Passport entries...

[Externet]

Hi.

Some countries do not stamp ingress or egress, or do it with too little ink, or smeared, making it unreadable for future references.

 

Is there any law that forbids myself from handwriting on my own passport, without obscuring data on it, notes or missing data from travel/border crossings; without compromising its legal validity ?

What would void a passport as an identification document, other than altering, tampering, falsifying? Is there an universal law or every issuer country has its rules ?

 

It has happened that entering certain countries, get a stamp "Country name - Admitted - date - XV337" as an example; where only the immigration personnel geniuses of that country know 'XV337' means 30 day stay maximum, leaving no clue for myself... I just want to hand write "30 day stay" nearby that stamp. Would I meet a firing squad ?

Edited December 1, 2013 by Externet

[John Cuthber]

I don't know. But it might be safer to put a slip of paper in there, and write notes on that.

[EdEarl]

Each country may have different rules.

 

You might get a passport wallet for extra pages. http://www.amazon.com/Travelon-Boarding-Passport-Holder-Closure/dp/B0041E5RVI/ref=sr_1_2?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1385929414&sr=1-2

Edited December 1, 2013 by EdEarl

[imatfaal]

Agree with above - too many government officials seem to suffer from complete humour and imagination failure. I had a visa wrongly stapled into my passport, they immediately removed it and put in the correct one; for the next couple of years I had passport control officials asking me what had been removed and why a page had two holes and slight tear. Keep a journal and leave it at home - there is nothing quite as scary as realising you have a journal and photos from Israel on your phone when you are entering Lebanon (also mind-bogglingly stupid - I had deleted in preparation for trip and then been forced to restore phone from backup and forgotten to redelete)

[CaptainPanic]

I agree with imatfaal: Do not give them any reason to start asking questions, if you can avoid it. Writing in your own passport may be enough reason for someone to kindly request you to step out of the line and follow the officer into a separate room.

 

Firing squad? Highly unlikely.

A delay in passing the border, with optional longer detainment until your embassy gets you out: Definitely possible.

 

If you want to remember where you were, at what time: keep a travel log. Just an ordinary booklet where you keep notes. From experience, I'd advise you to start a new log for every trip. Not because police may want to read it... but just because there is a higher risk you lose your old notes when you carry them with you than when they are safely kept on a bookshelf at home.

 

By the way, I think that in almost every country it is your legal right to ask for a stamp when you pass a border... and in certain countries, it is highly recommended to get one, or they may treat you as an illegal immigrant - and you will face whatever punishment there is on illegal immigration.

[swansont]

In the US, a passport is the property of the government and may not be amended by you. Other countries may have different rules, but probably they are similar.

 

http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/51/subpart-A

 

§ 51.7 A passport at all times remains the property of the United States and must be returned to the U.S. Government upon demand.

 

§ 51.9 Except for the convenience of the U.S. Government, no passport may be amended.

[hypervalent_iodine]

I think Australia has similar laws about drawing or writing in passports.

 

I'll echo the other comments here and recommend you not give border security any reason to make your life miserable and keep a separate journal of some sort. I once had a similar problem to imatfaal's when the tiniest section of the photo page of my passport got wet, which caused the colours to run a little (though my photo and the text was fine). I had a second passport at the time on account of being a dual citizen of both Australia and NZ, but my NZ passport was within 6 months of expiring and so technically, neither of them were valid passports. That being said - and although I got questioned at every desk I had to go to - their powers combined somehow got me through Asia and back on a very last minute vacation. They also stapled a visa into my NZ passport coming into Bangkok, causing additional hassle upon reentry into Australia, but I got there in the end. I suspect the story would have been different were I traveling to the US on those passports.