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I have lived in Portugal for many years, but as I am not a citizen I always carry a copy of my passport out of habit. And it is often easier to pull out of my wallet than my driving license. But there has been a change in the law that strikes me as odd. I was told at the post office that I can not longer use a copy of my passport as ID, it must be the document itself. Ok.
But yesterday I bought morphine at the pharmacy, and ID was required and I flipped out my passport copy and then stopped...thinking, no this won't be legal. I began to fish for my license, and the clerk reached out and took my passport copy. I asked if it was legal as ID for a narcotics purchase. I got a rather puzzled affirmative...and then he wanted to know why I would ask. I told him about the post office, and he just shook his head no, no, no a copy is fine for narcotics.
OK, but still this strikes as a peculiar difference. I cannot claim a package at the P.O. with a passport copy, but I can buy thirty morphine tablets with a copy at the pharmacy.
Based on this, I wouldn't know what to tell someone about carrying their passport here.
Leaving Passport in Hotel is not always safe. Many times baggage left by visitors have been burglarised and Passports stolen. There is a Hotel notice that dont leave valuables in room, Hotel is not responsible etc.
Not every Room has a Safe, hefty fine is there for losing the key of the Safe.
When I traveled to Barcelona several times I had to ask for a room with a safe, and I do leave my passport in the room safe when I travel. There was a charge for a lost key in Barcelona, and it was not small but it was not horrible either.
I have lived in Portugal for many years, but as I am not a citizen I always carry a copy of my passport out of habit. And it is often easier to pull out of my wallet than my driving license. But there has been a change in the law that strikes me as odd. I was told at the post office that I can not longer use a copy of my passport as ID, it must be the document itself. Ok.
But yesterday I bought morphine at the pharmacy, and ID was required and I flipped out my passport copy and then stopped...thinking, no this won't be legal. I began to fish for my license, and the clerk reached out and took my passport copy. I asked if it was legal as ID for a narcotics purchase. I got a rather puzzled affirmative...and then he wanted to know why I would ask. I told him about the post office, and he just shook his head no, no, no a copy is fine for narcotics.
OK, but still this strikes as a peculiar difference. I cannot claim a package at the P.O. with a passport copy, but I can buy thirty morphine tablets with a copy at the pharmacy.
Based on this, I wouldn't know what to tell someone about carrying their passport here.
Interesting. Sometimes, in places like Post Office, I have used Foreign ID. I have used American Driving License to collect Packet in Post Office in Europe and other country ID in USA.. Driving License is issued to Foreigners living in the country but it is a perfect ID unless airports & foreign trip where passport or visa are required before boarding flight. Any money places like money gram or Western Union or even currency exchange are unpredictable - license or passport or your address God knows what they can ask.
In Israel, it is required by law for Israeli citizens and residents to carry state issued ID at all times. Therefore I assume that tourists must also carry their passport or a government issued ID as well.
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