Carry your passport with you when in Holland
 

A new national identity law in NL requires that you have an ID with you. As far as non-Dutch and non-EU citizens goes, that means your passport. A copy is not acceptable. See further info at:
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...ou+prove+it%3F

The article does not talk about visitors. It seems to talk about people living there.

I'm not sure I would want to carry my passport on me while walking anyplace. I generally like to leave it in the hotel, and carry a copy.

I hope this will be clarified soon.

Very interesting info. I'm wondering about the visitor issue, as well. What about Dutch EU passport holders who don't reside in the country? I would assume whether or not you hold a Dutch passport would be irrelevant if you are just a visitor?

The same is true for Belgium; you have to be able to show ID when asked, wether you are Belgian or not.

"The article does not talk about visitors. It seems to talk about people living there."

It doesn't?

Then what part of the words "everyone over the age of 14 will be reqiired to carry identification" am I not understanding?

This is pretty typical. We must have our passport or residence permit with us at all times in Slovenia. I had a friend who was arrested b/c she didn't have it. Of course, it was an abuse of power and she was Jordanian.

It was the same way in Switzerland.

Cheers,
Jan

Jan, We in Belgium must also have our ID with us whenever we leave our house. Even children, from age 12!

Not even Eurozone civil authoritoes would be so dumb as to create a law requiring everyone to carry ID and then exempt foreigners.

It's dead easy. If you're walking round Holland, you must carry ID - either an ID card for most people, or a passport if you come from a country that doesn't belong to Europe's conventions on mutual ID card recognition.

Now whether the Dutch police will react in quite the same way to a white Englishman or Australian who's left their passport in the hotel as they will to a possibly illegal Moroccan immigrant with the same excuse remains to be seen.

But Europe's more civilised countries have a nasty habit of ostentatiously being seen to be non-racist these days. And I've no intention of finding out the hard way.

Jed's likes or dislikes in this matter are quite irrelevant. If Jed wants to stay out of a Dutch police station, he'd better learn to obey his host country's laws.

Most continental European countries seem to have this law on the books. It would be nice, though, if they prominently displayed such a notice at the train station or airport so that everyone knew this.

In theory, there could be a slight problem when you have to submit your passport to the hotel (like in Italy) and then they take your time returning it to you. In theory, you could then be held in the hotel until they give it back if you want to follow this strictly. But I didn't have a problem, as they always gave the passport back to me when I was ready to go out again.

I am also curious of the legal situation if you are in one of these Eurozone countries and your passport is stolen (or even lost). What legal penalties could you suffer in the intervening time it takes you to get the new passport?

This is fascinating. In the many, many, many hours I have spent reading messages on this message board, and in the many, many, many guide books I have read in the past several years, I have somehow managed to miss this requirement. If it is true that most of continental Europe requires one to carry a passport, I must have been violating the law in several countries. I feel extremely fortunate never to have been challenged on this. I always assumed it was all right to leave my passport in the hotel or apartment. I am really curious about whether this is a requirement in France, where I am headed next, or in Greece, where I am headed after that. Or in Italy, Denmark, or the UK (and yes, I know this isn't on the continent), where I traveled last year.

Someone posted a few weeks ago about her significant other having a problem when he didn't have his passport in Paris, and had inadvertently paid too little fare on the metro. He was going to be arrested for the lack of passport, but they finally let him go. Maybe you could find that post.

There's actually a practical reason for not exempting foreign nationals from such a requirement. If they were exempted, any domestic national stopped without official ID could simply claim to be a foreign national. And in the absence of an official ID, how could this be proven or disproven on the spot?

This is an interesting thread.

Regarding Italy. I have often had hotels keep my passport until the next morning as they fill out the report for the local PD late at night.

Also, I would imagine that a good percent of us are breaking the law when in Europe as it seems to me when there have been discussions here regarding what one should carry around with them during their sightseeing etc. most travelers here have responded by saying that they carry a photocopy of the passport with them.

I sure do not know, but would imagine that a traveler who is not making a big problem but was asked for the ID or passport and then produced a photocopy of their passport along with the information the original was at the safe at the hotel would probably not have a problem.

