In this day and age, it’s very common for people to travel abroad. And we all know how painful it can be sometimes – planning for accommodation, travel routes, things to do, what to bring… And sometimes, even just a small thing can turn your whole trip f
In this day and age, it’s very common for people to travel abroad.
And we all know how painful it can be sometimes – planning for accommodation, travel routes, things to do, what to bring…
And sometimes, even just a small thing can turn your whole trip from a joyful experience to an absolute nightmare.
Recently, Miss Luo, a Chinese tourist from Guangdong, returned from a trip to Japan. When she returned to China, she was asked to accompany customs officers for further verification because her passport had a commemorative medallion stamped on the tourist site.
Fortunately, the seal had no illegal meaning and did not block important information of the certificate, so the border inspection department only warned Miss Luo and suggested her to change her passport asap.
“I didn’t expect it. I thought the passport was like a travel book. When I saw many people with passports lined up to stamp, I went with them. I just wanted to collect the stamp from the scenic spot and keep it as a souvenir. I didn’t know it was not allowed.” Miss Luo said.
After verification by the border inspection authorities, the seal on the passport and visa page of Miss Luo’s passport was actually affixed by her, not by the entry and exit staff, excluding that the seal was the record of the Japanese exit and entry authorities on the witness.
According to customs officials, they come across a certificate that needs further verification due to damage, imprinting, and other conditions, for approximately 100 cases every year.
“The importance of the passport is often ignored by tourists, not only when their passport is stamped with the commemorative medallion and postmark but also when their documents are flooded, damaged, with graffiti, and other damages caused by the improper care by the passengers.”
Reminder and tips:
The following conditions may deny you entry or exit
into a country via customs.
1. Tearing off one or more pages of the passport will deny you entry or exit after being found;
2. There is a hole or missing corner on the note or blank page;
3. Pasting blank pages from other people’s passports of your own;
4. After changing passports, tearing out the valid visa from the original passport and adding it on to the new passport.
5. If the binding thread of the passport is exposed intentionally or unintentionally, it may be suspected that the passport has been disassembled.
6. Mark the entry and exit stamps or re-mark the date and other information.
7. If the certificate is seriously damaged, including shedding, missing pages, tearing or the alteration of important information, the border inspection authorities may declare the certificate null and void in accordance with article 67 of the exit and entry administration law of the People’s Republic of China and prevent passengers from entering or leaving the country.
8. No organization or individual may forge, alter, transfer or intentionally damage or destroy a passport.
9. The tourism commemorative medallion shall not be affixed on the certificate;
10. The inner page of the certificate should be replaced as soon as possible;
11. Protect the embedded electronic components of the certificate.
