Four blank passport pages required for entry?
 

Ms. birdstrike maintains that she heard of some country that requires that a US Passport have 4 blank pages before they will admit that person.

For the life of me I cannot find confirmation of this anywhere.

The only country we are visiting in the near term is Ecuador.

Has anyone seen a requirement for more than one free page? A Zimbabwe visa takes up one whole page, but four?

I've heard of countries requiring two blank facing pages, but never 4 blank pages.


I looked it up at the Ecuadorian's US embassy website and they said that the entry requirements are the following:


VISAS - Visas up to 90 days (VISITOR) - Ecuador welcomes tourists and travelers from every country. United States citizens traveling to Ecuador for tourism, business, studies do not require a visa unless they expect to stay in Ecuador for more than 90 days in one calendar year (that is, 90 days adding every entry in one year). The only travel requirements are 1) Valid passport for more than 6 months. 2) Return ticket (for air, land or sea travel) 3) Proof of economic means to support yourself during your stay in Ecuador (may be asked by Immigration authorities)

I realize that there's already precedent for threads such as this in TS/S, but they really go in TravelBuzz! So please continue the discussion over there and/or enjoy those currently in progress. :cool:


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essxjay
Travel Safety/Security moderator

Was it four pages, or four stamp areas (one full page)?

I've heard two adjoining, but never four blank pages.

She swears it was four pages, not four stamp areas. I know the Republic of Zimbabwe visa takes four stamp areas (one full page).

What countries require two adjoining?

And another, related question, the last four pages of a US passport are for "Amendments and Endorsements". Can those be used for visas?

@:-) I just thought of a possible answer from leafing through my own passport. If it were a tour company statement, rather than a single country requirement the following could be true:

2 stamp areas for the UK (coming and going)
1 page for a South African visa and stamps.
1 page for the Zimbabwe visa
1 stamp area for US immigration.

I asked her about this and she concedes that it may have been a trip requirement, rather than a country requirement, so I think the issue may be resolved.

That makes much more sense.

Many countries require 2 adjoining pages - 1 for full page visa + 1 to stamp on. South Africa is one example.

I have visited South Africa twice, 2001 and 2004, and ONE page as in 4 stamp spots were used for each trip. The paper visa sticker covered 2 stamp squares with an entry stamp and exit stamp covering the other 2 squares. One page for a completed visit not two.

Saudi Arabia, for one. India requires two pages; perhaps not necessarily adjoining.

Yes. Some countries will take the liberty of stamping these pages, although I wouldn't take a chance leaving these as the last blank pages and then seeking a visa. I wonder if anyone has experience with this?

USA Immigration does not stamp US Passports
 

Could be true - but not!

U.S. immigration has stamped my U.S. passport on every single one of my last four entries to the U.S. Just checked the passport.

My passport has stamps all over the place, including the tops and bottoms of the pages, along with multiple stamps in a single box. I never knew that some countries require open pages.. Hong Kong always stamps wherever they feel like it.

Italy too, right over the top of another stamp :(

Heading to the embassy tomorrow since I got hassled flying back in to Prague Sunday about the somewhat limited space and don't feel like getting hassled again this weekend although that will be a train crossing.

Stamps in the last three weeks: LHR, PRG (air), CR (train in, wasn't stamped out - still using old non-EU stamp), FCO in, PRG in (air)... What was it they said about the EU reducing borders? So far only waved through, Asia style by just holding up US passport, outbound in Rome.

:confused: Asia-style? Do tell...

There are no immigration / passport checks between Schengen countries. Schengen countries are Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Italy and Greece. The Czech Republic is not yet in Schengen which explains the border stamping in and out.

Where in Asia were you waved through?

Asia wave-throughs....
 

In Japan in 01-02 it was more common (Osaka Kansai) to be waived right through with the US passport. "US OK, go" was common. I think I got stamps for only half my entrances and exits. They got more strict in 05-06 when I was last there, but still rather lenient.

Gotcha on the Schengen border issues. The CR can't seem to decide what it's doing--some of the Schengen countries use the Schengen terminal at Prague Airport whereas others (notably the recent flight to FCO) do not. Same with places taking the Euro. CR is a lot better than when I was here in 03, but it still seems to be going in two directions.