Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with passport

What do immigration officers see on their screen when they scan your PP?

yoyo_nyc — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:30:44 -0800

What do immigration officers see on their screen when they scan your passport? I went to the UK a few days ago and I am a dual US/EU citizen. I took the "Aliens/non EU" line since it was much shorter and tried to enter with my US passport. The office must have realized that I was in the UK a few weeks ago with my EU passport and started to ask questions "Have you been recently in the UK", "Did you travel on another passport". I wasn't a big deal but it made me curious: What do immigration officers see on their screens when they scan your passport?

Charming streets, dark alleys? Anti-mugging ID plan for Rome

bullitt 5 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 08:38:09 -0800

I am planning a trip to Italy this summer. I will have several days within Rome, and am looking forward to exploring the nooks and crannies of the city. I've read that I should only carry enough money for each day, in case of being mugged -- works for me. Regarding ID, would it be a good idea to leave my passport in our rented apartment, and carry my driver's license and/or a photocopy of my passport within the city? These seem like less dire things to lose while travelling.

US passports and privacy

IndigoRain — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:48:53 -0800

I'm considering getting a US Passport Card (the kind that is only good for land and sea travel between the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda) and am concerned about my privacy. I don't consider myself a privacy nut*, but is there anything I should know before I get a passport card? Am I going to be more on the government's radar than I was before? Does just having a passport put me on some kind of watch list? "Citizens who have Passports."

*by that I mean, for example, I won't avoid using a credit card for a purchase just because it's trackable. But I do like to opt out of online tracking. So, I like my privacy, but I don't go overboard with making myself untrackable.

If it matters, the reason I'd be getting it is because at some point in the unknown future, I'd like to visit the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, then head over the border into Canada and spend a day or two there. Just because, you know, I've never been out of the country and would like to experience it.

Can I travel from Canada to USA on a Portuguese passport?

MiG — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:48:53 -0800

I'm a dual Portuguese - Canadian citizen, living and working in Canada. Can I travel to the USA for a business trip on a Portuguese passport? My Canadian passport expires next month, and I've sent it off to be renewed. I've asked to travel to the USA for a couple of days next month. I don't think I will receive the renewed Canadian passport in time for this trip.

I have a valid Portuguese passport as well. Can I just use this to fly to the USA and back to Canada?

Forgot to apply for my Chinese visa, how screwed am I?

Loto — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 19:50:27 -0800

I am traveling to Shanghai for two weeks soon (Feb. 20th). In one of my finer moments, I completely forgot about the visa until this weekend. I have all the necessary documents but I need a visa ASAP and the embassy is closed on Monday and Tuesday. I'll be using a visa service since I really have no idea what I'm doing but is it possible to still get my passport back in time for my flight?

Do I need my old passport to get a new one? Details in side.

snow_mac — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 06:34:07 -0800

Details: When I was about 5 I got a US passport, my Dad was in the airforce so my brother, parents and I traveled around a lot. We'e been state side since about 1998. Since then we've not left the country. My Fiancee and I are going the caribbean for our honeymoon on a cruise & I need a passport. Do I need my old passport when applying for a new one? What if I can't find it?

Temporary license + expired passport = OK to fly?

Metroid Baby — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 08:22:30 -0800

I'm flying next week. My only forms of photo ID are a temporary driver's license and an expired passport. Will the TSA accept these? If I have to go through additional screening, what should I expect? I recently converted my out-of-state driver's license to a Massachusetts license. Massachusetts issues temporary paper licenses, and sends the actual card in the mail. There is a very slim chance I could get my license before my trip, but I'm not banking on it.

I asked the person who issued my temporary license about flying, and she said it would be no problem as long as it was a domestic flight - which it is. However, there's a prominent red box on my license that reads "NOT VALID FOR IDENTIFICATION," and that's got me concerned.

I had to surrender my out-of-state license, so I no longer have that.

My only other form of photo ID is a US passport that expired either one or two years ago - I don't have it on hand so I'm not sure about the date, but I think it's two years.

I've looked around on various forums and on the TSA site, and there's some conflicting information, but from what I can tell they'll let me on, with additional screening.

If I bring both forms of ID, am I likely to get through security OK, or will I be pulled aside for further screening? If it's the latter, what will this entail? How much extra time should I budget for this?

Thanks in advance, MeFites!

