US citizens will need a VISA for European countries

That was a good one! Tahnks for the chuckle.

You RAT.

You had me fooled - and Mad!!

Oh, I am such a sucker - I actually BELIEVED you!

I just went to cnn.com to look for the article!

I'm such a sucker!

You fooled me -- but it isn't funny because it is too close to the way things work.The problem is that international politics has disintegrated into a tit-for-tat matter.

Very good one!!!! Because it was so believable!

I assume this is some kind of April Fool's joke but it isn't very funny in the context of this board. Not all here are experienced travelers and some will take this to heart, probably causing non-productive searches while causing undue worry.

Sorry to be a wet blanket.

The board editors should delete this.

Roberta,

Unless people don't know how to scroll down and see that it's an April Fools joke, they should get it. If they don't get it, well....maybe they deserve to do all the research....Survial of the fittest!

No need to delete it. After reading it (and believing it!!) The first thing I wanted to do was read the responses - as soon as I scrolled down I saw the "April Fool".

Maybe those who want it deleted are bent out of shape because they were "taken in" by the post?

Outrageous! I have just reported you AAFrequentFlyer to the editor's of the board who have already responded that they are blocking your account so you can no longer post here!







And that's my April Fool!

Whoosh! You had me fooled and looking for it! But as Miss sally said tit for tat...so it wouldn't be too surprising!

April Fool Day to you AAfrequentflyer..
I must say that you Fool me for awhile..

You got me too. You've built up too much credibility for me to go doubting you. Well, you used to have credibility anyway.

Very well set up. Two sangrias for that one!

Speaking of sangrias...where the heck s MaiTaiTom lately??

You're good. I called hubby and relayed the news before scrolling down all the way. You got us both.

I knew something was missing around here! It's MaiTai! Just checked and the fellow last posted 15 March. Where the heck is he? Should we be worried?

I'm walking with a limp after AAFF pulled my leg. Went for it hook, line and sinker. Very funny and well done, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. Instead of world politics it's like a world kindergarten playground!

Just for fun go to Google and type in weapons of mass destruction, then press I feel lucky. I think you will get a kick out of what happens. At least I did.

well I jotted down the info and then scrolled down!Good April Fools. I had seen the WMD site before and loved it! Now it seems even Georbe W. is playing the game. Do you suppose he will announce it's all an April Fool's joke as well?

AAFF:

Many a true word is spoken in jest.

And this has nothing to do with "childish" global politics, but a very great deal to do with measures the United States has committed itself to, with the assent of its electorate.

The US is due to require biometric passports in October from Visa Waiver countries (ie Schengen plus the UK, Japan, Oz and Ireland). No Visa Waiver country has the technology installed to reissue the relevant millions of passports - not least because the passports are illegal under EU Data Protection legislation, and we don't take kindly to changing our privacy laws at the whim of a foreign legislature.

And no US consulate has the resources to cope with a surge in visa applications.

So your DHS has now written to Congress - whose timetable is congested to death - asking for legislation to postpone biometric passports requirements yet again.

If time isn't found for that bill, the pressure in Europe - not from childish politicians, but from pissed-off voters - to impose identically unrealistic requirements on Americans will be overwhelming.

So if you don't want AAFF's April Fool to come true, get on the phone now to your Congressman to insist that time be found to postpone - or preferably kill -biometric passport implementation.

You got me! I was ready to pick up the phone and start calling people!

I think the really frigthtening part of this is that it seems completely plausible...as if people seem to sense that given all the restrictions we have proposed to people entering this country that this sort of thing is just a matter of time. Perhaps the fact that it has NOT happened should be cited when we see these rather frantic, and sometimes very self-centered posts, about "how we'll be treated in Europe."
We should probably be glad that the Europeans are as understanding as they are.

flanneruk - last time I responded to you directly, I disagreed in spades. This time I think you are spot on.
Our American friends may think it's funny but actually I DO think European countries should slap an incoming visa charge on them?

Why? To tell them that although they think they rule the world - they do not; and we don't like it and with their present government they fall into the category of citizens of an 'evil empire.

end of post.

Alice13: citizens of an evil empire? I do hope you are pulling an April Fool's joke, by stating that piece of mindless jingoism. We(Americans) are now evil? Shame on you if it is not a joke.

Thanks, AAFF. I read that and, considering the source, wondered how I could have missed your opinion on it, so I read it again. To my surprise, you didn't state an opinion and didn't ask for ours. Then the punchline! Nyuk nyuk.

It's nice to see that many of us still have a sense of humor .

I didn't and still don't want to turn this little joke into any serious discussion, but I do believe that some of the beliefs of our European friends here on Fodor are misguided.

First flanneruk, a very knowledgable and valuable Fodor contributor, but with whom I have to slightly disagree here. The deadline of October for the new passport will NOT force the entire population of UK, Schengen countries and few others to get a new passport. What the deadline requires is that ANYBODY that will need a new passport after October 26th, should get the new biometric passport. Every other person with a valid machine-readable passports will still be allowed to use them as long as the passports are valid. It is true that most countries are not ready to issue the new passports and probably won't be till mid-2005, so if this requirement stays, it will inconvinience some, but definitely NOT all.

