R Extra Pages Needed in Passport for Visas
 

My current passport with 4 years left on it has 4 pages without stamps. I've been reading that VN, Laos and Cambodia visas take 1 page each. We will also be in Thailand. Plus I assume there is some sort of entry and exit stamp. Is this correct? Do I need to get additional pages added to my passport. Per the State dept website it takes about 2 weeks and it costs $82 to do this. Any experiences with getting additional pages?

I sent in my passport for extra pages a couple of years ago when I was down to a few pages and needed 2 for Brazil visa plus stamps.
The process was straightforward and relatively painless.
I was in a time crunch because of the timing/procedure of scheduling an appointment at the Brazilian consulate within the proper window of my trip when it was scheduled, so I paid to have the pages expedited, but normally that is not needed.

You might consider if the additional cost is worth going ahead and getting a new passport depending on your use.

Are all four pages left visa pages? There are a couple of pages at the back that say amendments and endorsements and cannot be used for visas.

All of these visas take one full page, and there are additional entry and exit stamps put on the opposite page. Really, you don't have enough space. Get the pages.

Thanks! Kathie, yes, they r visa pages, but u r right, it sounds like I need additional pages or as Kay2 suggests get a new passport now. Boy, all these fees r sure adding up!

I got my added pages at the Embassy in Bangkok. I don't recall what I had to pay.

If you are going to Cambodia,and if you obtain the visa on line, it is only stapled into your passport. You can remove it afterwards if required.

There's a one page saving for you :-)

Here's another page saved. Get a Vietnam visa that is stapled into your passport and removed when you leave VN. We got this from the Washington DC consulate. When I needed more visa pagesadded to my eight year old passport, I got a new passport. The fee for the extra pages plus the Fedex fee each eway adds up to a lot for only 4 more years left on your passport.

Shelleyk - is that the looseleaf visa?

Yes. It is.

Notes from my journal re: adding pages.

There is no cost for this. Went to the Embassy about 9. Done by about 10:30. You take a number/form and be seated until they call your number. They take your passport and you wait for it. They said it would take about one hour, but it did not take that long. Hours: 7:30 to 11:00 am and 1:00 to 2:00 pm. Busy place! Be prepared to wait!

The location is across the street from the big Am Embassy compound. Very easy to do. It just takes a bit of time out of a (busy?) schedule.

simpson, When was it that you had the extra pages put in your passport in Thailand? Last summer the policy changed regarding overseas embassies. It now costs $85 and you need to make an appointment in advance. With an appointment, completed forms and fee paid, the pages can be inserted while you wait, which hopefully just takes a few minutes.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/for...4085_2662.html

If you travel a lot you can ask for two sets of pages to be inserted. I've had it done several times. My passport looks like War and Peace.

I'll second what Kathie says about the difference between blank "visa" pages and other blank pages. Only the ones titled "visa" can be used for visas. I had a client refused entry to Indonesia because of this. (Of course, we figured out another way to resolve the problem.)

Here's are the instructions from the US Embassy in Bangkok. $82 there! Your tax dollar at work. :)

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/extra_visa_pages.html

My pages were added in November of 2009. Guess I did it at just the right time!!

"My passport looks like War and Peace."

LOL! Funny one, marmot.

I actually met a guy at the AmEmbassy when I was waiting to get my pages. His was a very thick book, and was still being used for another 4-5 years. He travelled all the time.

Thanks for all the info. Anyone know how many additional pages they give u?

takes 2 weeks and last i knew it was free....we had ours done last year

The visa inserts are 24 pages. I have three inserts in my current passport.

If you don't mind a lumpy passport you can get two inserts at the same time.

Also, when you apply for a new passport you can specify the one with the greater number of pages. I don't remember the actual page count; does 24 versus 12 sound right?

Even though it's more expensive to get the actual pages at an overseas embassy, it's less aggravation than sending your passport to Washington or a branch in the US. Plus, you keep possession of the passport, which to me is important.

Per the State Dept website, additional pages to an existing passport cost $82. I didn't know u could get a new passport with additional pages - that's worth doing. Total pages in my passport are 24 with the last 3 being Amendments & Endorsements. Interestingly Chile stapled their Visa and stamp on the very last page of the passport-not on 1 of the Visa pages.

I always get extra pages when I get my passport. It used to be that it didn't cost any more than a regular passport, but I expect it costs more now. The good old days of anything free are gone. My latest passport (which expires next year) has 48 pages - I asked for the extra pages at the time I renewed it.

Yes, back when I added pages to mine, it was free in the US, but the rules have changed.
I just paid for expedited service because of my time crunch--I wasn't paying attention as to how many pages were blank and I wasn't planning a trip to a country that needed 2 pages for visa + stamps. Then the opportunity to go to Brazil developed. I didn't want to take the chance of being turned down because there weren't enough visa pages blank.

Thanks for the advice on additional pages when I renew in 2013. I'll sort of miss the current warped and fat one with all the security stickers on the back.

Kathie, no go any more on the extra pages at passport reissue. I tried last time unsuccessfully.

I'm so sorry to hear that, NoFly. I've been getting extra pages at the time of issue for many years. It just means that a few years from now I'll have to send it back to get pages added.

this new fee is outrageous!!!

I couldn't agree with u more, rhkkmk!

NoFlyZone - did u mail your renewal in and was told no additional pages could be added? The form still asks if u want additional pages beyond the standard 27.

Yes ... yes. In fact I recall (this was 6 years ago) there was no option for additional pages. Maybe they added it back in due to overwhelming public annoyance?

I just checked that renewal form and it is dated 2010. It is certainly different that previously and so I am now sure they added the option back in. YAY!

Not to offer the option of additional pages upon renewal was not so bad when u could get the additional pages for free. But now that they charge $82 for additional pages, maybe they changed their policy so that u could get additional pages at renewal time....boy, the things u learn on travel boards!

<<<boy, the things u learn on travel boards!>>>

You're not kidding -- I never knew about additional pages at all until this!

Who'd have thunk???

I am considering going to Vietnam/Cambodia on a walking/hiking tour with Backroads this winter.

I, too, have only four pages left in my passport and at least one isn't fully "clean". They are also at the back of the book. There are two Mexico stamps in those four pages.

I didn't realize those pages couldn't have visas. Is that a certainty? I see the printing of "Amendments and Endorsements" but I didn't know what that meant/what it is for.

I had hoped to fill this passport before it expired, and considering that the other pages are full, does that mean I have filled it already because those last four empty pages are "Amendments and Endorsement" pages?

If the four empty pages are amendments and endorsements, then your passport is already full. You cannot (no question about it) use amendment and endorsement pages for visas. Get pages added, or, if it is close to renewal time, get a new passport. Also, you should know that you must have 6 months validity remaining on your passport in order to enter many Asian countries, VN and Cambodia included.

I took another look - there are only two blank spots in the entire passport (other than those pages) so at least I am good to go for France in a few weeks.

I had no idea about this, so glad I checked here.

Wow, I filled a passport!

Quick update. We mailed off our passports and renewal applications the first week of August. We requested a passport with additional pages to avoid this happening to us again. We've been away and just got back and our new passports with additional pages and the old ones were waiting in the mail. No charge for the additional pages with the renewal.
Thanks to all for your advice.

Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear I can still get a new passport with extra pages with no extra charge. I have to renew my passport in 2012.

Thanks, yes travel. I'm really glad they went back to the way that works!