possport pages
 

I will be going to Paris, Prague and Vienna. I do not have 3 blank pages left in my passport but I do have lots of pages with only one stamp. There is not time to get more pages. Is this ok or should I cancel my vacation?

Hi S,

Hardly anyone stamps passports these days. Some folks have reported being turned down when they asked for a stamp.

If Immigration wants to stamp your passport, they can use a page that has room for it.

((I))

Just curious--where does one get extra pages. I will need some soon as passport does not expire until 2014. Do these pages just fit into the passport loose?
Thanks, Margo

Even when stamping passpots was common - and it no longer is - they often stamped more than one country on each page (there's room for 4) and I have several pages with 4 stamps, some even overlapping.

As mentioned, a new passport is not needed in Steve's case. However, something to keep in mind for some countries, such as China, a visa is required which takes up a whole page and they want to know you have an adequate number of completely blank pages before issuing the visa. How many is enough - I don't know.

For those lucky enough to fill up a passport with stamps and visas before the passport expires, you can also apply for the passport with more than the usual 24 pages.

And why do they even bother with the separate entry and departure sections given how haphazardly they are stamped?

I believe you must send the passport back to get more passport pages added - but I'm not an expert on these matters. But - some places won't let you on the plane without adequate FULL page or more for a visa (South Africa).

Steve, you will have no problems at all. Some countries will stamp your passport but not always, and none of the places you mentioned require a full page. When I flew into Paris in 2005 they only stamped my passport after I asked for a stamp. In 2002 and 2004 I flew into Switzerland. Both times I asked for a stamp they refused. Anytime you cross a border within the Schengen zone they don't even look at your passport. They might stamp it when you enter the Czech Republic, but it's a little stamp and you don't need a full page.

Hi Margo,

>where does one get extra pages.

You mail your passport to the US Passport Service Office.

((I))

Gosh, Ira, I hear that there is a huge backlog at the US Passport office and that it takes 2-3 months or more to get a passport renewal. I am hardly ever home long enough to be without my passport for that long. I guess I'll check the passport website for further instructions. Maybe because I live in the DC area, I can just walk in and get some. LOL.

I (U.S.) passport and have no problems. Oddly enough, there's one page with more than a dozen stamps on top of each other and everyone seems to want to add their stamp to that page. It happened again when I went through passport control at Orlando last week. The blank pages were ignored--the officer went straight for the overloaded page. It's like the immigration guys are in some kind of game to see how many stamps they can pack onto that one page. So don't worry about it.

My husband got extra pages added to his passport at the US Embassy in Prague.

Many post offices have passport sections, or some passport officials available at certain times. You can get the official info then. We sent in our passports, through our PO, and got more pages inserted in them when needed. ((*))

<i>My husband got extra pages added to his passport at the US Embassy in Prague.</i>

Many consular offices (but not all) can add pages on site.

One of my law partners had to cancel his post-Christmas trip out of the country (after he'd arrived at the airport!) because he did not have a single totally blank page (although there was plenty of space on many pages). I believe he was going to South Africa.

hamlet...the chinese embassy in london required 2 full free pages in my case (i learnt this the hard way recently when i only had one). but obviously not a problem for countries not requiring a visa.

just curious btilke...why was your US pp stamped in the US or am i misunderstanding something.

Steve- you won't have any problem going to Europe with less than 3 blank pages-I have always ordered the 48 page passport since I travel frequently, but I do get stamped every time I come back in the US, and also coming into Europe, but I have several pages where there are multiple entry stamps.

South Africa is a different situation, as is Asia- I would not go to these parts of the world without the requisite number of pages left remaining in the passport, but Europe is no problem in this context.

Walkinaround, it's always stamped when I go to the U.S. for a visit. The stamp just says &quot;admitted&quot;. And today, when I flew back to the UK, the passport lady again stamped that same overloaded page. 14 stamps on 1 page and counting.
Pleasant surprise at Gatwick--after exiting the plane at the very last gate in the North Terminal, finally made it down to Immigration and the line for &quot;all other passports&quot; had 4 agents and only 3 people in line. I was through in 2 minutes! Meanwhile, the UK etc passport line was about 250 people deep. Sometimes it pays to be a stranger in a strange land ;-)

Does anyone know where in London the American consulate is located. Ans whether they have a walk in office to get extra pages inserted into my passport?

The consulate is located in the embassy at Grosvenor Square in Mayfair. They used to add pages for walk-ins, but it appears their policy has changed

http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new...rts/extra.html

and they now perform the service by mail.

Thanks, Pausanias and Mucky, this is just what I wanted to know. Unfortunately, I don't have five days to wait in London. I will be in Edinburgh a few days later--I wonder if that consulate has walk in service? It doesn't say on the web link.

Sometimes it pays to be a stranger in a strange land ;-) where manpower loading isn't well-understood :))

Has anyone had a positive experience (i.e. timely) with applying for additional passport pages at the US Embassy in London since they only do it by mail now? They say to allow 5 days, but I'm starting to get a bit nervous with travel planned for Friday.

My passport has random stamps all over the place. The guys just open it to anywhere, and stamp in random places. Pretty soon, I will not have any fully blank pages. Only ones with single stamps spread out throughout the booklet. If there is going to be a rule about keeping entire pages free before embarking on certain trips, the stampers should keep them together.

Sounds like getting extra pages at the US Embassy in Prague is the way to go. I'm sure it's quicker than waiting for the agencies here to help you!!

With the exception of certain countries in Africa or Asia you don't need but a bit of clean space for a stamp. More often than not, Immigration stamps (if they do) wherever they want.

For extra pages, download the application from the US Passport site and return with passport. Best by FedEx with a prepaid return envelope. Until the recent backlog you could get this back within two-three weeks; nowadays it can take longer. You can send with extra expedite costs and hopefully have returned within 2/weeks.

If you're not traveling to some exotic destination where full pages are required, wait till the backlog slows and try then.

There is no charge to add pages which are glued in behind the current ones. When it comes time to renew, simply ask for the 48/page rather than the 26/page passport.

hamlet, I noticed in my new passport that they did away with the ole &quot;arrivals&quot; and &quot;departures&quot; - maybe they finally realized the futility??

Pages now just say <i>Visas</i> at the top of each page, with a faint vertical line to, I guess, delineate between the comings and goings. (The pages are also now all 4-color with depictions of classic US landscapes, and patriotic quotes at the top of each from the likes of JFK and FDR... An eagle and the &quot;We the People&quot; quote from the Constitution grace the page opposite my photo and details. Personally I find it all a bit much - I'd rather my tax dollars go for something more useful, say, employees to expedite the passport renewal process??)

Just a word to the wise that you should keep track of empty visa boxes on your passport - we had to argue our way into South Africa 3 days ago as my wife's passport didn't have enough boxes for the numerous stickers and stamps required of the SA authorities. They wanted to deny her admittance but we finally prevailed to have him stamp one of the &quot;amendments&quot; pages instead. Took an hour in the immigration office while our bags went round-and-round in the less than wonderfully secure bag claim area.