How to travel between USA/Canada as a dual citizen

kjl291 — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:38:23 -0800

DualCitizenshipFilter: I was born an American citizen, the son of a Canadian mother. A few years ago I applied for and received my Canadian citizenship, and was provided with my Certificate of Canadian Citizenship. I have never applied for and do not have a Canadian passport. If I were to enter Canada now (by air or land) what do I say, what do I tell them? Can I just show them my canadian card and be done with it? What about coming back to the U.S.A.? Can it be done both ways without either passport?

lost and found

laptolain — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:16:34 -0800

Found a wallet with a bunch of German identification (passport, drivers license, ID cards). How can I get this stuff back to him? Is there a better way than just mailing it to the address on his passport? If I do mail it should I use USPS? I'm in NYC.

Is it possible to exit the UK using a canceled passport, or use it to get a replacement within 24 hours?

ajp — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 17:11:41 -0800

A friend of mine is considering traveling from the UK to Spain using a canceled passport, having lost the replacement passport. Is this impossible, illegal, or might she manage it? This friend of mine -- a UK citizen living in the UK -- lost her passport about a year ago, and was issued with a new one. She is due to travel to Spain in 2 days, but has now lost her new passport. Yes, that's two lost passports.

However... she has miraculously found her old passport, which is still within date, and is not spoiled in any way. It has never been deliberately spoiled by the passport office staff because it has remained lost all this time. So it looks like a valid passport. She also never completed the form reporting it lost/stolen.

We are turning her flat upside down searching for the new, valid passport, but it is looking increasingly hopeless, and likely that it will remain lost.

According to threads on MF, Google searches, and reading official UK government travel websites, she will not be able to get a replacement passport within 24 hours for a lost (or damaged or stolen) passport. But.... she does have the old passport.

So.... the questions are:

Is the old passport actually "canceled" in some way? Is it invalid? She never completed the forms -- might it still be a functioning passport?

Will she be able to use the old passport to get a new (3rd!) replacement passport?

Will she be able to travel using the old passport? We're very doubtful about this. But... let's just pretend that she's going to try it. Personally, I suspect the barcode or ID number would be electronically scanned at the border, and she'd be refused on the plane out of the UK -- or refused back into the UK if she's lucky enough to escape. But is the old passport actually canceled?

I have thoroughly searched MF and Google, but I believe this may be a unique passport conundrum! I doubt anyone will have first-hand experience of similar debacles, but please chime in if you have relevant knowledge or experience! Thanks :)

Passport Emergency

PinkMoose — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 20:03:47 -0800

Friend is going to Hawaii in the Morning, sunk 10k on the trip already, his passport needs renewal. and he just realised this. Lives in Toronto, Monday is a stat, any ideas?

Get a Canadian a Passport in Chicago

Juliet Banana — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 07:21:14 -0800

My friend, a Canadian citizen, is visiting me here in Chicago. First day here, she had her messenger bag with her passport (and all her cash, and her laptop) stolen. Where the hell do we go from here? How do you get a Canadian with no ID a Canadian passport? How does she board her flight in a few days? Step One: She's filing a police report now.
Step Two: ????

Help my wife prove her identity to the German Consulate

Joey Bagels — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:52:58 -0800

My wife, a card-carrying permanent resident alien living in the U.S., allowed her German passport to expire and is seeking a renewal through the German Consulate in New York City. She has her documentation mostly in order, including German birth certificate, but needs to show proof of a name change that took place during an adoption in Iowa when she was four years old. Difficulty: Iowa adoption records are sealed. Looking for advice on how to best request a copy of the documentation, or provide a suitable alternative. Comprehensive details inside. My wife was born in Germany and came to the U.S. legally as an infant with her mother. Her German birth certificate correctly lists the identities of her biological mother (who lives in Iowa) and biological father (who remains in Germany, as far as we know). When she was four years old -- circa 1969 or 1970 -- she was adopted by her mother's husband in the state of Iowa, and her last name was changed to match the new family name. The identity of her biological parents is not in question, nor is it a secret to anyone.

Upon visiting the German Consulate, she was told that she would need to provide her adoption paperwork to show evidence of her name change before a new passport would be issued. (Her name did not change when we were married, in part because we were sorting out an issue with the then-INS involving a stolen green card and did not want to complicate the process of replacement.) Unfortunately for her, we've moved -- twice! -- since she received her previous German passport, and her only copy of the adoption paperwork went missing. We've been in contact with the appropriate county clerk in Iowa, where all adoption records are sealed. We've been instructed to write a letter to the presiding judge at the courthouse to request the opening of the adoption file. We've asked if proof of the name change could be provided separately, but apparently it is part and parcel of the adoption file.

