the DUI or drinking under the influence of alcohol. Such people are refused to enter Canada.
You need to apply for rehabilitation if you wanna enter Canada, but the process is hard and tiring.
Indeed, American citizens and felons can’t enter unless they receive special permission from the Canadian Government. The point is that Canada has access to the criminal background of the US databases, and they check people before entering.
Felons can enter Canada in two ways. One is to apply for a Canada Temporary Resident Permit. But they need to have a reason to convince the officials to visit the country.
The second way is to apply for Criminal Rehabilitation. When you receive it, your inadmissibility will be removed forever.
Can felons enter Australia?
Australia has serious and strict rules in terms of the felons who want to enter the country. The two factors that determine whether you can enter or not is the following:
- Duration of imprisonment
- The type of criminal activity
Australia has also provided ETA or electronic visa platform. The application process is online and easy as pie to complete. But if you have been in prison for 12 months or longer, you are ineligible for ETA.
You will need to provide more supporting documents so to receive the ETA. The Australian visa officers decide whether to issue you a visa or not by the documents.
What is a felony when speaking traveling to other countries?
Before you go through the list of the following crimes, you should know that there is a difference between serious crime and less serious. The one crime that is considered serious and prevents you from entering this country might be a less serious one and permits entrance in another one. It is up to the country you want to visit and its rules and regulations.
The often serious crimes include but are not limited to:
- Tax evasion
- Cybercrime
- Animal cruelty
- Assault
- Manufacturing and selling drugs
- Child pornography
- Kidnapping
- Rape/sexual assault
- Manslaughter (unintentional killing)
- Murder
- Human trafficking
The less serious crimes include but are not limited to:
- Having of Marijuana (personal use)
- Indecent exposure
- Vandalism
- Disorderly conduct
- Trespassing
- Shoplifting
- Reckless driving
- Public intoxication
- Petty theft
What should you consider when traveling with a criminal record?
Before you set off and travel to a destination or make arrangements, you would better consider the following items:
Before you begin your trip
It is important to check the rules and regulations of the destined country to see if the action you have done is considered a crime there or not. As explained in the text, there are serious and less serious crimes, and they are totally different. You should check them and ensure that you have permission to enter.
Tell the truth
You would better be honest with your application and tell the officials of anything that you have done. The immigration or border officials might become gentle when they see you are honest with them and have provided everything. In case you hide something and they find it out, things can become worse.
Have more patience
When you travel with a criminal background, you would better have more patience as you are likely to wait longer at the border check. Even if you have every piece of documents by the law, the officials might check your documents and ask further questions.
Have patience and wait until the authorities check your documents and grant you entrance. Getting angry and impatient will have a bad impression and will ruin your chance to enter the destined country.
Let’s sum up…
The question of “Can felons leave the country” bothers so many minds.
People keep asking “can you leave the country if you have a felony”. This article explained that the answer depends on the crime and action you have done, the years that have passed after it, and your travel destination.
If the crime is “less serious” and the destination is less strict, you are likely to enter and enjoy your trip.
Visa Library provides visa and entrance rules and regulations for entering the countries. Go through the top menu to find out all the things you need to know about entering your travel destination.
If you have any questions, write them down in the comment section and our team will respond right away.
