Another option. Carry your old expired passport.
[QUOTE=Vegas Jeff; 1410107]I carry a laminated copy of my passport, front and back, in my wallet. The front side is the page with the picture and the back side is the page with the entry stamp. It is important to have it shrunk down to a size that fits in your wallet. This process takes 5 minutes and cost $1 at any place that makes copies.
Police, strip clubs, etc respect this as identification. Even if you have an expired one, from a previous trip, the authorities are impressed by this shiny, miniature passport and never look at the detail on the back.
This idea was given to me by a friend with extensive international travel and I have used it for 10 years without incident. I hope this helps some of you guys.[/QUOTE]I recently read a book about an American woman who bicycled for several years through Russia, China, and Vietnam. In those countries, everyone stopped her for identification. When she was at immigration border check points, she would present her current US Passport to officials. At other times, she kept her current passport locked away at her hotel or hidden away under layers of clothes while riding her bicycle. For random identification checks, she always carried her expired US Passport and presented this to whomever asked for her identification. Apparently, the hole punched in her expired passport or the fact that it was passed its expiration date never raised any concerns. Since they weren't immigration officials, all they cared about was knowing her identification via an official document (passport).
I decided to do the same thing (carry my expired passport, but separately from my current passport) whenever I travel. When I was riding the buses between cities in Ecuador and Peru, at security checkpoints, I always presented my expired US Passport. The solider or policeman would just look at my passport photo to see if it matched me.
According to the US State Department website, it is a good idea to keep your expired passport in a safe place as it is considered proof of your USA citizenship. If you lose your current passport, your expired one will help expedite a replacement especially if you're overseas.
I never thought of doing that.
[QUOTE=Yujin;1412569]At other times, she kept her current passport locked away at her hotel or hidden away under layers of clothes while riding her bicycle. For random identification checks, she always carried her expired US Passport and presented this to whomever asked for her identification. Apparently, the hole punched in her expired passport or the fact that it was passed its expiration date never raised any concerns. Since they weren't immigration officials, all they cared about was knowing her identification via an official document (passport).[/QUOTE]Thank you for an excellent advice / idea.
Cheers.
Getting US dollars and Medellin!
Can anyone tell me where I can find ATM dispensing US dollars in Medellin?
There used to be a Citibank ATM around or sometimes inside "Exito" supermarkets but not anymore.