Jay1

Ok for India I investigated a little more and it seems like with a VOA (visa on arrival) you do need to get fingerprinted and fotos. If you get there with a normal visa you dont have to do fingerprints. Can anyone confirm if this is true??

TWA884

A recent question about countries that ban entry by people with US criminal record was moved to a new thread:
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

Kiwi Flyer

South Korea - fingerprints yes on entry, no for transit, no iris scan for entry or transit, no opt-out.

Sves

Thanks for useful thread. I think better to include specific POE rather than whole countries. Some updates:

1. Australia takes fingerprints for visa applications from 18 November 2018. Not for all visa types, but most popular short-term 600 and 771 covered.
2. Argentina collects fingerprints and photo at main entry points like EZE, AEP, FDO (?), COR, Buquebus & Colonia Express sea terminals in Buenos Aires (since approx. 19 April 2012). However, nothing was taken in Colonia del Sacramento - Puerto Madero (Buenos Aires) ferry in April 2018 as immigration for ferry is carried out on departure in Colonia (as usual). Also nothing collected on land border in Puerto Iguazú & Posadas (July 2018). I'm pretty sure no biometric collection will happen in less known international airport like USH & FTE.
3. Canada takes fingerprints for all visa applications from late 2018.
4. Lebanon in BEY has fingerprint readers, but nothing was used even for people with Syrian passports.
5. Paraguay sometimes (1 of 6 times) takes photo on exit in Ciudad del Este land border. Nothing was in Encarnación. July 2018.
6. Russia collects fingerprints (as a pilot project) for visa applications in selected locations: UK, Denmark, Namibia, Myanmar and... VKO. Also from UK citizens anywhere due to reciprocity.
7. Schengen counties now use mandatory ten fingerprints (VIS biometrics) for short-stay visa applications worldwide (from late 2015), one of the last region for VIS rollout was Russia (where 2/3 of all schengen visas are issued). These fingerprint readers on borders are used to compare information stored in VIS (not at every POE, depends on country). This may include non-EU visa-free passport holders on ETIAS rollout in 2020-22.
8. United Kingdom collects fingerprints for all visa applications from a long time ago.
9. Uruguay collects nothing on arrival via land border Chuy (Brazil) and on departure by ferry in Colonia. April 2018.

est-gratuite

2019 status:

South Korea & Japan (when entering the country as a tourist with no visa) collect electronic fingerprints of 1 finger from each hand (usually index finger) and take a photo of your face . This is ON ARRIVAL ONLY in the airports. No idea about people arriving by sea.

cargueiro

Angola takes photo when entering and leaving by air and land. It does not yet take fingerprint (last travelled to Angola in September 2018).

When exiting Angola by road though in August 2018, the immigration official was quite happy to take photo of my elderly passenger's passport photo when I visited passport control with mine and her's passports so said elderly passenger did not have to climb out of a 4x4. Angolans can be rather charming sometimes!

TWA884

Photo and thumbprint taken at both entry and exit at EZE in early January.

travelingjoe

Hello Everyone. There's been so much information shared about various countries and its appreciated. There's also been a lot mentioned about Brazil and their US-citizen only policies; however, is there any specific consensus on whether GIG or GRU does any kind of fingerprinting or photographing at this present time (early 2019)?

To clarify the nature of my inquiry: In the thread, I've read that the US-only photographing and fingerprinting ended, but has that been replaced by a broader all pax fingerprinting/photographing program?

Thanks a bunch,

FINGERPRINTING AND PHOTOS IN EUROPE

One more question: it's been a couple of years since I traveled to the Euro countries but there was no kind of photographing / fingerprinting going on (at least for US nationals). That's not scheduled to begin until 2020/2022 - right ? - or have some pax experienced being fingerprinted or photographed at places like CDG, FRA, BLN, AMS, etc. [I think I read somewhere that Spain already has something in place...so I won't be flying into there!]

schrodingerdog

Every point of entry to the Schengen Area should have fingerprint readers pretty soon. For sure the big ones already have them (and I can confirm you that MAD in Spain has). For the moment they are going to be used only for checking visa holders (if you apply for any type of Schengen visa, they will collect your fingerprints, and at the PoE they will check that your fingerprints match the ones provided). If you have a passport that allows you to travel to the Schengen area visa-free, you will not be fingerprinted (for now).

Sves

Do they take fingerprints on departure if they were not captured on entry via another PoE?

1. Argentina, March 2019. Fray Bentos (land border with Uruguay, entry) and Paso de los Libres (land border with Brazil, exit) — no biometrics collected.
   Puerto Iguazú, May 2019 — the same. There is an ongoing installation of automatic gates (maybe for Mersocur citizens).
2. Uruguay, March 2019. Chui (land border with Brazil) — no biometrics and even no need to show up in front of Immigration (almost everyone could stay inside a bus). Exit checks in Fray Bentos are carried out by Argentine Immigration (AR entry stamp also means exit from UY, , i.e. swapping passport is not possible).
3. Malaysia, recent years. Numerous acquaintances report that fingerprinting (2 index fingers) universally applied air & land borders at least at first entry, subsequent entries on the same passport could happen without taking biometrics.

Even that is not enforced in 100% cases, largely depends on Schengen Member State.

kytropicals

Haven't seen any new post here recently.
Was wondering if anyone had any info on South Pacific Island Nations. Like Fiji, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Tonga, .....

Bandicoot

Not sure about that. They have the fingerprint scanners at every immigration counter, not just at the e-visa counters, and I believe they do take fingerprints from people on most kinds of visas. I can only confirm that they do not take fingerprints for those holding OCI / PIO visas.

Everyone (any kind of visa) is photographed.

Davvidd

Thailand does take it now on arrival. Well most of the time unless either the system is down or there is an enormous queue.

Remember

Hello FT Friends!

Any data points on Turkey (Antalya Airport specifically, but I'm sure it's the same across all the airports)?

Also the very useful image from the first post seems to have expired. Any way anybody has a backup?

xobile

I have an OCI and was fingerprinted at my latest entry into India. I only visit once in a year or two, and this is the first time that I can recall that I was fingerprinted, though my memory is hazy and it certainly could have happened before. I looked into it and it seems that India requires OCI applicants to be fingerprinted once in five years, which I'm fine with.

https://indianembassy-moscow.gov.in/...applicants.php

"Biometrics once captured would be valid for next 5 years from the date of enrolment and applicants would not be required to be enrolled again within 5 years. "