So we're going to write the presiding judge immediately and explain a) why my wife needs the document and b) that no one's identity is being protected by keeping the record sealed. As we've been warned that it's difficult to get these records unsealed, I'd appreciate some advice on what should go into this letter or insight on what our chances are. Also, if we can not get official documentation proving the name change, what might our options be? How else does one prove a name change? (She's been using her current name for the last 40 years or so.) Might we change her name to match mine (based on marriage) and leapfrog her previous name entirely for the purposes of this passport and moving forward?

Printing logistics

yogalemon — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 11:23:14 -0800

I need to make an emergency application for a foreign passport in California. Where do I go to print documents out and get passport photos taken? And to send a Fedex? Thanks for any advice, I'm clueless.

What does it mean to "leave" a country on a passport?

media_itoku — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:46:00 -0800

What does it mean to "leave" a country on a passport (specifically, the US)? There are a bazillion questions here from dual citizens asking about how to use their passports when travelling, and the consensus seems to be: enter and leave the US on your US passport, enter & leave other country on your other country passport. What does "leave" mean in this context? I haven't travelled out of the US since 2002, and don't remember what the procedure was then. Is there some kind of immigration checkpoint before you get on your outgoing plane? Or does it just mean the passport you show when you check in at the airline?

Details: I'm a New Zealand citizen long-term resident in the US with a Green Card; but I also have a British passport which I've never used. I want to go to Europe. So, do I show NZ passport at the counter when I "leave", Brit one at European immigration, Brit one when I check back in to come home to the US (ie "leave" Europe), and NZ one when I get to US immigration? Won't the European airline want to see my NZ one to check that I'm allowed back into the US?

Juggling Passports

subject_verb_remainder — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:22:50 -0800

As a dual citizen, can I travel to places on a Canadian passport that I can't go to (or is difficult or expensive to get visas for) on an American passport? Can I actually pick-and-choose what passport to use to get the best benefit? I have an American passport, and I'm eligible for a Canadian one but I've been dragging my feet getting the paperwork done to confirm my citizenship. Right now I'm planning a pretty big trip to South America and it occurred to me that some of the entrance fees and visa requirements might be non-existent or cheaper with a Canadian passport (i.e. I wouldn't need a visa to enter Bolivia).

Can I actually do this? I mean, I know I need to use my American passport for entering and exiting the United States. But if I travel to a bunch of countries using my Canadian passport, come back, and US customs asks me where I've been... are they going to get pissed that all those visas and entry stamps are not in the US passport?

And if I can't travel to a country as an American due to travel restrictions, can I travel there as a Canadian? The only country to come to mind is Cuba, since I need explicit permission to visit the country (entry requirements) as an American citizen. Does that mean I still can't go with my Canadian passport since I'm still under the US government's jurisdiction? (In this situation, obviously I'd fly out of Canada).

I'm not trying to dodge any laws, but I am interested in whether this opens opportunities for me that I hadn't thought of, or would just be a headache.

Will I be able to get into the UK?

Partario — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 05:39:03 -0800

Will I be able to re-enter the UK with a passport that expires in November (less than six months), and a visa that expires in January? As I said, I have a Mexican passport that expires in November, and a Tier 4 student visa that expires in January. I'm going to the US, where I have permanent resident status - it shouldn't be problem to get in there. I just worry that UK Border Control could give me grief because my passport expires before the visa. Will I be able to get back in when I return, or should I hold off the trip and get a new passport here in the UK? I could attempt to get a new passport at the consulate in the US, but if it takes too long it may just be better to do it here.

What benefits does obtaining Irish citizenship have for a UK citizen?

sarahdal — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 03:34:14 -0800

What benefits does obtaining Irish citizenship have for a UK citizen? I am considering applying for Irish citizenship through my maternal grandmother, mainly for family reasons. So, while I'm aware that UK and Ireland are both in the EU and there'll be no additional benefit regarding work permits, immigration, etc, I'm just wondering if there are some additional benefits, such as -

Will USA border officials really be nicer to me if I'm travelling on an Irish passport?
Am I safer on an Irish passport travelling around Central Asia/Middle East than on a UK passport?
Are there really special work visas in the USA just for Irish citizens?

Also are there any general benefits of having two passports?

I need a UK replacement passport in one day. Help

Touchstone — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 06:26:15 -0800

Help! I've lost my passport, and I'm due to fly out in two days. UK passport agency doesn't normally give out a replacement passport in one day. Does anyone have any experience in persuading them to do so? My girlfriend and I were due to fly out to Rome to celebrate our 5 year anniversary in two days. Now I can't find my passport. I have an appointment with the passport people tomorrow morning, and I need to talk them into giving me a replacement passport on the day, which they normally don't do. Anyone have any tips or experience?

