For those travelling outside of the US, do you only carry your Passport for I.D.?

[newfiegirl]

or do you take birth certificates, drivers license etc.

 

[bdcp]

I take my drivers license and passport. No need for birth certificate. A passport is recognized everywhere. That's what it's for.

 

[newfiegirl]

my friend was asked to show both passport and birth certif when going through customs

 

[DebbieB]

I went to India a couple of years ago. I need a passport and visa in India, just the passport to get back into the US. My company advised us not to carry our original passport while we were working in India (one city), leave it in the hotel room safe and carry a photocopy.

 

[pigletto]

I always bring passport, birth certificate and health cards. I know it seems silly to bring the health cards, but both times that I've had to use our out of country health insurance while in Florida, and once in the Bahamas I was asked for our health card numbers while on the hotline with the insurance company.
Also I have been asked at the border to show my childrens birth certificates as well as their passports a few times.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

my friend was asked to show both passport and birth certif when going through customs

You do not show passports at customs unless you have to pay orb have other issues. Immigration asks for a passport.

In 20 plus trips out of the USA I have never been asked for anything but a passport. I do not even own a copy of my birth certificate.


I do carry my DL. When out of the country my passport is either in a safe or in my money belt So a DL is my easily accessible ID

 

[cruisingkat]

We have travelled in the Caribbean and Europe on cruises many times. We take our passport and drivers license. You shouldn't have to take a birth certificate as you had to have a birth certificate to get the passport in the first place. We usually don't carry our passport around with us - just a photocopy - unless required by the country we are visiting. You do have to show your passport when checking into a foreign hotel (at least in Spain and Italy by our experience). Depending on the country or countries you are going to visit, you may need a visa(s). Some countries require you to get them before entering the country, in other countries, you get them as you enter the country.
If you are planning on renting a car overseas, I would recommend getting an International Drivers Permit from AAA. It basically just tells what restrictions (glasses, etc), types of vehicles you are allowed to drive, and other info from your drivers license in many different languages. It is very handy if you should be stopped by the police who may not speak English very well.
Also you can check with the State Department website which has travelers info including warnings.

 

[ToyStory]

I have traveled to Russia several times and all I had to do was to show my passport with Visa attached to it.

I have always made copies of my passort and visa and carried them on me instead of my actual passport when just walking around and never had an issue. For official business I needed to show my actual passport.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I always bring passport, birth certificate and health cards. I know it seems silly to bring the health cards, but both times that I've had to use our out of country health insurance while in Florida, and once in the Bahamas I was asked for our health card numbers while on the hotline with the insurance company.
Also I have been asked at the border to show my childrens birth certificates as well as their passports a few times.

I dont' think it's silly to carry your health cards with you. We do it all the time too. When we have traveled abroad we take our passports and drivers licenses. I have never been asked to show both a passport and birth certificate.

 

[bdcp]

I dont' think it's silly to carry your health cards with you. We do it all the time too. When we have traveled abroad we take our passports and drivers licenses. I have never been asked to show both a passport and birth certificate.

Pigletto lives in Canada where they have national health care and have cards that are used there. I don't think other countries recognize them for healthcare. You are carrying your health insurance card, they're not the same, but your health insurance card won't do you much good outside the US other than to have a phone number to call on them. It's another reason to get travel/vacation insurance as that can have a large amount of health coverage on it.

We went to Europe in the 80's and back then, hotels kept your passports. It was kind of an insurance that you would pay your bill. I don't think that's done much anymore.

 

[Brian Noble]

my friend was asked to show both passport and birth certif when going through customs

I'm wondering if your friend perhaps mis-understood (or mis-remembers). I've been out of the country at least a dozen times now, probably close to 20, and never once have I carried my birth certificate, nor was I ever asked to produce it. A passport proves your citizenship; that's its purpose. A birth certificate is superfluous at that point.

I generally do carry my license with me, but only if I have my car at the airport and have to drive back home after I return. I have yet to rent a car internationally; most of my trips are either to places that are adequately served by rail, or the conference arranges something for us.

We went to Europe in the 80's and back then, hotels kept your passports. It was kind of an insurance that you would pay your bill. I don't think that's done much anymore.

A hotel asked to hold my passport in Rome, in the late 90s. It was a pretty nice place too. I don't know if they still would today though. I generally am asked to produce it when checking in internationally, but now I get to hold onto it. I too leave mine in the hotel safe most of the time.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

my friend was asked to show both passport and birth certif when going through customs

You show your passport at Passport Control, not customs. I think your friend was confused. There is no need to travel with a birth certificate and I doubt if your friend was asked for one.

It's always good to have at least 2 forms of photo id.

These days, hotels in Europe do not hold onto your passport. You might want to carry yours with you when shopping in Europe, as you need to show it at shops when you are asking for them to fill out the paperwork for a VAT refund.