volcanogirl

Hi, guys! When you're in CR, do you really carry your passport with you at all times? We always just leave ours in the hotel room safe. Do you guys carry a copy, or the real thing?
Happy travels!

cmerrell

Hi VG,

I've done it both ways and am not sure which way is really the best. Last time in CR, I typically left the original in the safe and kept the copy on me.

In Peru last month I ended up doing the opposite; the original was always in the money belt, and the copy was in the room safe.

So basically, I'm no help at all! The bottom line is that having a copy is considered a good idea! ;-)

hipvirgochick

I carry a copy. I've also copied and e-mailed myself a copy of my passport and various other documents/information in case I really lose everything I can access that info via internet...unless I'm in jail I guess. Hope that never happens!

Eressea

vgirl,

Depends. When I felt comfortable with either the safe in my room or the one at the front desk AND the place I'm exploring that day is any combination of wet/muddy/slippery/in the canopy, I carried the copy. When I explored on (dry and level) land as in Cartago or Poas Volcano, I generally took the real thing.

But I also took along a Pelican case and a small dry bag to keep the essentials dry whenever I went rafting.

Like hipvirgochick, I've also scanned all my travel docs and emailed them to myself as an added precaution. Barring any uncommon and unfortunate incidents - like jail (hope that never happens to anyone of us) - I usually felt better having the real thing on me but that's a personal comfort level call.

I guess another question would be is how likely is it for a tourist in CR to be stopped and asked to show their passport by a legitimate police officer? And would a copy do in such a case?

qwovadis

more US passports street value 3-5K

are stolen in CR than any other country according to US DOS

room safes are sometimes not safe even in upscale hotels

because there is a general combo for manager big temptation

keep it in my money belt on my person with my cash

have never had a problem that way...

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Legally, you are required to carry ID with you at all times, just as a Costa Rican citizen is required to do. A photocopy of the ID page of your passport and the page that has your current entry stamp (don't forget that one) satisfies that requirement if you don't want to carry the passport itself. Not having ID if you are stopped by the police is a big problem. Every once in awhile, they get on this kick where they decide to check all the foreigners they see. They'll go into some restaurant or bar in a beach town that's frequented by foreigners and ask to see everybody's documents.

I mentioned this in another discussion: The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica replaces more stolen passports each year than any other U.S. embassy or consulate in the world. Yet another good reason to lock away the original and carry a photocopy with you.

tully

Ok jeff I guess I have done illegal things I never carry my copy or the real thing with me unless I am changing locations. This coming trip I'm renting a car but will still only carry the copy with me. Curious - are immigrations usually okay with stamping your passport and the copy?

hipvirgochick

I got yelled at once at a checkpoint (police with machine guns) and they were not happy that I didn't have a copy of my passport. My taxi driver was able to talk it through. However, I was also told never to carry my original...I guess it depends on who you're asking.

Eressea

Jeff - thanks for weighing in.

So, apart from the moneybelt, is there another way to carry your passport with you when your room doesn't have a safe and you're somewhat uneasy about the front desk safe? I tend to believe that it's safer for me to carry it but then I would kick myself repeatedly if I got pickpocketed or something.

How can you ensure your room safe or front desk safe is truly secure?

hip - did you have your passport on you when the machine gun toting police stopped you?

volcanogirl

Holy cow, hip - that would have freaked me out.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Next time you arrive in Costa Rica, notice as you come up to the passport windows in the airport. They have signs there telling you it's okay to carry a copy of your passport when you're out and about, and that they recommend keeping the original locked in a hotel safe.

Would they stamp the photocopy, tully? That's a good question. I never thought of that. It wouldn't hurt to ask. It sounds like a good idea. Always carry ID, original or copy, though. Honest. It's a problem if you're caught without, as hipvirgochick found out, and as someone I know who was taken to the local police station found out.

volcanogirl

Thanks for all this information. Does anyone know how many days you have to have left on your passport to enter the country? I know some countries require you to have x number of days and it can't be any closer to that expiration.

Pat_Hewitt

You passport has to be valid for 180 days from your arrival date. That is the longest you can stay in the country without a visa.

A similar discussion is going on in a thread from this morning regarding "Driving and Bribing". The following is a paste up of what I posted there:

A copy is sufficient, in most circumstances.

But if a police officer suspects that you may be in the country illegally, or that the copy is forged, they can require you to produce the original. My guess is that they would take you to your hotel, if they felt the situation required the official document.

