5 ms·

If you live in the EU are you supposed to carry your passport whenever you move between countries?

by FigBug 8y ago

zaarn 8y ago
At least in Germany you have a legal duty to have a passport or ID card, if a police officer asks for one but you don't have it, you'll either be brought into the next police station (if you don't have a legal address) until it clears up or show up at your nearest police station within 24 hours or up to a week, depending on the situation. Though generally if you don't have it, you usually get an oral warning and have to, as mentioned, bring a valid document of identity to a police stations (sometimes not even that). Going directly to the station is very rare in my experience. Not having a document of identity at all is grounds for a fine of up to 3000€, though if you travel from outside the EU you'll have your travel passport anyway. Netherland and Portugal have a similar law. Austria has a similar law but only for non-austrian persons in Austria. When you cross borders, even in the EU, you should be prepared that you might get controlled/checked, it usually doesn't happen but it's good to be prepared.
- t0mas88 8y ago
  Yes, Netherlands has this law, but the fine is around € 90 if you don't have it, not 3000.
  - zaarn 8y ago
    I mentioned similar law, not same, the 3000 are also only if you don't have any passport or ID card at all. Like, you couldn't possibly show one. Not having it heavily depends on the situation, there are some where you may end up being fined.
denzil_correa 8y ago
No, you don't if you are an EU national [0]. > If you are an EU national , you do not need to show your national ID card or passport when you are travelling from one border-free Schengen EU country to another. [0] https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-citizen/index_en.htm https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-c...
- tonfa 8y ago
  But airlines sometimes requires it (and afaik they're allowed to). (Not all, I've done quite a few flights without being ever checked, seems to depend on airlines and/or airports).
  - denzil_correa 8y ago
    EU nationals can get by national ID cards - a passport isn't obligatory. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-citizen/faq/index_en.htm https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-c...
    - anticensor 8y ago
      Tell that to Ryanair.
- zaarn 8y ago
  That's only true for Schengen (which is a limited selection) and doesn't cover you having to show ID or passport to customs or simple random checks. This merely covers having to show your ID or passport for crossing the border, you're still beholden to the laws of the country you enter.
t0mas88 8y ago
Yes, but an ID card is enough. Most, contrary to the US, have a passport anyway, but it is not required. Even within most EU countries it is mandatory to have an ID card or drivers license on you if stopped by the police anyway, so the border doesn't make much of a difference.
Symbiote 8y ago
Two things are being confused here: 1. Except for the UK, Ireland and Denmark, EU countries issue identity cards which are valid for most situations where a passport is required, so long as nothing would be stamped: crossing borders within the EU, proving identity to the police [1]. 2. Many European countries have rules requiring someone to be able to prove their identity, such as with their identity card or a passport. Those rules apply to visiting foreigners. Depending where they're from, they could comply with their national identity card, or with a passport. So the answer is yes, except instead of a passport most people carry their credit-card sized identity card. Since I'm British, and can't have an identity card, I'll often leave my passport in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy of the picture page. Particularly if I'm somewhere risky like a music festival or long hiking trip, where a passport could easily be lost, stolen or damaged by rain. I don't think I've ever had to show it. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity_cards_in_the_European_Economic_Area https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity_cards_in_the...
- jsmith45 8y ago
  For a similar concept, the US offers a Passport Card, which is a Federal Photo ID card, that is legally considered a passport by domestic law, but other countries may disagree. It can be used to enter Canada, Mexico, The Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea. It is not valid for international flights. It is unclear why, as it is designed to meet the ICAO standards for ID card sized travel documents. My best guess is that it is not valid for International aviation to avoid the problems with people trying to travel with it to places that need to be able to stamp a passport. (It is pretty much the only such Federal Photo ID card available to the general public in the US.) Obviously the passport card differs from EU National ID cards, in that they are never required to be owned/carried domestically, and full blown passports are not needed
abc03 8y ago
If you move between Switzerland and Germany, you need to have a passport (or ID which was also accepted before Schengen) and will be announced when a train approaches the border. I have seen people being denied entry because they didńt have a passport.

