They want my passport !
 

Hi guyz,<BR>1)Is it compulsory to leave your passport as a form of deposit with them when staying in hostel(HI or private)/Guesthouse/B&B.l was "forced" to do that at a hostel in Vienna and thought it's very dangerous.Would the <BR>hostels/Guesthouse in Taipei and HK require u to do that and would u comply?<BR>2)Do u normally leave your real,full name when registering<BR>at the hostels/private guesthouse?Why should/shouldn't l do it?What are the pros and cons?<BR>Cheers

It used to be standard procedure in most European countries, but I'm not sure that's true anymore. I can remember leaving my passport at the desk so the clerk could record the information for their records, but I must have gotten it back in order to cash my travelers checks. Certainly never was requested of me in either Taipei or HK.<BR><BR>Why would you NOT give your real name when registering at any sort of hotel? I think legally you are probably required to, but laws may differ in different countries. But as a foreigner, why take the chance of breaking the law?

I am really, really trying hard to remember, and the only time I remember needing to leave my passport was in Russia (but I can't be certain, and while I have stayed in some budget hotels in Thailand, Philippines, and Cambodia, never a guesthouse).<BR><BR>I STRONGLY recommend you use your real name. In the event of an emergency, the American consulate (and I assume it's the same for most other countries) call hostels, hotels, guesthouses, etc. and that may be the only way to track you down.

In Europe, hotels require your passport in order to register you with the local police force. It's common to leave your passport for at least the first few hours after checking in.<BR><BR>ALWAYS use your real name, it's a recipe for disaster otherwise!

Rarely have I been asked to leave my passport for more then few hours.Here's a tip that's worked for me so far, I take my old expired passport with me when I travel and leave that when asked for hotel purposes or a rental deposit.

In Hong Kong everyone should carry their I.D. or passport at all time. No one should keep/hold your passport, it is illegal in Hong Kong.