seavisionburma

Interesting thread, glad it was in the latest FT email newsletter.

re Malaysia comments from earlier on:
They do fingerprints on arrival for at least the first entry on a particular passport. To clarify, I have 3 passports, and when I enter Malaysia using one of my passports for the first time there I get fingerprinted (small optical screen, you have to place the index finger of both hands at the same time to process)
Can confirm this for airports and the land border entry points I have used (ie KL both terminals, Sadao land border with Thailand etc)

Thailand:
Photo both on entry and exit - there is a little webcam on the IO's desk, and you must stand with your feet in the marked spots in front of the counter
Applies to both air and land border points. Oh, and sea - Ranong & Phuket at least

Myanmar:
Photo on entry and exit - I have a feeling they copied the Thais as they were using the same cameras & system (I had a look while chatting with the lady IO at the counter on a recent visit, she said it was installed by a company which did the Thai system)

Hope this helps, apologies if the info is redundant

wildchartermage

I'm an US citizen and I flew into Rome, Italy few weeks ago. (remember, US is part of the visa-wavier program)

No fingerprints, photos, and other stuff taken so far if you fly into AND out of Rome and Venice airports.

http://www.planetbiometrics.com/arti...d-air-borders/

This article was written in Feb. 2015, and I am not sure if any parts of Europe are doing this now.

jpmcdonough

In Rome once we arrived at about the same time as several other wide body jets from the US. There was insufficient staff to process everyone, and the line was incredibly long, so a passport control lady stood on a table and waved us all in. No check of anything. Welcome to Italy, Americans, please spend money.

jpmcdonough

USA has no departure controls. It is up to the airline to make sure you have the right docs for where you are going but otherwise you are free to leave. I have heard that this is sometimes a problem for people visiting the USA on a visa because they can't always prove that they left when they were supposed to, and when they come back they get questioned, but as a US citizen this is only hearsay.

styxl

i can confirm Tanzania, was there one week ago..... Photo/Fingerprinted on Arrival and Departure

Brave New World

First post updated, good job people - keep the intel coming!

Was it? Seems like I didn't get this one, would you mind sending me a screenshot (via PM is fine)?

Biometrics are not asked for when entering Schengen (yet). But I have a bad feeling that if this is introduced, there's even a chance this could be waived for Americans. Most European politicians would not dare to upset their BFF America - I think it was here on FT where people reported that upon arrival immigration officers didn't even bother to open their passports, once they've recognised them as US ones and were waived through. Mind you Europeans have to give their fingerprints when applying for a passport, just because the US said this will be a requirement to become part of the US Visa Waiver Program...of course EU citizens had no chance of influencing this decision at all. All that's left is a bitter laugh about posts like this.

Himeno

The US does have departure controls. They just aren't done by CBP. The airline is meant to forward a list of outbound pax and passport/visa details to CBP when the flight departs. They also used to have to remove the departure card from the passport and send that to CBP for processing, but with the cards no longer used (at least for I-94W), it's harder for the pax to tell if the details have been sent on and thus they likely won't know if CBP thinks they are still in the US until they try to reenter.
If you saw that the card was not removed by the airline, you could sent it to CBP at an address listed on the back of the card.

seavisionburma

Talkmail 24.11.2015 newsletter by email. Will endeavour to send screenshots when I have time and am back at my normal computer.

Actually - PM me your email address and I'll forward it, might be easier

Firldeal

I was in Malaysia in October. No fingerprinting or photos were taken upon entering or leaving. Entered through Singapore by taking a train. Left through Kuala Lumpur's airport. No problems.

FlyingHoustonian

Very common in Italy, especially FCO (though they will stop non-North American passport holders and put them over in a line often enough when waiving through North Americans) ,much to the chagrin of the Germans as they often obsessively look for the entry stamp upon exit for those with non-EU passports.

Brave New World

Have you been to Malaysia before and gave your biometrics to immigration? From what I understand immigration in Malaysia stops taking your prints and photos once you've done it once or twice.

If this is not the case for you it would be indeed hit and miss, it's easy to imagine that it's not done in a train but at the airport would be strange in this case.

flyer12115

I read on the first page that China does not take fingerprints. Can someone please confirm this (Beijing and Hong Kong airports)?

However, I see a discrepancy with: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countr...ing_biometrics

Thanks!!!

Brave New World

No, they don't. In most forums, cross-posting is not allowed. Please stick to one topic to ask such a question.

seavisionburma

Not sure if particularly relevant, but this article popped up today...

Travellers to the US could be fingerprinted under new US Senate bill
Dec 3 2015

Himeno

... They already are. Everyone traveling to the US under the VWP has been fingerprinted with photos taken since the US-VISIT program started in 2004. They've made some changes as to how many fingers are needed for prints since then (just 2 fingers until 2009, then all - though the agent often didn't ask for all 10 if you'd been before and the new automated kiosks only as for 5)