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[QUOTE=Dorman]Heavens above no!
I'm not sure a subtle transaction would be possible there as it's quite crowded with officials and other travellers.[/QUOTE]
Trust me, they don't care who sees them. They'll give you their 'proverbial smile' and away you go ;)
Speaking of custom's officials, I remember reading about one of the top guys at DPS airport a few months ago, refusing entry to a older couple from Oz, as their passports were going to expire within the required 6 months. After a lenghty discussion, he let them in, but they had to pay something like 3,000-4,000 USD to the guy. They immediately went to the top guy, and explained everything. The customs offical was either demoted, or fired. IIRC
Sometimes in Indonesia, not often, there is justice.
[QUOTE=William444]I will be back in Jakarta in October, travelling on a UK passport. I just noticed that there are no "totally blank" pages left - Will immigration/visa guy overlay on a non-blank page or insert into passport loose? Or do I need to get new passport? I will be buying the usual $10 7 day visa[/QUOTE]
I'd like to add my vote: get some pages added to your passport! Shouldn't take very long, and that way you avoid any uncertainty or potential hassle when you arrive in Jakarta.
Originally Posted by William444
"I will be back in Jakarta in October, travelling on a UK passport. I just noticed that there are no "totally blank" pages left - Will immigration/visa guy overlay on a non-blank page or insert into passport loose? Or do I need to get new passport? I will be buying the usual $10 7 day visa"
First, you may not be allowed to leave the UK without blank pages. Go get some!
RE the 6 month rule, it’s valid and almost universal. The elderly OZ couple overpaid for the “exemption” -- US$200 and a valid onward ticket will be ok in Denpasar, as I know from first hand experience. (My airhead Significant Other...) But the immigration officials are perfectly within their rights to refuse entry to the traveler AND impose a fine on the airline that permitted them to board. Friends arriving in (transit) in Europe were recently re-routed to their home country for having less than six months on their passports.
What's a monger to do!
Any competent Airline will not let you board a flight to Indonesia if you have less then 6 months left in the Passport.
KITAS holders, (such as myself), are exempt from having to have an onward flight with the MERP (Multple Exit Re Entry Permit, but often I am often challenged about this by counter staff in Singapore and Australia. Qantas are very strict, and a Supervisor told me the Airline had to pay fines so management got tough.
[QUOTE=William444] Will immigration/visa guy overlay on a non-blank page or insert into passport loose? [/QUOTE]A passport is supposed to be a record of where you went and where you come from and no record from it are to be deleted. Even if officials were willing to "overlay" a stamped page, it could adversely affect you in unexpected way. For example if your passport shows an entry stamp on the 15th of July and the August 15th exit stamp is hidden below an overlaid entry visa, you have no way to prove you left the country within the time alloted.
Bribing to enter a country at all cost is not always a good idea since you have no certainty of being able to bribe your way out again.
Running out of pages is a pain in the neck. If I want a 64-page passport instead of the usual 32 I have to shell out 241 euros. A 32-page passport costs me 81 euros. Don't ask me why nor from what sh*t of a country I come from.
[QUOTE=Mighty Spearsman]I'd like to add my vote: get some pages added to your passport! Shouldn't take very long, and that way you avoid any uncertainty or potential hassle when you arrive in Jakarta.[/QUOTE]
This is easy to do in the US, and not very expensive. You can pay more to have it expedited. No idea about UK regulations in this regard.
I recently found myself at the Visa on entry desk with no blank page. I didn't fancy getting on a plane back to UK which is what the guy behind the desk said. 20 USD (extra) later I was on my way with the required sticker on page 48 - the last but one page on the extra thick passport.
[QUOTE=Bulai69]I recently found myself at the Visa on entry desk with no blank page. I didn't fancy getting on a plane back to UK which is what the guy behind the desk said. 20 USD (extra) later I was on my way with the required sticker on page 48 - the last but one page on the extra thick passport.[/QUOTE]Many thanks for the feedback. Went for the safe option and am at passport office this week for a new passport and the 64 pages at ridiculous cost!.
Take my girl from Jakarta next week for Singapore, Australia, Singapore, Jakarta trip - 16 days of work and fun!
Cant wait to get back to Jakarta.
I hold a US passport and I have passport service ammened and add page to it many time as long it is not expire, it is free of charge you only pay for post stamp for mailing to passport service, you can also go to the US consulant over sea to have it done there for free.
Never tamper with any passport it is again the law to do so, I have a friend remove a visa sticker from his US passport, on return US immgration held him for question and fine him after he return to US from China.
Fast Eddie 48
US immigration can be (rightly) tough. I hold two passports and often travel around using whichever one is to hand. A few years back I went to the US on holiday and entered on one passport and then took a holiday in the Caribbean flying out of New York. On the way back I unthinkingly used the other passport to return to NY. The immigration officer was quite sharp and noticed there were no US entry stamps on the passport I was using yet here I was entering the US on a return ticket with no evidence of ever having come out of there in the first place.
Well it was all explained handy enough but it could have gone badly if I hadn't got some sort of logical explanation and even then he was clearly in two minds about pulling me in for a closer examination (and then he might have discovered evidence of my trip to Cuba!) so it's worth bearing in mind when travelling in the United States, their immigration officials are of a somewhat higher grade than the usual minimum wage government worker.
[QUOTE=Dorman]US immigration can be (rightly) tough. I hold two passports and often travel around using whichever one is to hand. A few years back I went to the US on holiday and entered on one passport and then took a holiday in the Caribbean flying out of New York. On the way back I unthinkingly used the other passport to return to NY. The immigration officer was quite sharp and noticed there were no US entry stamps on the passport I was using yet here I was entering the US on a return ticket with no evidence of ever having come out of there in the first place.
Well it was all explained handy enough but it could have gone badly if I hadn't got some sort of logical explanation and even then he was clearly in two minds about pulling me in for a closer examination (and then he might have discovered evidence of my trip to Cuba!) so it's worth bearing in mind when travelling in the United States, their immigration officials are of a somewhat higher grade than the usual minimum wage government worker.[/QUOTE]Dorman,
Why do you have 2 US passport when you get a new one with a new number the old one is no longer good ,the new US passport now have a RFID chip in it now is all computer to check the passport ,when you return to the US they will know where you have been .
Fast eddie 48
[QUOTE=Dorman]US immigration officials are of a somewhat higher grade than the usual minimum wage government worker.[/QUOTE]
I couldn't agree more but sad to note that after the Sept 11 they have become very paranoid although I dont blame them for it is tah sake of the security of thier country! I had a friend who entire family flew 1st class from Malaysia to Tokyo then on to Florida or LA (can't remember exactly which airport) and the entire family including the little 2 year old was asked to go into a seperate room to be fully body checked including thier luggage and clothing and shoes! I remember pre Sept 11 when I arrived in LA and the officials would welcome you with a smile and ask me where I was going & made some personal recommendations as where to visit in LA! Those were the days! ;)
[QUOTE=Fast Eddie 48]Dorman,
Why do you have 2 US passport [/QUOTE]
I don't, I have a UK passport and an Irish passport.
[QUOTE=KL Guy]I couldn't agree more but sad to note that after the Sept 11 they have become very paranoid although I dont blame them for it is tah sake of the security of thier country! [/QUOTE]
I totally agree. These days I pay a little extra rather than have to change planes in the U.S. It really isn't worth the bother.