However, if such a law is on the books in all of Europe then of course the Police would have an "excuse" to maybe drag one down to the police department. That would sure be a side sighseeing tour non of us would want ::)

When I am in Italy with my Italian friends they always safekeep my original passport for me (I always have a photocopy with me). They are business people etc. Good upstanding citizens LOL. Maybe Italy's laws are different than the NL?

I don't understand why some responses are nasty and cynical when they are uncalled for. Civility, where are you when we need you?

Perhaps those who don't like to carry their passports are feeling a bit 'tetchy' about it..?

What I find most interesting about this conversation is that hotels in Italy hold your passport overnight. I have not been to Europe for almost 4-years now but I never had a hotel hold my passport longer that the time it took to register and get a key. Is this something new to Europe or just in Italy (holding passport)?

How interesting! I lived in the communist former Soviet Union for 37 years, and can't recall a single day when I'd be required to carry a passport with me! This was the only form of ID for adults over 16.

Of course there were instances when a passport was required, like starting a new job, moving into a new apartment - so it would get stamped. But to carry it around? Ahhh, the possibility of even more control over the general population missed by the regime!

I'm stunned by some of these answers.
For 15 years, I've been taking trips to Europe. It has never even entered my mind that I should carry a copy of the passport and leave the original at the hotel. Yes, occasionally the hotel wants to retain the passport for a little while. But they return it promptly. Also, on the overnight train, the conductor will retain the passport. But these are the only two instances when I am without it.
That little booklet is just too essential to leave my hands for long whether or not there is a law. It is always with me in a hidden place.

The article doesn't talk about visitors, it is written for expats and residents, so you can't excerpt certain phrases from it and say it applies to other populations.

Now I expect it does refer to foreigners, of course, because it says the point is that police may ask for ID for crimes and such things. If you don't have your passport and you are doing something questionable or illegal, they can put you in the pokey until you can prove your identity. That doesn't seem so unusual for me.

I don't always carry my passport with me, and I have used my driver's license for ID when asked in France. It is an official govt. ID with photo and it was always accepted. I wasn't arrested or being questioned by police, however.

I don't think this is that big a deal given it mainly applies to those doing something questionable and even then, that article says it is unlikely someone would be fined for not having their passport on them if they could produce it--unless they really were trying to get them for something else.

WillTravel, I remember that thread, but I thought the fellow was subject to arrest because he didn't have the money to pay the fine when he got off the metro or RER without a ticket for the proper zone. It was then that they asked for his passport. That did make me think about carrying a passport, but only because it would help out in a scrape. If it is actually legally required, I would like to know that.

Same experience in Austria 'tho we look Bavarian, are 60 something and speak German.
M

when i was Amsterdam, they held my passport at my hotel until checkout. So, im not sure how that would work..wouldn't a drivers license work fine?

I carry my passport with me at all times when I travel, under my clothes..I always thought that it is a must when travelling, just in case of an emergency and you have to evacuate..Or just because you don't want to leave it with anyone..I carry my passport on me and a copy in my suitcase....

Not every hotel in Italy hold your passport overnight.
Usually when I check in the desk clerk asks to see my passport to fill the police report, however, he/she always gave it back to me right away..

Hello gentle readers. Since it seems that some posts are directed to me let me restate what I posted.

I said "I have often had hotels keep my passport until the next morning as they fill out the report for the local PD late at night".

Did I say ALL hotels. No I did not.

I said "often".

And yes, often I have had this happen.

Why? Probably because I am in very small towns not the three touritst centers (Rome, Florence and Venice).

I am talking out of the way small towns where Americans are not usually visiting.

No doubt the employees of these small towns are not as sophisticated as the employees of the large cities.

If I sound crabby my apologies. But it is because as of late it seems to me so many posters want to argue and debate about others experiences. It, IMHO, gets so tiresome.

Maybe a lot of people are tired from the holidays. Or upset about all the bad news in the world. Or credit card bills too high due to holiday purchases. I sincerely do not know.
But wish that one could post their personal experience without having a disagrement about it.