How can you refuse a policeman that wants to see an official ID? You are an obvious foreigner in his country.

Other than traffic stops, I have been asked to produce my passport only once. I was in a hotel restaurant in Quepos, where I was a frequent guest. I walked in and knew the staff, and chatted about a new baby, a recent birthday, etc.

A guy was eating at one of the tables, and he got up and showed me a badge and ID. He was an immigrations officer, and noticed that I knew a lot of people. He wanted to know my status. He was very polite and friendly, it was not confrontational. But he wanted to see my original, with the entrance stamp.

My guess is that he would not have asked me if I had been a tourist with no local connections.

Also, we always email our scans of our passports to ourselves. Anything can happen. It is nice to know that I can go to any Internet cafe, and download a good copy of my passport.

Hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer any more advice.

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
Travel Professional

hipvirgochick

Jeff -- No, I did not have my original passport. I had nothing. It was my first trip to CR and first stop and I totally spaced. This was at a check-point on our way from Puerto Viejo to the Sloth Rescue Center. I learned my lesson!

vgirl -- It was a little scary because the taxi driver and the police were talking back and forth in Spanish and staring at us in the car with crazy looks on their faces! I was pretty calm about it, but my friend, who DOES NOT TRAVEL (who I convinced to join me for part of the trip) was so freaked out!

volcanogirl

Well, I guess that's a good lesson for all of us too. I really only thought they would stop you if you were driving, not if you were in a taxi. Off to make copies of our passports... Glad you didn't get thrown in jail, hip and thanks for the info, Pat!

Jeff_Costa_Rica

The police checkpoint just north of Cahuita is a must for having ID, no matter what your mode of transport. I've passed through there on the public bus too. The police either board and pass through looking at passports, or make everybody get off and search the bus ... and look at everybody's ID before they can get back on. I do know people who have been taken to the police station in Cahuita for not having ID and were kept there until someone could retrieve their passports.

Pat, U.S. and Canadian citizens can stay only 90 days without a visa. Oddly, the passport has to be valid a minimum of only 30 days upon entry, according to the Costa Rican Embassy's website. If your passport expires in 30 days, you'd have to leave before it expires. You're not going to get the full 90 days in that situation. I'm not sure all airlines know about the 30-day-validity rule though, because I've seen people denied boarding passes for flights to Costa Rica at airport check-in over this issue. Bottom line, if your passport is getting that low on time, get a new one.

I think we all know that law enforcement in Costa Rica is pretty lax, but every once in awhile, the police get on this kick where they swing the other way to make up for it and decide to do, maybe, a sweep of all the restaurants and bars in Tamarindo or Puerto Viejo or something. If you're caught without your passport or copy in these situations, it's trouble.

txgirl09

Good idea about trying to get your copy stamped, as well as your actual passport upon entry. Previously read that you should get it copied at your hotel to carry with you. We are leaving for CR this weekend, I'll try the stamp-the-copy plan and report back on any crazy looks. My spanish is limited but loco I entiendo.

tully

Thanks all for great info.

txgirl I will try too in 2 weeks, we'll see how it turns out.

Pat_Hewitt

Thanks for the new info Jeff. That is the first I have heard about the 30 / 90 day thing. I went to the embassy web site, and there it was. I wonder when this changed, and if the folks at airport immigration know!

This has to be a recent change. When we were flying home in December, immigration agents were placing a young couple on our plane. They had just arrived, and did not speak Spanish. They did not realize that they were being denied entry until the gate agent explained it to them.

I felt really bad for them. They appeared to be a nice couple. They were well dressed and seemed pretty bright. Needless to say, they were quite upset when they learned their situation. Their passports were valid, but his expired in just a couple of months.

I don't know whatever happened to them. They did not get on our flight. Hopefully, they got to stay.

Regarding getting the copy stamped. We have tried this both in Liberia and San Jose, and the official refused both times. But it would make sense, wouldn't it? Let us know if they do this for you.

Warm Regards,

Pat Hewitt
Travel professional

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Getting to stay for 90 days has been in effect for years. I know many people who are "perpetual tourists." They stay for just under three months, leave for three days (to Nicaragua or Panama), come back to Costa Rica and get another 90 days. Costa Rican immigration frowns on people effectively living in Costa Rica that way.

The 30-day validity for your passport took effect, I think, about a year ago. It used to be six months. If that man still had two months left, and this was December, he should have been allowed to stay.

So many countries have six-month rules for remaining validity on passports that it's not worth it to cut things any closer.