I travel outside the US a few times a year. I`m currently in Amsterdam after having spent 9 days in Paris. One of the many travel sites I get emails from recently stated it is imperative to carry my passport at all times. And, not a copy, but the real thing.
My wife and I carry copies of each others in our passport folders, but not on us when we venture out from our place of lodging. Ive heard that some countries require it, but have not seen a list or found any listings.
What`s your MO and understanding about the necessity or practicality to or not to do so?
I’ve traveled outside the US frequently over the last 30-40 years, to most places on the planet, and I’ve never done that (carry my passport around all day). Don’t even make copies and keep them in a separate location though I can see that as a really good idea and I think I will do that.
I spend around four or five weeks in Europe a year and I always keep my passport in my pocket, more so I don’t misplace it than anything else. I started doing this when someone in my party left a passport in a suitcase as we crossed a border and figured it was easier just to have it with me all the time rather than not.
If you travel in The Netherlands, you are required by law to have identification on you at all times. They would probably not make a big deal out of a copy, but technically you could have quite some hassle.
Personally, when I travel (>100 days/year), I will always have my passport with me. But I don’t do that because of legal requirements: I want to be in control and everything else is replaceable easily, getting my passport stolen from my hotel would be horrible.
Identification I can understand and have my California driver`s license with me, but have not been carrying the passport. Do you know if the Netherlands requires just an ID or specifically a passport?
I always assumed it was more or less mandatory since any other sort of identification I might have wouldn’t mean much in other countries (in case I had to show something).
Sidenote: in the U.S. you can get a passport and a passport ID card issued by the State Department. Looks similar to a drivers license in size and shape. Replicates the information on the original, traditional passport. I’ve been thinking about getting one for walking around ID while the “real” passport is in the safe.
Can you own two US passports. You can in the UK with justification. Usually lots of travel so need one while using the other to apply is ok. Also if you need to travel to Israel and Saudi…
There are two reasons travelers can legally possess a valid second U.S. passport: One is political, the other is logistical.
First, politics. The U.S. government will grant you passport number two if you can prove that you’ll be traveling between two countries that will deny you entry because you’ve visited the other. The State Department’s official language does not pinpoint specific nations, but this currently applies only to the Middle East, where many countries deny entrance to travelers who have an Israeli passport stamp. (Israel now lets travelers request that they don’t get a stamp and instead receive a stamped piece of paper to keep inside the passport; still, the State Department will consider giving you a second passport if you’re visiting this region.)
The logistical reason is a little less straightforward but is one that all serious jet-setters should know. The State Department will OK your second passport if you sent your original away to get a visa for one country but are planning to travel to another in the interim. For example, say you’re going to Belgium, where no visa is necessary, but then plan to go Vietnam, one of 41 countries with a visa program that requires you to send your passport in the mail to one of its consulates or drop it off in person. (Brazil, China, and Russia are the other main tourist destinations on the list.) If your trip to Belgium falls within the window of time you’ll be without your passport—and it can be held up for weeks or even months—you will have no way of passing through EU immigration. A second U.S. passport is the State Department’s work-around.
The application process for a second passport is identical to the original, except you’ll have to prove you fall into one of the aforementioned categories. The second passport comes with its own unique number, is valid for two years (instead of ten), and can be renewed just like your primary passport. It costs the same $170 fee as your first passport. Plan on four to six weeks for the process unless you use a passport concierge to speed things along.
Never ever carry it with me. Why risk losing it? I have never been asked specifically for a passport outside of when you check in to a hotel. If you put it in the safe it is… wait for it… safe.
Visited Israel 3x in the last two years and they have used a separate paper vs stamping a US passport by default. Didn’t have to ask.
There can be options accessible only if you have your passport. In Japan, to get a VAT refund directly at the store, they needed to see the actual passport w/ the current entry stamp so that is a reason to carry it.
I was told that you are supposed to carry your passport on your person in Japan, because the police have the authority to stop you at any time and demand proof you are in the country legally. A quick Google search indicates that this is indeed the case, but I didn’t check any official Japanese government websites or anything.
I have a scanned copy on my phone. And in Dropbox.
Never carry it on person unless required. (The Paris Chanel store requires the original passport for vat refund paperworks for example).