www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Welcome to the #1 Source for Information on Costa Rica
It is currently Tue Jul 22, 2025 7:58 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]





Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 27 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:22 pm 
PHD From Del Rey University!
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:20 pm
Posts: 12644
Youdoo2 wrote:
If you do tend to travel here in CR with a photo copy of your passport, its recomendable to get the copy validated by a lawyer. Some cops here are just anal. I learned my lesson!!!


WTF? Can you give a more detailed account of exactly what happened in your situation.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:29 pm 
PHD From Del Rey University!
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 11:23 pm
Posts: 10212
Location: Esportsmen's Lodge
And what do you mean by "weird americans" , weirder than CRT guys? :lol:

_________________
Image
Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:54 am 
Ticas ask me for advice!

Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2006 5:00 pm
Posts: 397
Location: San Diego
Any time they do an immigration raid, you need to have your passport to prove that you have not overstayed your 90 day stay, otherwise they have the right to put you on the bus with all the columbians etc. They can and do have the lawful right(costarican law) to detain you until you prove that you are within your 90 days.

That is why you need your passport on you, not a copy. The copy is for if you lose your passport you can get another at the US embassy to speed things up.

Most of the time they wont detain someone that looks like a week long tourist unless they get wind of it from someone that you have overstayed (wo being a resident). Not to long ago Some american that used to work at sonnys got turned in by a local (probably wanted his job) and did not have his passport on him and had to go to the clink for a stint.
ID probably knows the law better than I do though, this is what I got from watching TV, and the reports of the raids that they were doing.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:18 am 
I can do CR without a wingman!

Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:34 am
Posts: 291
Youdoo2 wrote:
When I got detained a couple weeks ago in Puntarenas for not having my passport (original). I was locked up with some really weird americans. The strange thing is that looking at what he said, now makes some sense. Is it me or all this psuedo righteous christian stuff is advocated by women. Sex Trade! I think its all a funny. Oh by the way, If you do tend to travel here in CR with a photo copy of your passport, its recomendable to get the copy validated by a lawyer. Some cops here are just anal. I learned my lesson!!!


Please give us (or at least me) more details on your visit to the cross-bar hotel in CR.

I'm intrigued -- how long was your stay? 72 hours? What were the food and accomodations like?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:39 am 
PHD From Del Rey University!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:59 pm
Posts: 1137
Location: fort lauderdale
A Photo copy is good if you don't overstay,entry stamp must be on it though, for proof of time/date entered,they even tell you that in the airport.........


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:45 am 
PHD From Del Rey University!
User avatar

Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:24 pm
Posts: 11358
Location: Sabana Oeste , Costa Rica
SurfTown wrote:
Any time they do an immigration raid, you need to have your passport to prove that you have not overstayed your 90 day stay, otherwise they have the right to put you on the bus with all the columbians etc. They can and do have the lawful right(costarican law) to detain you until you prove that you are within your 90 days.

That is why you need your passport on you, not a copy. The copy is for if you lose your passport you can get another at the US embassy to speed things up.



Approximately two years ago an agreement was reached between the U.S. Embassy and the Costa Rican Government allowing tourist to carry photo copies of the information page and entry stamp page rather than their original passport. This was in response to the high incidence of passport theft being experienced by U.S. tourists. The agreement did clearly state that the police had the right to demand to see the original but the procedure to accomplish that was to escort the tourist to the hotel/residence where he was staying so that he could retrieve the original document and present it for inspection.

That is how the procedure is suppose to work. However, due to ignorance, lack of communication or just the desire to extract a "propina" some police will insist that you must carry the original. The only recourse is, after the event, to file a complaint with the Tourist Board and the U.S. Embassy. While that will not help you much it will hopefully alleviate some of the hassles that some cops enjoy doing.

_________________
:D Pura Vida :D
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine
Image


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:07 am 
PHD From Del Rey University!
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:18 pm
Posts: 4993
Location: The Dark
SurfTown wrote:
Any time they do an immigration raid, you need to have your passport to prove that you have not overstayed your 90 day stay, otherwise they have the right to put you on the bus with all the columbians etc. They can and do have the lawful right(costarican law) to detain you until you prove that you are within your 90 days.

That is why you need your passport on you, not a copy. The copy is for if you lose your passport you can get another at the US embassy to speed things up.

Most of the time they wont detain someone that looks like a week long tourist unless they get wind of it from someone that you have overstayed (wo being a resident). Not to long ago Some american that used to work at sonnys got turned in by a local (probably wanted his job) and did not have his passport on him and had to go to the clink for a stint.
ID probably knows the law better than I do though, this is what I got from watching TV, and the reports of the raids that they were doing.


