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Carrying of Passports compulsory ?

SwanseaVillanReturns

By SwanseaVillanReturns,
in Italy Ports

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euro cruiser

euro cruiser

Posted
Posted
We were on a cruise to Italy in July. Carrying your passport is NOT compulsory. We carried our cruise card and photo I.D. ( US Drivers License) Our passport was in the safe.

Sorry, if someone told you that they were wrong.

 

You must carry government issued ID. For Americans a driving license does not count because they are issued by states rather than the national government.

 

If you want to wade through the legalese in Italian, have fun with this:

Now, lots of people decide to take the risk and leave their passport in their hotel room or on the ship, and it's almost always not a problem.

However, if you are involved in an accident or some other event that involves police, they will ask for your passport. The odds of that happening are pretty low so you might decide to risk it, but you should know that you are accepting the risk. It is the law that you carry it.

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
Posted

I do believe that Euro is technically correct. However, having spend an awful lot of time in Italy (including driving more than 10,000 miles within the country) we seldom to ever carry our Passports (nor do many tourists). After all, this is Italy! :). I would rather deal with the various Italian Police forces and explain where my Passport is locked-up....rather then deal with a stolen or lost Passport. Many years ago the cruise lines would sometimes advise passengers to carry their Passports when going to Rome...but we have not heard anyone giving this advice in the past decade. We do carry photocopies of our main Passport pages.

 

However, if one wants to follow the letter of the law you should carry your valid Passport.

 

Hank

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hal2008

hal2008

Posted
Posted

This topic has been discussed on CC, FT and TA a lot - more frequently recently in view of anti-immigrant views getting popular in Europe.

 

Strictly speaking, a photo-id issued by national government is required in Italy. (as explained by Euro earlier)

 

Americans will need passport as driver licence is issued at state level, not at national level.

 

Having said that, no one is going to ask your id unless you get into some accident/incident.

Even then, a good color photocopy will do.

 

Cost of losing passport on overseas trip is pretty big hassle.

 

So one has a pragmatic decision to make:

 

Do I follow the letter of the law and risk losing passport in pickpocket infested country

or

carry photocopies of passport along with driver license and take one in billion chance of an anal retentive cop having a fight with wife harassing me.

 

Now the second caveat:

Probability of one in billion for the second part above is for white folks. If your skin tone and facial features look similar to someone from Syria/Libya, probability becomes more like one in hundred and the decision making process changes accordingly

 

Personally, I leave passports in hotel safe.

 

While on cruise, two more factors come into play

a) Am I taking an excursion that has even a small possibility of missing ship

b) Do I need passport if it happens?

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lisiamc

lisiamc

Posted
Posted
Thanks Euro (again !!)

 

So would a drivers licence be acceptable ? Or even the ship's "sail pass" ?

 

Your UK driving licence should be fine. It qualifies as a government-issued document. That’s what we carry. When we get stopped in routine document checks In the car, no one has ever asked for further ID.

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lisiamc

lisiamc

Posted
Posted
I do believe that Euro is technically correct. However, having spend an awful lot of time in Italy (including driving more than 10,000 miles within the country) we seldom to ever carry our Passports (nor do many tourists). After all, this is Italy! :). I would rather deal with the various Italian Police forces and explain where my Passport is locked-up....rather then deal with a stolen or lost Passport. Many years ago the cruise lines would sometimes advise passengers to carry their Passports when going to Rome...but we have not heard anyone giving this advice in the past decade. We do carry photocopies of our main Passport pages.

 

However, if one wants to follow the letter of the law you should carry your valid Passport.

 

Hank

 

For info, one thing the carabinieri/polizia stradale have no flex about is driving without carrying your driving licence with you. I’m sure you don’t do that, but people who leave it at home, on the ship, or in the hotel safe, and get caught in a road check get fined. Italians or tourists, it makes no difference. There is no provision for bringing it to the office later, as there is in some other countries, or with some other documents.

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euro cruiser

euro cruiser

Posted
Posted

It's not a war but I do get testy when people represent their opinion as fact as though all of life is a cable news program.

