Passport or birth certificate.....

[SimplyMarvie]

You guys basically got it in one -- I'm an expat living outside of my passport country, in another country on a long-term residence visa and so I don't have a 'normal' National ID. The ID that I do have based on my visa status isn't widely used here, so no one recognizes it and the number on it has the wrong number of digits to go through the host country's computer systems as an ID. You need a national ID to do just about everything here, so it's a problem.

 

My passport both has my visa (which proves I have legal status to be here) and has an acceptable number of digits to be entered into an ID field in most computer systems, which needs to happen every time I spend a large (more than about $80) amount of money, get gas, get my car fixed, make a reservation for something, go to the doctor, pick up a library book, and do a whole bunch of other normal day to day things. So I carry it with me to facilitate day-to-day life.

 

[SRF]

On 3/9/2019 at 1:11 PM, SantaFeFan said:

 

I call it like I see it. The poster I referenced is divisive and combative, and insults people by replying directly to their posts and accusing them of being fearful, dependent and timid. 

 

Besides, I did not name any names. Did you think I was talking about you? 🙂

 

When did I insult someone and accuse anyone of being fearful, dependent and timid?

 

I just point out, that things are not as absolute as you keep saying.  If you want to keep telling people that something will ALWAYS happen, go for it.

 

Remember, there are only two things GUARANTEED in life.  Death and taxes.  

[SantaFeFan]

24 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

When did I insult someone and accuse anyone of being fearful, dependent and timid?

 

I just point out, that things are not as absolute as you keep saying.  If you want to keep telling people that something will ALWAYS happen, go for it.

 

Remember, there are only two things GUARANTEED in life.  Death and taxes.  

 

I never said who the poster was. Never named him/her, so I never said it was (or wasn't) you. Are you feeling so guilty that you think my comment was about you?🙂  There may be more than one person on these forums who make the "no guarantee" and "people who rely on others are weak" comments. 😉

 

I stand behind my belief that the cruise lines will do as they promise. Just like they promise to safely prepare the food they serve us, or to navigate the ship safely, or to not loose my luggage before and after the cruise. I don't selectively trust some things and not others. If I didn't trust them to do as they promise, I wouldn't risk cruising with them.

 

But, agreed, there is no guarantee that they will retrieve a passport every time. Just as there is no guarantee that a person won't loss control of their passport no matter how carefully they protect it when the carry it on their person. I just consider the odds, and make a decision on what those odds tell me is the best approach. And that is why I leave my passport in my safe - just like I was told by my company's travel department when I had to go overseas for work assignments. And that advice was based on what the US Government was recommending at the time, which was to leave them in the safe. I haven't yet heard a compelling argument to change my ways.

 

All this discussion may become a moot point if the EU expands their visa requirements which begin in 2021. There has been some talk that US citizens may be required to carry passports at all times. Currently that is not a requirement, but supposedly the discussion is happening with relevant EU officials. We shall have to wait and see what future decisions will be made. 

Edited March 11, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[SRF]

18 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

All this discussion may become a moot point if the EU expands their visa requirements which begin in 2021. There has been some talk that US citizens may be required to carry passports at all times. Currently that is not a requirement, but supposedly the discussion is happening with relevant EU officials. We shall have to wait and see what future decisions will be made. 

 

Technically, Americans SHOULD carry their passports at all times in most countries.

 

Most countries have laws requiring either a passport or a national ID card to be carried at all times by EVERYONE.  It is just the most Americans do not know this.

[SantaFeFan]

3 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Technically, Americans SHOULD carry their passports at all times in most countries.

 

Most countries have laws requiring either a passport or a national ID card to be carried at all times by EVERYONE.  It is just the most Americans do not know this.

 

Actually, you are wrong. Many countries, especially most economically developed countries including Austria, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and even the US, do not have such requirements. Most of the countries that do are third world, Middle East, South American, ex-Communist, or Asian countries - e.g: countries with restrictive human rights policies. 

 

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_identity_card_policies_by_country#Countries_with_non-compulsory_identity_cards

Edited March 12, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[sparks1093]

19 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Technically, Americans SHOULD carry their passports at all times in most countries.

 

Most countries have laws requiring either a passport or a national ID card to be carried at all times by EVERYONE.  It is just the most Americans do not know this.

If they do not know it then it's self-imposed ignorance. I do a lot of research when traveling to a country that I haven't been to (or haven't been to in a while) and this is one of the things that I look for.

[SRF]

21 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

Actually, you are wrong. Many countries, especially most economically developed countries including Austria, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and even the US, do not have such requirements. Most of the countries that do are third world, Middle East, South American, ex-Communist, or Asian countries - e.g: countries with restrictive human rights policies. 

 

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_identity_card_policies_by_country#Countries_with_non-compulsory_identity_cards

 

So Argentina, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, ........

 

Hmm, Hong Kong since 1949, well before it reverted to China.  Even Monaco.

 

Now, some of those are compulsary for citizens, but how to you prove you are not a citizen in violation of the local laws without some form of national ID?  DL might now work, as you don't have to be citizen to have a DL from a country.

 

Yeap, Netherlands is oppressive.  Not required to carry, but required to show when asked.  Hard to show it, if you don't have it.

 

Maybe read your own source. 😄

 

BTW not all South American countries or former Communist have restrictive human rights policies, even if they require ID at all times.

 

 

[SantaFeFan]

3 hours ago, SRF said:

 

So Argentina, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, ........

 

Hmm, Hong Kong since 1949, well before it reverted to China.  Even Monaco.

 

Now, some of those are compulsary for citizens, but how to you prove you are not a citizen in violation of the local laws without some form of national ID?  DL might now work, as you don't have to be citizen to have a DL from a country.

 

Yeap, Netherlands is oppressive.  Not required to carry, but required to show when asked.  Hard to show it, if you don't have it.

 

Maybe read your own source. 😄

 

BTW not all South American countries or former Communist have restrictive human rights policies, even if they require ID at all times.

 

 

 

Read what I wrote - I never said anything about the Netherlands, or that "all" countries in South America or former Communist regions have restrictive human rights policies. Sheesh, you sure know how to deflect. 🙄

 

I always carry my driver's license, which in my state has my photo on it. From my business sources, mainly company international travel departments, that is sufficient to prove citizenship of another country IF - emphasis on the IF - I am ever asked to show proof of where I am from.

Edited March 13, 2019 by SantaFeFan