This is a recent BBC report dealing with the subject:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3378057.stm

Now to answer some other comments. Maybe it's a surprise to some, but plans for the new biometric passports were backed by European Union as well as US and UK, and Civil Aviation Organisation. The folks that are opposing it are civil rights organisation, and to some degree I do agree with their stance(personal belief). So don't think this is forced on the world by US government only. This is a byproduct of new technology and the reality of the new world. You could agree with the notion that this will help or as some believe, it won't, but realize that other western countries are in total agreement with this idea, it's just that the technology is not in place just yet.

This is another BBC article dealing with the issue:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3582461.stm

And finally, quoting a movie line from "Stripes" as spoken by John Candy character - Lighten up, Roberta

And now back to the regular programing!

Hope most of you enjoyed the little prank!

Have a wonderful day

Let's hope that the powers that be don't decide that it's a good idea and then implement it!

Good one!

Well done, AAFF

Good one, AAFF!

You call it retaliation? Why not just call it reciprocity?
You are tightening security? Why could the EU not tighten its security standards?

Bad dog, AAFF. No biscuit.

That said, I just retired an old passport that still had a paper (glued-in) French visa on it. Took up a whole page in the passport so that all sorts of flowery language and official seals and stamps could fit. Soon all they'll have to do is save the eating utensiles one used on the incoming flight, swab them, and your DNA will be on record before your bags have been unloaded. Oh wait, they're not going to be serving food. Oh well...

I have to admit you pulled my leg. It is a bit close to reality, and I wouldn't be surprised someone came up with that after the next terrorist attack...
Congratulations.

Good show, AAFF.

I'm really confused here. How come so many people say things like "I HOPE this is an April Fool's joke" or seem to take the post seriously. Are people not able to see the giant row of faces and the big letters "Happy April Fool's Day"???

AAFF, you scared the daylights out of me, since I have an upcoming trip!! However, I laughed my butt off when I read the punch line. Thanks for your sense of humor!!

I was very relieved to see that it didn't start until June. We'll be back by then. Then I scrolled down. Ho Ho HO

Our US passports expire Jan 05. I plan to start the renewal process this June. Will we get biometric ones?

Frank Moss, deputy assistant secretary for Passport Services, presented his organisation's plans to evolve to a new, more secure "intelligent document" from today's paper-based passports at the Smart Card Alliance's Government Conference and Expo conference last week.

"Our goal is to begin production by October 26, 2004," Moss announced.

Current plans call for the new passport books to include a contactless smart chip based on the 14443 standard, with a minimum of 32 Kbytes of EEPROM storage. The chip will contain a compressed full-face image for use as a biometric. European biometric passports, by contrast, are planned to feature both retinal and fingerprint recognition biometrics on their smart cards.

You got me, AA!

So I should wait until Oct 26th? That will be too close to expiration date. Don't I need to have one with at least 6 months left on it? Not that I have plans, but you never know.
I think I will take this passport thread out of AAFF's AFJ and start a new thread.
Bye

There has always been this feeling among American officials that we are better than others when it comes to travel.

Not too many years ago, it was almost a disgrace to know that if I wanted to go off to visit my friends in London, I could call an airline and leave that night. But my British friends had to go get a visa as did almost everybody else except Canadians.

It took pulling teeth for the US to institute the visa waiver programme which in essence issues a visa at the point of entry but of course with all the paperwork involved. We can still go most places in Europe simply by showing our passports at the airport...sometimes they even look at the passports. British officials are very meticulous about stamping the passports after filling out a landing card...go to Paris for the weekend you get 2 British stamps in your passport. The French? A quickie check at Waterloo station (since 9/11 they have even begun looking at the pictures in the passport)but arriving at Gare du Nord, nobody gives a hoot.

The Polish prime minister was in Washington recently. Poland has been part of the coalition and all he wanted was Poland to be put on the list of countries which can participate in the visa waiver programme and Bush brushed him off.

Now of course we have all the hassles that have been instituted in the name of security but when other countries do the same thing (like Brazil) you hear American officials howling in despair.

So while I thought immediately the original post was an April fools post, the reality is that it really is something that could be considered if American officials go through with their plans to bar visitors without the special passports that they actually think will provide extra security (I guarantee that within 6 months sophisticated terrorists will be able to counterfeit these also).

Face it, all this added security may make many of us feel safer but the reality is that with all the money available to the subhumans pulling the garbage going on, does anybody really think these steps will have the slightest degree of effectiveness? All they will do is add one more hassle to traveling with no increase in anybody's security.

Ok folks,

One more time. European Union, UK, US and few other countries are on the same page. They ALL endorsed the NEW passports. It will be a fact of life for ALL.

The difference is, US THINKS they will be ready to issue theirs on 10/26 (knowing our government, I have doubts), and they would like all the other western countries to start issuing theirs around the same time. The others are not ready, and you kinow why? because their chips will hold more info than ours.
It's not a US telling the world, it's just a timing thing.