 

We all make risk assessments and knowingly choose to break some laws, I doubt there is anyone who doesn't do this on a fairly regular basis. The important aspect is actually knowing the law and making an informed decision.

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SwanseaVillanReturns

SwanseaVillanReturns

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It's not a war but I do get testy when people represent their opinion as fact as though all of life is a cable news program.

 

We all make risk assessments and knowingly choose to break some laws, I doubt there is anyone who doesn't do this on a fairly regular basis. The important aspect is actually knowing the law and making an informed decision.

 

Agree totally - you have been most helpful Euro

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euro cruiser

euro cruiser

Posted
Posted

One factor in your risk assessment we haven't discussed is whether or not you are traveling alone.

 

I often travel alone or go off on my own during a family trip. In those cases there is no one with me to identify me in the case of an accident, or to return to the hotel/ship to get my passport if I am detained. The cost of not having the passport with me is higher in that situation than when I am with others.

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ItsOnlyUs

ItsOnlyUs

Posted
Posted

What about getting a US-government passport card along with your US passport? The passport card wouldn't be valid for entering the country per se, but at least it's a federal government issued form of identification. Any ideas US citizens?

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euro cruiser

euro cruiser

Posted
Posted

I would think a passport card would work, assuming it carries the same number as your actual passport. Does it? I've never had one so I can't check.

 

Even if it doesn't carry the same number it would probably work, come to think of it. Unless you're being accused of a major crime or have died on Italian soil (in which case you won't care) I doubt anyone would go to the effort of checking the number vs. the immigration records.

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
Posted
For info, one thing the carabinieri/polizia stradale have no flex about is driving without carrying your driving licence with you. I’m sure you don’t do that, but people who leave it at home, on the ship, or in the hotel safe, and get caught in a road check get fined. Italians or tourists, it makes no difference. There is no provision for bringing it to the office later, as there is in some other countries, or with some other documents.

 

Very true and there is no way we would drive in Italy without having our Drivers License. But again we can get into the technical versus the practical. Technically, for those of us with US Drivers licenses we are also supposed to carry a valid "International Drivers Permit." I will confess that sometimes we do not bother picking up one of those documents (easily obtained at any AAA (USA) or AA (Canada) office). I have also been known to park on sidewalks in Italy (also illegal), drive for short distances on one-way streets going the wrong way, etc. etc. After all, it is Italy :).

 

Hank

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lisiamc

lisiamc

Posted
Posted
Very true and there is no way we would drive in Italy without having our Drivers License. But again we can get into the technical versus the practical. Technically, for those of us with US Drivers licenses we are also supposed to carry a valid "International Drivers Permit." I will confess that sometimes we do not bother picking up one of those documents (easily obtained at any AAA (USA) or AA (Canada) office). I have also been known to park on sidewalks in Italy (also illegal), drive for short distances on one-way streets going the wrong way, etc. etc. After all, it is Italy :).

 

Hank

 

I may or may not have done the one way thing (not entirely) accidentally. :o

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wheezedr

wheezedr

Posted
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Euro is absolutely correct as to the letter of the law, but like many others this is a law I tend to skirt in Italy and generally don't carry my passport. Ironically, on land based trips where I have rented a car, Italy is the one place where I have always gotten an IDP. Have heard horror stories about being stopped without one although never from personal experience.

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euro cruiser

euro cruiser

Posted
Posted
no its not. I would never take a passport ashore unless its a law . We have a copy with us .

Wrong, it is required. Read post #7 if you need proof.

 

Many people choose to take the risk, as you do, of heading out without their passport. Maybe most do, I don't know, but please don't tell people it isn't required just because you don't like it.

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Got2Cruise "Live from...." Rare

Got2Cruise

Posted
Posted
Wrong, it is required. Read post #7 if you need proof.

 

 

 

Many people choose to take the risk, as you do, of heading out without their passport. Maybe most do, I don't know, but please don't tell people it isn't required just because you don't like it.

 

 

 

Not arguing with you. The reason why many of us believe it’s not compulsory is because the cruise lines themselves don’t tell pax to carry them. They recommend photo I.D. There are some ports such as SPB where you are told by cruise line passport is mandatory such as Russia. When we were in Italy nobody there checked for ID at any port.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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