Sorry, but this information is not correct.

A current B/W copy of your passport including the entry stamp is all that is required.

Many underpaid policia attempt to use the passport photocopy as a way to exact a bribe. Don't fall for it. Ask/politely demand to talk to the cop's supervisor.

I know this to be the law. Recently, the Immigration station at the airport was handing out little yellow flyers which explained this policy.

Tourists are being allowed to use a photocopy versus their real passport, because theft of the original documents has become quite a problem.

A valid U.S. passport can be worth as much as U.S.$1,000.00 on the streets.

Carry a copy.

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:08 pm 
Ticas ask me for advice!

Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2006 5:00 pm
Posts: 397
Location: San Diego
Like I said I got my info from TV and you know how good that is.
It seems the TV report was reporting what happens in reality and El ciego is telling you what idealistically should happen (i'm sure he is correct however). The rub is it can still be a real pain in the ass (depending on the cop) if you dont have your original with you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:10 pm 
I can do CR without a wingman!
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:53 pm
Posts: 161
My situation was that I was going to Puntarenas to see the Carnivale and I got stopped by the transitos. I have my passport photocopy and my residency application (I was told by a lawyer that carrying this will keep this from happening). The guy doesnt tell me anything but that he needs to take me to check out my info. we get to the holding area(My buddy also got detained. they asked us for our info again and then locked us up. We were with other americans in the same situation, who also had copies but they did not accept them. we had to produce our original passports to be released. Then they transported us back to SJ and we were told that with our original passports we would be let go (wrong again). Our all expense accomadations lasted 4 days & 3 nights. they had all our original documents the whole time. Now having your copies (passports) authenticated or certified by a lawyer(same thing) will keep this from happening, Well that is what i was told (again I was told lots of things in those 3 days, but this makes a some sense). I do have a latin last name and I am fluent in spanish but it didnt have anything to do with this situation because my friend that got detained with me is a blonde haired blue eyed floridian that doesnt speak a lick of spanish AND to add another twist another buddy of mine that was with us had no ID whatsoever and they did nothing to him.

In the lock up there were "weird americans". One guy who had some form of autism(Im only guessing) who only asked for cigarettes and talked about peoples names. Nothing else. and another guy who travels through central america with no ID and thinks the US Government and women are conspiring to keep him jailed. Thats what I mean by "weird".


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:30 pm 
PHD From Del Rey University!

Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 4:25 pm
Posts: 2917
It seems there's no rhyme or reason to the laws or how they're enforced. I would suppose that most of the time, it comes down to the attitude of the individual cop and the tourist in question at that moment. My guess would be that the typical North American eco-tourist, doing the typical eco-tourist things at the typical eco-tourist locations would receive little hassle from the police if he/she was even close to being in compliance....as opposed to a gringo monger walking down a street in the gulch. At this point, the scrutiny level prabably increases, but still varies, depending on the individual cop.

Indeed, several years ago I was that particular North American gringo, walking down that street in the gulch. Twice, within a week, I was stopped by the police and questioned. In both cases, I was walking down the street with a chica. When noticed by the police, they yelled :evil: PASSPORT! PASSPORT! They patted me down, asked if I had any "drugs or weapons," looked over the photo copy of my passport [minus the date stamp page] and then, let me go. :?

Zebra


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:55 pm 
Ticas ask me for advice!

Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2006 5:00 pm
Posts: 397
Location: San Diego
If you are pragmatic and a realist carry your passport securely in your front pocket and leave the copy in the safe, but you can carry your stamped copy if you are a niave idealist and insist you know the law and are always correct about this and that little fact. I have been traveling internationally for over 20 years and never had my passport swiped, but I dont drink very often and I try to be aware.

I have heard many cases like youdoo2 where the stamped copy was not enough. Just depends how much you value your time, look at the time Youdoo burned while he was supposed to be vacationing. No thanks I will mitigate the risk of going to the clink and carry the original.

At the end of the day it really depends if you value your time and dont want the off chance of being tied up in the clink on a short vacation, or if you dont value your time and you value being right and correct about the law over heading to a hot nasty shiithole jail then go a head and carry your copy.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 1:07 pm 
Ticas ask me for advice!
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:12 am
Posts: 387
Osgood wrote:
A Photo copy is good if you don't overstay,entry stamp must be on it though, for proof of time/date entered,they even tell you that in the airport.........


There is a little card that you can pick up at immigration that tells you a photocopy is valid and a good idea.

Never occured to me to bring a copy with me through immigration and ask them to stamp the copy as well.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 27 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2



All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:



Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group