And all the citizens of all the countries involved will ONLY get the new one, when their old passports expire. We don't have to change our passports on 10/26, as long as they are machine-readable. Some of the old European passports are not even that, and that's the ONLY requirement the US is putting on the owners of the really OLD passports. No visa waivers for them, unless they upgrade to the machine-readable one. Once these expire, the owners will get he "new" biometric passports, not sooner. Nobody is making anybody change a perfectly good passpot till it's expired.

AAFF, I will be travelling to the UK, France, and Switzerland August 2004, and my passport expires in March 2005. I had thought about renewing it now, but after reading your info about biometric passports, I'm thinking it might be best to wait until closer to March 2005. Your opinion please.

I would wait. I would apply for a new one right after the 1st of the year. Hopefully, they will have everything figured out by then.

My is good for another 5 years, and I'm in no hurry to change it till 2009. Unfortunately I only have 2 more pages left for stamps, so I'm sure if I send it it for more pages, they will tell me to get the new one. Probably by the end of next year, if the traveling god is good to me.

AAFF
If P_M & I wait until less than 6 months before expiration (PM- March 05 & me- Jan 05) our passports will be less than 6 months to exp & we can't use them where 6mo or more are needed to go.
I know I said I would repost under different title, but it seems to be rolling along here.

lol u got me bad on this one! im studying over here and almost cried....granted i have a visa, but for france! im leaving for italy tomorrow and that would not have been cool! thanx for the laugh!

also, what is this about the US changing passports...im confused, i havent heard anything about this! obviously ive been out of the states too long...can someone enlighten me

and Alice13...b/c clearly slapping a visa on american travelers will teach us a lesson? that we dont rule the world? b/c clearly EVERY US citizen is JUST like our government or AGREES with our govt...WRONG! and Americans themselves (at least the one's that i know, and im not trying to generalize here) DONT feel that way, that we rule the world! in fact many ppl r angry with our govt, there r also those who support it, but AMERICANS and the AMERICAN GOVERNMENT r 2 completely different things and a VISA on travelers (most of whom WANT to see the world and visit new places and r not just interested in the US) isnt going to change anything....sorry for the rant, but ive been here too long and had too many things said to me along those lines in the past few weeks...just remember that b/c the govt does one thing, not all citizens agree....the govt and the citizens r different and thats one thing ive learned here about ppl in general is that in their eyes, the US and the American citizens r the same thing!

If expiration date is near, I would go ahead and renew my passport. It is doubtful that the US will have its act together begin its own program by October.

The deadline for the waiver countries has been pushed back already once, and most likely will be pushed back again. No country has the technology yet in place to produce these passports. I dont think a miracle will occur in the next 6 months.

Besides, it is not a requirement for US passport holders to travel to other countries (yet).

AAFrequentflyer, you will not receive a new passport when you add pages. I have done this twice with my current passport, most recently last month. They will simply tape a set of new pages into your passport with a seal stating where and when it was done. Took 10 minutes. No charge involved, which is much cheaper than renewing.

Queenie, you are probably right that the new passports will not be ready by October. However, I will have just under 7 months validity left when my trip ends. Will this cause a problem? If so I will renew ASAP. If not, I will hold off on the chance that I can get a biometric one before my 2005 trip.

That was one the BEST April's Fool tricks I've ever been part of!!! YOU RASCAL!! I'll admit that I FROZE as I read it!! SOOOOOO relieved!! Good fun.

OTOH, I just heard on CNN and BBCWorld that the U.S. department of Homeland Security will now require travelers from the UK, Japan, France, etc. (countries covered by the "visa waiver" rules) to be photographed and fingerprinted...the details are sketchy, no news org web site links up yet, but AAFF's imaginary scenario could possibly become real.

On a lighter note, this joke came over the email today. Now I actually believe the French are very brave, but it still made me chuckle:

French terror alert level raised
AP and UPI report that the French Government announced today France has raised its terror alert level from "run" to "hide." The only two higher levels in France are "surrender" and "collaborate."

To answer the first part of your post. The ONLY ones that will need to be fingerprinted are the ones that have the real "OLD" non-machine-readable passports. Anybody with the machine readable passport is fine.

The second part is funny

P_M,
6 months validity is all that's necessary for countries that have this requirement. You should be fine if you're traveling in August and your passport doesn't expire until next March.

FYI,

UK will except US passports that are expired, as long as it's no more than 6 months expired.

why, you little devil...good one! You got me!!

Here's what the Times reports regarding the new fingerprinting requirements -- basically everyone will now be fingerprinted:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/02/politics/02CND-TRAV.html

"Everyone" -- by that I mean non-citizens or green-card holders, of course.

"Anybody with the machine readable passport is fine."
Not true. I have a machine readable passport and I would be photographed and fingerprinted. They want "biometric" passports, even thought there is no technology ready for those (not in US either) by October.

I had to resurrect this for the occasion.

April Fools, everyone!!

Ha ha ha P_M, I forgot about this thread, and now getting ready for Europe I thought: no, can't be! Scared me for a moment!

Whew!

Good one!
Today is my husband's birthday and I always try to fool him. This was the best ever.
Thanks.