Traveling with a soon-to-expire Chinese passport to the States, will we get trouble?

cyml — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 23:33:21 -0800

Asking for friend: Chinese passport with US Visa expiring in less than six months, will we get trouble crossing the border from Canada to US for a trip? I have a family friend who is traveling with her family on a bus tour to the States next week. They're permanent citizens of Canada, but they don't have a passport yet, so they're traveling with their Chinese passport. They have a valid visa, but their passport is expiring in June.

The tour bus operator company won't let them go with them unless they can get through the border at least once before the trip. I'm taking them tomorrow but will we get any problems? I think she'll have better luck going to the States with the tour company than me because they have a start and end date. I'm just driving them over the border, which seems significantly more sketchy to me.

But anyways, if we get turned away, does anyone know how we can convince the tour company to take them still? It's their fault for not checking their passports beforehand, but they did drop some heavy money for this trip and it would suck if they couldn't go.

Are there any legitimate reasons why a person in India might be asked to provide a copy of their British aunt's id?

philipy — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:23:50 -0800

Are there any legitimate reasons why a person in India might be asked to provide a copy of their British aunt's id? A cousin in India has been asked to provide a copy of the id of his aunt - aka my mother - for some (to me at least) unclear purpose.

I have the impression that they were asked to provide a number of family ids, not just my mother's, but I could be misinterpreting here as I wasn't party to the conversations. I only came to know of this situation on the basis of being told: "I need help with my scanner, I need to scan my passport and email a copy to X".

The cousin resides in and is a citizen of India, my mother resides in and is a citizen of the UK. As far as I know there are no transactions or legal formalities taking place in which my mother is involved. It seems she just got a phone call out of the blue with this request.

Does anyone know of legit reasons why such a thing might be needed?

Are there any additional considerations to think about when proposing to send a scan of one's passport in this kind of scenario?

I don't know if my scam detectors are over-sensitive here, but this certainly rings alarm bells for me, and I would like input from Mefites that may have experience of such things.

visa photographs in Cambridge MA

idlethink — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:44:27 -0800

urgent: where in Cambridge MA can I get inexpensive instant passport-sized photos according to Canadian visa specifications? For some godforsaken reason Canadian visa photographs are different from US ones (specs here) and I can't seem to find a photography service in Cambridge which will do them: the CVS in Harvard Square only does US specs, and Big Picture Framing on Mass Ave no longer does passport photos. I need them pretty urgently, i.e. within the next day. Where else can I look? Is there e.g. some standalone photobooth option that I'm missing?

Also, are they really, really $10 for two photos at CVS? This is different from highway robbery, how?

I'd be so grateful for any help!

To stamp or not to stamp

andrewesque — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:20:58 -0800

US passport / stamp filter: What is the policy for stamping US passports upon arrival back in the US? I've had inconsistent experiences with this. I am a US citizen with a US passport.

Until I went to college, I'd only ever flown internationally out of LAX (mostly to East Asia, but once to Europe). My US passport was never stamped upon entry via Immigration in LAX.

However, in college when I returned twice from Europe and re-entered the US at JFK, I was stamped both times. It surprised me the first time because, based on my experience at LAX, I always thought that US citizens weren't stamped upon entry back in.

I'm flying O'Hare - Heathrow round trip in two months and was idly wondering if I'd be stamped upon return to the US in Chicago. By no means is this a question of actual import (I clearly don't have any worries about entering the US), but I'm just curious why this is the way it is. My sample size is small; I know this probably just boils down to "airport policy," but I'm curious if anyone knows why this might differ from airport to airport.

Passport issue

SuzySmith — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:25:44 -0800

My husband needs a passport in less than two weeks. Help. We are completely clueless as the only time we have left the country was prior to needing a passport to go to Canada. He is going to Mexico for work, in less than two weeks. On top of needing a brand new passport, we have no clue where his birth certificate is.

What the hell do we do?

Saving on passport photos?

ambient2 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:43:37 -0800

PassportPhotoFilter: I need 15 passport photos, am not finding inexpensive places (in the San Francisco area) or discounts on more than two so I'm looking at the price for two times eight. Am I missing something to think I can get two, go to FedEx Office and copy them on one of their machines for 49 cents per photo? Definitely wouldn't want to ship these things overseas, learn that they are unacceptable. Thanks for thoughts and any tips on bargain places in the SF area.