Spanish Influencer Couple Misses Puerto Rico Trip After Following ChatGPT For Visa Advice
Spanish influencer Mery Caldass and her partner Alejandro Cid missed their Puerto Rico trip due to relying on ChatGPT for visa info. They needed an ESTA, not a visa.
Spanish influencer Mery Caldass and her partner, Alejandro Cid, saw their planned romantic getaway to Puerto Rico end before it even began — all because they relied on a chatbot for the final word on their travel documents.
Mery, an influencer who shares her travels and lifestyle with thousands of followers, decided to speed up her pre-trip research by asking ChatGPT if they needed a visa. The answer was a simple 'no", which seemed clear enough.
But that nuance was missed. For Spanish passport holders — and others from countries in the US Visa Waiver Program — 'no visa" doesn't mean 'no requirements." Travellers must still apply online for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) before boarding a flight, NDTV reported.
Believing they were fully prepared, the couple went ahead and booked flights, hotels, and activities. Everything was set until the airport check-in counter became the scene of an abrupt reality check. Without an approved ESTA, boarding was not an option.
Later, Mery shared a video on TikTok and YouTube the next day, showing her visibly upset, walking through the terminal while Alejandro tried to calm her down.
'I always do a lot of research, but I asked ChatGPT, and they said no," referring to the visa requirement, she shares on her video.
She even joked that the chatbot might have been getting back at her: 'Don't trust that one anymore — sometimes I insult him. I call him a bastard, tell him he's useless, but ask him to give me good information… maybe this was his revenge."
The video quickly went viral, attracting thousands of views and sparking heated debates in the comments.
According to the New York Times post, some criticised the couple for relying entirely on AI instead of double-checking official travel information. 'If you're crossing an ocean and base your entire trip on what a chatbot says, you're already asking for trouble," wrote one user.
Others were more sympathetic, noting that the response wasn't entirely wrong — just incomplete. They suggested the confusion may have stemmed from how the question was phrased.
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated US territory, meaning it follows the same immigration rules as the mainland. Nationals from Visa Waiver Program countries, such as Spain, don't need a traditional visa, but they must still complete an ESTA application before travelling. This requirement applies even if the trip is only to Puerto Rico, and airlines will not allow passengers to board without it, as entering US territory without authorisation is illegal.
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