If you live in the EU are you supposed to carry your passport whenever you move between countries?

by FigBug 8y ago

If you live in the EU are you supposed to carry your passport whenever you move between countries?

At least in Germany you have a legal duty to have a passport or ID card, if a police officer asks for one but you don't have it, you'll either be brought into the next police station (if you don't have a legal address) until it clears up or show up at your nearest police station within 24 hours or up to a week, depending on the situation. Though generally if you don't have it, you usually get an oral warning and have to, as mentioned, bring a valid document of identity to a police stations (sometimes not even that). Going directly to the station is very rare in my experience. Not having a document of identity at all is grounds for a fine of up to 3000€, though if you travel from outside the EU you'll have your travel passport anyway. Netherland and Portugal have a similar law. Austria has a similar law but only for non-austrian persons in Austria. When you cross borders, even in the EU, you should be prepared that you might get controlled/checked, it usually doesn't happen but it's good to be prepared.

t0mas88 8y ago
Yes, Netherlands has this law, but the fine is around € 90 if you don't have it, not 3000.
- zaarn 8y ago
  I mentioned similar law, not same, the 3000 are also only if you don't have any passport or ID card at all. Like, you couldn't possibly show one. Not having it heavily depends on the situation, there are some where you may end up being fined.

denzil_correa 8y ago

No, you don't if you are an EU national [0]. > If you are an EU national , you do not need to show your national ID card or passport when you are travelling from one border-free Schengen EU country to another. [0] https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-citizen/index_en.htm https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-c...

tonfa 8y ago
But airlines sometimes requires it (and afaik they're allowed to). (Not all, I've done quite a few flights without being ever checked, seems to depend on airlines and/or airports).
- denzil_correa 8y ago
  EU nationals can get by national ID cards - a passport isn't obligatory. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-citizen/faq/index_en.htm https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-c...
  - anticensor 8y ago
    Tell that to Ryanair.
zaarn 8y ago
That's only true for Schengen (which is a limited selection) and doesn't cover you having to show ID or passport to customs or simple random checks. This merely covers having to show your ID or passport for crossing the border, you're still beholden to the laws of the country you enter.

t0mas88 8y ago

Yes, but an ID card is enough. Most, contrary to the US, have a passport anyway, but it is not required. Even within most EU countries it is mandatory to have an ID card or drivers license on you if stopped by the police anyway, so the border doesn't make much of a difference.

Symbiote 8y ago

Two things are being confused here: 1. Except for the UK, Ireland and Denmark, EU countries issue identity cards which are valid for most situations where a passport is required, so long as nothing would be stamped: crossing borders within the EU, proving identity to the police [1]. 2. Many European countries have rules requiring someone to be able to prove their identity, such as with their identity card or a passport. Those rules apply to visiting foreigners. Depending where they're from, they could comply with their national identity card, or with a passport. So the answer is yes, except instead of a passport most people carry their credit-card sized identity card. Since I'm British, and can't have an identity card, I'll often leave my passport in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy of the picture page. Particularly if I'm somewhere risky like a music festival or long hiking trip, where a passport could easily be lost, stolen or damaged by rain. I don't think I've ever had to show it. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity_cards_in_the_European_Economic_Area https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity_cards_in_the...

jsmith45 8y ago
For a similar concept, the US offers a Passport Card, which is a Federal Photo ID card, that is legally considered a passport by domestic law, but other countries may disagree. It can be used to enter Canada, Mexico, The Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea. It is not valid for international flights. It is unclear why, as it is designed to meet the ICAO standards for ID card sized travel documents. My best guess is that it is not valid for International aviation to avoid the problems with people trying to travel with it to places that need to be able to stamp a passport. (It is pretty much the only such Federal Photo ID card available to the general public in the US.) Obviously the passport card differs from EU National ID cards, in that they are never required to be owned/carried domestically, and full blown passports are not needed

abc03 8y ago

If you move between Switzerland and Germany, you need to have a passport (or ID which was also accepted before Schengen) and will be announced when a train approaches the border. I have seen people being denied entry because they didńt have a passport.