Tourists visiting Bali have been ordered to carry their passports at all times as part of an immigration crackdown. Authorities there are stepping up enforcement against visa overstays, and officers are conducting spot checks of passports in tourist areas there.
A new task force of about 100 officers has been deployed to Nusa Dua, Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, Benoa, and Kuta. They’re equipped with body cameras and safety vests and conduct (ostensibly) random document checks on the street. They are stopping tourists and asking for passports, visas, and stay permits, asking:
- “How long will you stay?”
- “Where are you staying?”
- “Show your passport or stay permit.”
There haven’t been any sanctions imposed yet for not having documents ready, but they’ve announced that compliance is expected going forward.
Carrying a passport has been a long-standing legal requirement, though much ignored, and people often carry photocopies rather than their original (quite reaosnably, I might add, going out to the beach, to clubs, and in heavily trafficked tourist areas). It’s quite reasonable to think that ‘Passport checks should be at the airport, not at the beach.’
Requiring visitors to carry their passport actually isn’t unusual, although enforcement is. For instance,
- Japan: Non-citizen permanent residents must carry their Resident Card, and tourists are required to carry their passport. Violations are subject ot a fine up to ~ $1,200.
- Italy: Must carry passport at all times, with possible fines and short jail time.
- Taiwan: Must carry passport or alien registration card.
- Portugal: Must carry ID or passport, though a copy is acceptable. Detention is permitted until identity is confirmed.
On arrival at Tokyo Narita in April 2006 I was stopped by authorities and my passport was inspected. I had it conveniently on hand, not having left the airport yet.
Many of you may not realize that there are similar requirements today in the United States? Arizona Bill SB1070 even included a “Show Me Your Papers” requirement, making it a state crime for a person to fail to carry their federal alien registration documents. This survived a Supreme Court challenge (the rest of the law, especially criminalizing undocumented presence and employment, was struck down).
And, in fact, the provision remains legally enforceable – police can question immigration status as long as they rely on reasonable suspicion and don’t hold someone for an arbitrarily long period. Racial profiling claims remain fully subject to litigation.
However, I do not usually carry my passport with me when I travel. There are even places where hotels take your passport at registration. Carrying it around means it could get lost and you’re at risk of pickpockets. I have a certain privilege as an American, looking the way that I do (one of the few times my looks give me privilege!) that I’m usually not facing much risk walking around with a copy of my passport in my pocket.
(HT: @crucker)
I see nothing wrong with that. if you don’t like to carry your passport, then don’t go.
Reminds me of my days traveling to Moscow on business, they also had strict rules about carrying your passport. The scam (which corporate travel warned us about), was that the hotel would keep your passport for around 3 hours after you checked in (the rumor was that the KGB was photographing every page). Apparently, lots of police around the hotel made note of when you checked in, and if you couldn’t wait to pop out and do some early sightseeing, they would bust you knowing that you didn’t get your passport back yet. Back then, the going rate was $ 100 USD as a bribe. Of course, travel to Moscow now is flat out of the question.
Reminds me of what I have to do in America today.
Broadly speaking, there are more countries than not in which the law is that anyone (citizens or visitor) must produce a valid nationally issued government ID upon demand, and authorities are able to ask at any time without needing a reason. In addition, visitors are required to be able to prove their right to be in the country which requires showing a dated passport stamp for entry in most countries (but soon will require the authorities to be able to scan your passport and check it against a central database as more countries do away with passport stamps).
The flip side is that you’re often advised to leave valuable items that you don’t need locked up, rather than carrying them around due to the risk of petty crime or simply carelessly misplacing them. Losing a passport while overseas is a major, major hassle.
There are increasing anecdotal reports of document checks in Europe, such as at Italian train stations and Germany has re-instituted passport checks on entry in many locations, even local trams that you might use for a day-trip from Switzerland.
I don’t really have a problem with being required to have a passport on you but the passport will sustain damage if you are out and about often while living months on end in another country (from my personal experience.) Fortunately some places are less stringent about having a passport on you at all times.
“ I have a certain privilege as an American, looking the way that I do (one of the few times my looks give me privilege!) that I’m usually not facing much risk walking around with a copy of my passport in my pocket.”
You sound like my grandfather talking about “the good old days”. Now you need to consider how to “appear” Canadian.
@Parker — Yup… ‘Papers! Schnell!’ And no, you cannot say ‘goodbye’ to your wildfire fighting buddies…
Understand the reason for this, but tough to carry around all-original docs, simply because of the risk of loss, damage, theft etc and the downsides that go with these. Perhaps photocopies with the requirement to produce originals at an official ofice within 24 hrs? Not perfect, I know. “Back-In-the-Day” (a lot of days!) in the UK, one had the right to produce the necessary within 24-hrs at the local police department. I guess we were all good guys, “Back-n-the-Day”!
I carry my passport card while outside the US in places where you need the booklet to enter. The booklet is locked up at the hotel. I have never been asked for ID outside the US after clearing passport control (except to board a plane where I always have the booklet on me), except once. I was on a day excursion on a train from Perpignan north. Since that train started in Barcelona (Perpignan being the first French stop), they where checking IDs (or so I assume that’s why). He looked over my driver’s license, lectured me on bringing the “correct ID,” and moved on. I always wondered if things would have developed differently if my heritage (i.e., looks) wasn’t northern European.
I seldom carry my passport with me unless I know I will be undertaking a transaction where it is needed or crossing a border. Especially how can one actually enjoy a visit to a beach while carrying a passport? Either you carry it with you into the water with high risk of damage, or you leave it behind on the beach. Or is this a way to get tourists to stop coming because it’s no longer a pleasant experience.