15 Passports and 75 Visas

With all the modernisation and digitisation in recent decades, it’s remarkable to see that one thing has remained unchanged. Whenever you cross a border, you still get a stamp in your passport. It’s the proof that you have arrived in a new country.

Contrary to common belief, crew members almost never get stamps in their passports. The airline announces our arrival in advance, so we can walk right into places like China, Uganda or Brazil.

Problems

That has caused problems for me. When I was in Iran for a few days on duty travel, I wanted to check in to my hotel. The hotel manager called the immigration police saying that he had a Dutch person without a visa or a stamp in his passport. It took a lot of talking to explain myself, especially as it was evening and the KLM office in Teheran was closed.

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Two Passports

Having said that, my passport is filled with visas and stamps. Fortunately, in the Netherlands, you can ask for a business passport, which has 64 pages rather than 32. But even that can be too small. My current passport is two and-a-half years old and it only has eight pages left. So I carry two passports; one that allows to me to request visas and another with which I fly for KLM.

[tweet text=”I got the distinct feeling that they weren’t dying to receive foreign visitors.”]

Barricades

While requesting a visa for some countries is nothing more than a formality, it can be a real challenge in other places. Just a few years ago, I wanted to go to Nauru, the smallest island nation in the world, and which only has flights twice a month.

When I requested a visa, the embassy kept causing problems, virtual barricades, probably because Australia was sending boat refugees to the island once again. I got the distinct feeling that they weren’t dying to receive foreign visitors. After the umpteenth request, I finally got a visa. Upon arrival, the official made it clear to me that he didn’t want to see me “acting like a tourist.” It was an interesting request, especially in view of the fact that you can count the number of tourists in Nauru on two or three hands each year.

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Piece of Cake

On the other hand, things went swimmingly in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been arguing over ownership of the region. Officially, Azerbaijan has possession but Armenia is the de facto lord and master. It is not an independent country and is therefore not on the list of 193 states recognised by the United Nations. Even so, you need a visa to go there.

So I reported to the Nagorno-Karabakh Embassy in Yerevan, a stately building complete with its own flag and Corps Diplomatique registration number plates. And, for 3000 Armenian Dram (about EUR 5.60) I was able to get a visa in my passport which was checked and stamped properly at the border.

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There’s another one I remember well. On a ride taking many hours in a rickety Land Rover to the border between Gabon and Congo Brazzaville—filled with jerry cans of fuel and hitchhiking Africans—we stopped in a village where every lamp was out. The driver and his assistant walked around until they found the right hut. It belonged to the official who came out in his night shirt, squinting.

Extra Fee

I felt for him. It was 3:00 o’clock in the morning. By the light of an oil lamp he inspected my passport and that of the other passenger. I held my breath. Even though I had a valid visa for Congo, I had come to understand that nothing in the region is certain and there is reason enough to believe that travellers have to pay an extra fee.

And so it was. I had to pay more regardless of the visa that I had received just a few days earlier. To my surprise he called one of his superiors and it seemed he wanted to fine me for having woken him up. Even so, you should never judge too quickly. The superior ordered the poor devil in his faded shirt to stamp my passport and wish me a good trip.

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No Souvenirs

When I started travelling, I always used to bring souvenirs home, but I stopped doing that years ago. Other than my photos, my passports are my happiest souvenirs. Sadly, in the Netherlands, expired passports are made invalid in a rather brutal fashion. The civil servant punches enormous holes through all the pages—visas, stamps, and all.

So far, I’ve only had one passport stolen. The practical consequences were manageable, but the loss of the memories in the passport were harder to take. So I’m especially careful about my cherished travel documents.

 

Posted by:   Boris  | 
Join the conversation Show comments

Stephe

Wow! I bet you have many more stories. But I never knew the Dutch authorities allowed 2 passports though. Here in the UK the UKBA only allow one and they will put extra pages in it if needed.

How many passports have you had that are full? Here the UKBA only damage the front cover.

What is your next trip that you have planned?

Donna

This is awesome

Elaine

Wow! I’m the same way when my passports expire I keep them because they chronicle the places I’ve visited.

Sairatun Nahar

Hi I need visa how is possible to get please inform me as soon as possible, Thanks,

Mominul

mahamed

idiot

John Daniels

Which country?
This website might be able to help:
https://www.visahq.co.uk/visas.php

baris

Well europe is not more visitor-friendly than those 3rd world countries. To get a simple touristical schengen visa you need to proove that you are not a terrorist with tons of documents. Still the admisson is not granted

Clovis

Sounds really nice and great job. Wish I could have followed my dreams like this when I was younger.
Just one thing I don’t get was your experience in the hotel in Iran. You said you were on duty travel but we’re you the only staff member of KLM checking in?

boutaher

J cherche une visa a frlada

Lolita M. Balboa

VERY NICE EXPERIENCE!!! – AND EDUCATIONAL INDEED. MANY THANKS FOR SHARING.

Robin de Geus

Impressive, Boris!
And yes… a bit proud of you!

Boris

@Clovis: in Iran, I traveled outside Teheran, so I didn’t stay at the crew hotel – hence the problem.
As for obtaining a visa: this can be difficult indeed, also for me. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to help people out here: you would have to contact the embassy of the country you would like to visit.

Sudheep

Boris, Indeed a life time experience. The photos and the stamps in the passport surely will act the best souvenirs. Great that you could give the glimpse of your experience in a few paragraphs.

ingmar

Mooi verhaal Boris!! Als je al je landen hebt gehad wordt het tijd voor een boek he?:-)

Theo

Nice ! Thank you for blogging here.

The stories behind the passports and the travel permits or visa is one of the reasons I started collecting old passports (Mainly Netherlands and it’s former colonies). I get them from people not much interested in their history and would otherwise have thrown these documents away. And the collection is going all the way back to the late 16th century (although I don’t know many of that early period personally … :-) ).

Garnik

Great job Boris.
it’s my dream as well to sea every single country, so far 30 countries )))
Can you share how much you spent on total visits ?
An great post of Nagorno-Kharabakh visa, hope you enjoyed Armenia and Artsakh !!!

Alejandra

As a slogan says… Keep walking, Boris! And on the way inspire others to follow their dreams.
Thank you for sharing.

kessenaemuakpeje@gma (@kessenaemuakpej)

hi

kessenaemuakpeje@gma (@kessenaemuakpej)

hi kessena

KESSNAEMUAKPEJE

HI KESSENA EMUAKPEJE

Emuakpejekessena

Hi Emuakpeje Kessena

Jessica h

Take me with you ! Lol

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