To all of you I wish a beautiful 2005 with wonderful journeys. And may we all be respectful and just enjoy learning from each other. I know for sure I sure have learned a lot from a lot of Fodorites. Peace. ((*))

I don't have a problem keeping my passport on my person, I usually do. I'm old fashioned and still use travelers cheques and need it to cash them. Also, you need a passport for other things like validate rail passes, etc.

What I have a problem with is the idea that a railroad conductor or hotel clerk might want to hold it for any period of time, I don't let it out of my sight.

<<Regarding Italy. I have often had hotels keep my passport until the next morning as they fill out the report for the local PD late at night.>>
Either they assume that you won't go out at night (and if you do, you have the right to claim your passport!) or that you have another piece of identity, like a driver's licence.

If you're a law-abiding tourist, it is unlikely that your passport will be asked on the street. It is also unlikely that they will throw you in prison for it. It's not impossible though; I've had friends who were held in jail overnight because they couldn't produce ID in Belgium, but this was late at night, many years ago, and they did have a lot to drink.

It is also a requirement that you have your original car registration papers with you when you drive. I'm not very comfortable with that, since a car of mine was stolen, and it makes it easier for the thieves to sell it. I once showed police a copy of the documents, and they asked that I go to the police station next day to show the originals.

And not knowing the law doesn't exempt you! On my first trip to the US I was amazed that I had to be 21 to drink alcohol. No-one points this out to you either!

Christina, in Belgium, at least, everyone--and that means tourists too--is supposed to carry their original passport or Belgian identity cards (which tourists wouldn't have). In Belgium, the law is not new, it's been around for some time, but perhaps was not enforced with "ordinary" tourists. It doesn't mean the law wasn't there.
I have heard of some tourists getting detained for producing copies.
The problem now is that with Photoshop etc. it's pretty easy to carry a copy of something that looks real but could have fake information on it. Somebody could take my passport and in the copy, put their own photo on it. An official looking at the photocopy would not be able to tell that it was a phony. Hence the ever more strictly enforced requirement to carry the original.

The situation in Germany is similar: everybody has to carry an ID and the police has the right to take you to a police station to determine your identity if you haven't got an ID.

But: in 34 years, I have been asked exactly once by the police to show an ID and that had to do with alcohol and the question whether I was under-age at that time.

Furthermore, it isn't a crime not to carry an ID but a misdemeanour which carries a fine of 10 Euro or so.

If you don't want to carry a passport, take the driver license instead. As long as there isn't a very special situation, it's fully sufficient to establish the ID (if it has a photo on it of course).

Hans' post made me think ... my driver's licence has a photo BUT the photo is more than 30 years old (Belgian driver's licences remain valid forever) and the person on the picture doesn't look like me at all.
I should do a little test next time a police officer asks for my ID. ;)

It was my post about almost being arrested: no money or passport. He was on the RER and his Carte Orange pass was not valid. The fine was 28E and he did not have enough on him - or his passport. I think it was the money not the passport. The Metro Police let him go because the gendarmes (sp?) didn't come to get him.

You must carry your passport (which must be registered) and visa with you at all times in Russia, and the police do stop people at random and ask to see them. So just having to have the passport with you at all times doesn't seem so bad to me.

Just a question? hopscotch post of 1-10-05 states "As far as non-Dutch and non-EUcitizens goes, that means your passport. A copy is not acceptable.

I do not believe a citizen of the EU needs to carry a passport on their person when in the NL. And I.D. card yes, but their passport?

LoveItaly, I think you're right. Anyway, in Belgium we have to carry an ID but a passport is only needed for travel outside Europe (mainly). People who don't travel don't have a passport but every citizen has an identity card (that looks like a credit card).

Wouldn't Brits have to carry their passport? They may be in the EU, but they don't have national identity cards.

BTilke; yes, they would have to carry their passports. A friend of mine couldn't even rent a go-cart on the boulevard in Knokke without it. She had her driver's license, but that didn't have a picture on it, so wasn't acceptable.