Passports
 

Unfortunately friends of ours had their car broken into in Portugal and had their passports stolen, among other things. They have now got new passports and passed info on to us which we followed thro` yesterday.
Took passports down to " Kodak " shop at pelican crossing where they take a photo of the page with your photo and all the info, they downsize it to about the size of a credit card. Take to newsagent 3/4 doors along and they will put on a laminate cover. Total cost 5 euro for both ours, whole thing takes about 20 mins.

Re: Passports
 

Re: Passports
 

Thats good to know. we had ours laminated at about the passport page size after having the double page stamped and signed at the town hall. It has been accepted for the last 3 years as ID by everyone but still an akward sze. Will have to see if the K shop will wait for me to pop along to TH for stamp and signiture between photocopy and shrinking to cc size then we will have handy ID. Had peppered mackrel for lunch with a salad yesterday as David Jason says "tres bon".

Re: Passports
 

You must get the reduced copy stamped as otherwise the stamp on the reduced copy is not an original stamp.

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Can you do the same for the NIE? on a number of times I have needed the number but find the A4 size is inconvenient to carry around with you.

Kath

Re: Passports
 

Yes you can. I printed one A4 sheet with my new registration certificate, driving licence and passport on one A4 sheet and got it certified at the town hall. I keep a copy in both cars. You could easily reduce to A4 certificate on its own to A6 size.

As I said previously, if you are going to get it "compulsado" at the town hall make sure you do it on the reduced copy.

Apparently they are now producing the new registration certificate in a smaller double sided form to make it easier to carry. It hasn't come in yet in all areas and I'm sure they will charge you another €10 if you want to change to it.

That said many shops will only accept original documents. For residents the best form of ID is a Spanish driving licence or an out of date residencia card.

Re: Passports
 

Stamped by whom, Fred?

This is an absolutely Brilliant idea - why didn't I think of it. Do it on the computer in minutes!

Oh oh just did a catch up. Stamped by the Town Hall. Don't ever remember getting ours to do something like that.

Re: Passports
 

Be careful though because, strictly speaking, these are still not legal.

The only people who can authorize documents are the people who issued them in the first place.

I was behind someone recently in Carrefour who tried to use an authorized, reduced passport to support his credit card. The cashier refused stating that it was not legal. As he had no other form of payment, the manager was called - he confirmed that it was not legal and that only original documents were valid.

The final upshot was that the gentleman left the store with NOTHING!

Re: Passports
 

Apparently a copy needs to be officially notarised to be acceptable as ID when you are stopped by the police. I recall a lot of discussion on the forum earlier. So its a trip to the town hall - if you want to be 100% sure.

I dont know if a reduced copy classes as a copy and can be notarised. So worth checking. Often a copy has to be exactly that - an exact copy.

However I think its crazy and a flashback to 'old days' that you need your 'papers' with you when stopped. We are after all in the EU! :confused:

In my case I/we live in the Shengen region where passports are not needed to travel between the countries (so how can they insist!) - so I dont understand this need for 'papers'. I'm not sure if the police actually can break Shengen rules (for us) and insist on a passport for a routine check! I do take the passport to ensure that we get through all the security checks at the airports - even though so far other ID has worked. I do this just to be safe and sure... and not have the horror of being turned away at the airport. Of course with the UK its different and I need the passport to travel there. Even though its an UK one.

Perhaps UK citizens+ residents need to carry it always though - even though I think its a bit crazy and excessive and sets up much more chance of illegality.

Frankly, when we get there, we travel around Spain/Portugal without carrying the passport everywhere, and in fact we have a safe bolted to the wall where we keep it in at home. Its obviously a VERY important document and there is far more chance of losing it/having it nicked if its always in your pocket.

Id rather take the risk of being stopped and have an irate copper not accepting other ID.. AND not accepting a short drive home to present the passport. We have had numerous times when we were stopped at the bridge and the m-way roundabout by machine gun carrying police, and never had a problem. Also when Obama was in Lisbon and we had crazy security - stopped regularly - even as far away as Ayamonte - we never had to show the passport. Friends on the forum were stuck on the bridge for 1hr 40 and the shortest wait I heard was 35 mins. It was amazing - including a special tent where you could put an entire car in and where they could check you out in privacy.

So I take the risk - but dont blame me if you follow suit and get done - banged up in a hole and get bread and water and 1 hour in the sunshine in a day! If so I will post instructions on how to make a 'shiv' out of a toilet roll holder, a milk bottle top and some sticky back pplastic :sneaky:

Re: Passports
 

"Shengen" is about border controls and free movement of citizens and not about law enforcement and security - so the police in many member states have the legal right to demand a proof of identity (which is why many member states have ID Cards and have to carry them) We Brits are unfortunate enough not to have a convenient wallet-sized legal proof of identity and therefore have to carry our passports. In many countries (including Spain) this a legal requirement and you are breaking the law if you do not carry it - if you choose not to that's entirely your prerogative just as you can break speed limits if you choose to but if you get caught you are in the wrong.:teeth_smile:

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Me and Kath were 2 out of only 15,000 Brits who managed to get a EURO standard credit card sized pucka ID card when they were introduced by the last government at £30 only to have them withdrawn by the new government at the end of January. They let us keep the card and it does not seem that anyone in Spain knows that they have been suspended so they are still very useful. They have a photo, DoB place of birth etc and on the chip they have fingerprints amongst other info. A SAD LOSS!

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No longer true.

You are obliged to prove who you are and can arrange for someone to bring suitable ID or the police can escort you home but it is not an offence not to carry ID.

It can be pretty inconvenient if you don't though!

Re: Passports
 

Thanks Mike + Fred.

Mike you picked up on my little rant :)

There's no way that I am carrying my passport everywhere with me. I've also thought that in the unlikely event I am asked for ID - I will sort it out. Of course because its never happened - doesnt mean that it wont, but knowing my passport is at home, as mentioned, not far away - and I have other photo id's like a drivers licence means that I feel comfortable that I will blag my way around it. (Famous last words??)

Perhaps Ill get a copy stamped at the town hall..... but its one of those things that remains at the bottom of the list.

Living in a country that has ID cards - has made me see the reality of it and I am no fan for their introduction n the UK. Expensive and whatever the politicians said re eg terrorism is of doubtful value . Im glad that they cancelled them (personally).

We have a great and free society in the UK that can stay the way it is..!

Thanks
Jon

Re: Passports
 

You should also be able to get it notarised by any 'notary public' (for a small fee) - many solicitors are also notaries