Actual or Photocopies of documents at borders and police checks?
 

Hi,

I'm off to Mexico, Central and South America for 12 months and I've read in quite a few places that I should take plenty of photocopies of important documents to show to officials and others masquerading as officials. The important documents I have so far are:

Passport
V5 Registration
International Driving Permit
UK Driving License
Birth Certificate
Vaccinations
Prescription Drugs Letter from GP
Travel Insurance Certificate

I question I have is:
When do I use the photocopies and when do I use the real thing? I would have though a customs officer might get a little irritated if I presented a photocopy of my passport, IDP, UK driving license (as the photocopies are sheets of paper rather than the booklet they are expecting.

Any advise would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Ollie

Greasy Sprocket

You need originals at the borders. You will also need photocopies of your passport and title documents at the central american borders (bring plenty), but not in south america. Despite having these copies, you will still need to have copies made because in some cases customs wants copies of the passport after immigration has stamped it. It's a red tape hassle.

Be sure to make copies of the import documentation at each border. In the few instances when you might be asked by a cop for documents I have always showed them the copies and said that the originals were DEEP in my luggage and would take a while to dig out.

Be sure to have laminated color copies of your drivers license. Local cops don't know the difference, and will sometimes threaten you with not returning the license if you don't pay a "fine".

Great. Thanks for your help stbarnett. Much appreciated.

Personally, I'd skip the doctor's letter and the birth certificate. Maybe scan/photograph them and email them to yourself if you feel the need, but I've never needed either in a hundred or so countries worldwide. And although I carry copies of stuff it always seems to get mutilated and/or wet, therefore smeared and torn. In the end, it's not difficult to make color copies and have them laminated in most cities throughout the world.

You certainly need an original passport at borders, but I generally offer copies of bike documents first, resorting to originals only if they insist. Most often, border officials (and the people carrying guns at checkpoints) haven't noticed or cared. If they act offended, I just apologize.

Note that I haven't had my bike into South America yet, so if there are differences I'm not taking them into account.

Hope that helps.

Mark

(heading homeward through California now, ex-Mexico, ex-Europa, ex-Africa)

No paperwork problems
 

I have only had to show my documents once at a police check and showed the originals even though I have loads of colour copies with me (as well as scanned copies in numerous places). I would think it is best to show originals at customs.

So far no problems (fingers crossed).

All the best with the trip preparation. I almost like getting ready and the anticipation more than the trip. Though the trip is going pretty good so far as well.

Ciao,
Annette

If possible, make color photocopies of your documents...and have them notarized or some official looking stamp.
This will work very well in most instances.

First: Get color photocopies of everything. Take one set, leave the rest with friends so they can fax you them if necessary. Or just scan them and leave them in your gmail account. This is just for backup purposes.

Second: You are overprepared and overconcerned. Rejoice in this fact, life in Latin America is way less structured than you expect.

There are two kinds of stops you will experience: Border crossing officials and random cops trying to extort money from you.

For border crossings, you will need: Passport (original), International Driving Permit (original), vehicle title or registration (original or color photocopy, doesn't usually matter but carry the original just in case). You will also usually need photocopies of one or more of these documents (and sometimes copies of documents they give you). Carry a half-dozen black-and-white copies of your passport (picture page), IDP, and vehicle title - at about 2/3rds of the border crossings this will save you a trip to the photocopier.

For random cops you will need your originial International Driving Permit. Carry 2 or 3 of these, they are super cheap to get. Sometimes they will threaten to keep it until you pay a fine. That's why you have more than one. Let them keep it and ride off. I never had a traffic cop ask for a passport.

There are odd stops that require showing your passport (ie, checkpoints in southern Panama if you go there). Show them the original, no big deal.

All the other items are superfluous. Unless you're bringing a small pharmacy (you'd have to have a pannier full of pills for someone to take notice), whatever certificate is pretty much irrelevant. Nobody ever asks for vaccinations. Travel insurance is between you and the travel insurance provider, the locals won't know what that is. Don't take your birth certificate, it's just one more thing to ruin/lose.

Relax and have a good time - it's going to be great :thumbup1:

Jeff

Good post, high quality color photo copies will work for everything. Remember that your confidence goes a long way in Latin America. If anyone asks you if your documents are copies say "no, they are originals." Do not give someone the chance to cause you a problem. The last thing you want to have happen is for someone to rob your bike and steal your original title.

Thanks very much everyone. This advice has helped a lot.

Ollie

Greasy Sprocket

Color Photo Copies and Confidence is all you need. Tell everyone they are your originals.

vaccinations
 

Someone said no one ever checks. If you needed one to get into the country make sure you have the docs because even if they didn't ask at the border you just might find the first set of cops you meet have worked this out and ask to see it.

I'm all in favor of projecting confidence and authority and such....but I have had times when original documents were necessary. Typically, genuine docs have watermarks or holograms or whatnot which do not photocopy. There do exist border guards, soldiers and cops who know the difference.

In Africa, it's not uncommon for border guards to let people through without proper documentation--letting them sneak around border posts along well-worn pathways, for example, or merely waving them through--in order that they can be pulled aside at roadblocks just down the highway and forced to pay bribes. I've been places where this is standard operating procedure, and understood as such by all participants.

Usually, this doesn't affect obvious tourists like ourselves, but it can if they decide to expand the scam to include us. Fortunately, everyone knows that there are relatively few of us compared to the vast migrations of locals in search of work, safety and family....and that we tourists tend to whine and complain a lot, often to people with a lot more clout than your average border post guard.

enjoy,

Mark