Spinoff: Passports

[bcla]

It is my understanding that no nation outside of North America and the Caribbean will accept a US passport card for entry. Appears not be usable for your average transatlantic cruise, or for an epic road trip to Argentina.

I understood that and posted something about that today. However, it's still a nice thing to have. Should one lose a passport book, the card is proof of nationality to enter a US embassy or consulate to get a replacement.

 

[bcla]

it's never occurred to me to bring a passport when traveling domestically. When I've traveled Internationally and brought a passport, I've kept it with me. I don't always stay in a hotel when traveling internationally--the last 3 international trips, 2 of them I stayed with a friend/family member and not in a hotel. Still, I just put my passport in my bag with my cash/credit cards and carried it with me throughout the day.

I've stayed places overseas where the hotel insisted on making copies of our passports before they'd give us the room key. In China, it's actually a requirement that visitors anywhere must be registered and their names sent to the police. Hotels do this automatically. If one stays as a guest at someone's home, the law theoretically states that the guests must register at a local police station within 24 hours, although I'm sure this is often ignored.

 

[VAfamily1998]

I've stayed places overseas where the hotel insisted on making copies of our passports before they'd give us the room key. In China, it's actually a requirement that visitors anywhere must be registered and their names sent to the police. Hotels do this automatically. If one stays as a guest at someone's home, the law theoretically states that the guests must register at a local police station within 24 hours, although I'm sure this is often ignored.

Yes, when I went to China I stayed with my brother (and didn't register with the police station!) My brother lived in Shanghai, and we did take a side trip to visit Beijing for a few days--but the hotel didn't ask for our passports.

 

[bcla]

Yes, when I went to China I stayed with my brother (and didn't register with the police station!) My brother lived in Shanghai, and we did take a side trip to visit Beijing for a few days--but the hotel didn't ask for our passports.

It's supposed to be done. Doesn't mean anyone really cares. You can imagine how many people actually bother to do it. I've even heard of some going to police stations being told to go away since it was wasting their time. I don't expect they really care unless someone feels like "setting an example".

http://lawandborder.com/temporary-residence-registration-for-foreign-nationals/

Q1: What does the Exit-Entry Administration Law require?

“Article 39. Where foreigners stay in hotels in China, the hotels shall register their accommodation (住宿登记) in accordance with the regulations on the public security administration of the hotel industry, and submit foreigners’ accommodation registration information to the public security organs in the places where the hotels are located.”

“For foreigners who reside or stay in dwelling places (住所) other than hotels, they or the persons who accommodate them shall, within 24 hours after the foreigners’ arrival (入住) at that dwelling place, go through the registration formalities with the public security organs in the places of residence….”

Q2: What are the penalties for failure to register?

“Article 76. Under any of the following circumstances, a warning shall be given, and a fine of not more than RMB 2,000 yuan may also be imposed: ….”

“(6) Persons concerned fail to go through registration formalities in accordance with the provisions in the second paragraph of Article 39 of this Law.”
​

I've gone through some strange things too, such as taking a taxi outside the boundary of a city. I guess the important thing to understand that there isn't strictly freedom of movement in China. They had some sort of border inspection where we were asked to produce ID. We pulled out our US passports, and the inspector looked at them and yelled out something - I was told in line with "What am I supposed to do with a US passport?"

 

[Dramatic Muffin]

I am living in China and I've always had to use my passport to check into hotels, and I had to register at the police station. Other than that the only time I've needed my passport was to do banking and to start my mobile phone service.

I've had to present my passport at every hotel in every foreign country I've visited.

 

[bcla]

I am living in China and I've always had to use my passport to check into hotels, and I had to register at the police station. Other than that the only time I've needed my passport was to do banking and to start my mobile phone service.

I've had to present my passport at every hotel in every foreign country I've visited.

I recently visited British Columbia and stayed three nights at three different hotels. They all asked to see some form of ID, but not any sort of travel document. They also only needed to see my ID since I made the reservation.

When I've visited China and been asked for passports, the front desk clerk has typically assumed (rightly) that we're foreign visitors and wants to see a passport for everyone in the party. It's my understanding that all domestic visitors staying in hotels still need to present some sort of identity document.

 

[PigletsPal2]

When I was working, I kept my passport in the safe in my office. I actually did make a couple of last-minute trips from Jakarta to Singapore where I had to leave within a couple of hours. DH kept his and DD's in his safe in our "bug out bag." I traveled more than he did, so it made more sense tor me to keep my own passport handy.

Now that we're retired, they're just kept in the desk drawer. We only carry them for international travel; a drivers' license is more convenient for ID.

Queen Colleen

 

[VAfamily1998]

It's supposed to be done. Doesn't mean anyone really cares. You can imagine how many people actually bother to do it. I've even heard of some going to police stations being told to go away since it was wasting their time. I don't expect they really care unless someone feels like "setting an example".

http://lawandborder.com/temporary-residence-registration-for-foreign-nationals/

Q1: What does the Exit-Entry Administration Law require?

“Article 39. Where foreigners stay in hotels in China, the hotels shall register their accommodation (住宿登记) in accordance with the regulations on the public security administration of the hotel industry, and submit foreigners’ accommodation registration information to the public security organs in the places where the hotels are located.”

“For foreigners who reside or stay in dwelling places (住所) other than hotels, they or the persons who accommodate them shall, within 24 hours after the foreigners’ arrival (入住) at that dwelling place, go through the registration formalities with the public security organs in the places of residence….”

Q2: What are the penalties for failure to register?

“Article 76. Under any of the following circumstances, a warning shall be given, and a fine of not more than RMB 2,000 yuan may also be imposed: ….”

“(6) Persons concerned fail to go through registration formalities in accordance with the provisions in the second paragraph of Article 39 of this Law.”
​

I've gone through some strange things too, such as taking a taxi outside the boundary of a city. I guess the important thing to understand that there isn't strictly freedom of movement in China. They had some sort of border inspection where we were asked to produce ID. We pulled out our US passports, and the inspector looked at them and yelled out something - I was told in line with "What am I supposed to do with a US passport?"

I don't disagree with you that it's the law. I'm just saying that I didn't do it--and no one came after me.

 

[bcla]

I don't disagree with you that it's the law. I'm just saying that I didn't do it--and no one came after me.

Sure. It's generally not a big issue. However, with a lot of things in China it doesn't really matter until someone decides it's time to set an example. I visited years ago when changing money (for renminbi) on the street was illegal. This was back when they had a two-tier currency system with "foreign exchange notes" and theoretically exchanging for those were the only legal means of exchange. We were somewhat worried about it since we heard horror stories of the occasional tourist getting sent overnight to jail or forced to pay a fine. However, we would go to stores spending our US dollars (which wasn't technically currency exchange) and the clerks would just give us what the street exchange rate would be and they'd get it exchanged when they had the time. This even included government-owned businesses. There was definitely an attitude that the laws were extremely flexible.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I use my passport as my ID when flying, even within the US. I don't catty it around otherwise unless there is a need (like today--I dropped DD18 and her friend off at the summer camp they will be working at for the next 10 days--it is on property owned by the US military and you have to produce a passport to be signed on).

I do not carry it around with me otherwise--I think it is afer in the room safe, or my locked suitcase or at home than on my person.

I do not carry a copy either, but we have emailed copies of all of our passports to all of us, so we can access them from any internet cafe and print if needed.

Every time I have checked into a hotel in Italy, the front desk has needed to copy our passports--so that is not only China.