Too Many Stamps In Passport?

[pommey]

Ive got about 3 years of traveling to peru, bolivia and Argentina every 2 months and get looks but have never had a problem, once when i was told my passport looked to old (water damage and lots of use) but it was only 2 years old so no problems and sometimes when they just give me 30 days. I get searched for drugs pretty much everytime i travel which is a nuisance unpacking etc etc but have no worries.

 

[DontMindMe]

When I last renewed my US passport, about three years ago, they told me the businessman's passport no longer existed and I would have to pay for inserting extra pages.

Oh, sorry to hear that! I should specify that when I say I renewed mine "recently," I mean last week. I'm actually going to pick it up today. I'll ask.

 

[dennisr]

Just an update, had my first ever questioning/weird look at AEP when a young migraciones lady asked if I had a resident visa when she saw all my stamps. First she thought I was a student, I told her no I am visiting my girlfriend. She asked if she was Argentinian - which she is. She said I should get residency and I told her I that I am too young to get married but it is possible in the future. She laughed, said she understood and that she was also too young and off I went.

Also have many stamps and my last trip was a bit unnerving for me at EZE: immigration. When entering, the agent took off and I guess conferred with someone. After about five minutes or so she returned and gave me a ninety day tourist stamp. Did not say anything. When departing about three weeks later, same deal, agent took off and returned in about five minutes and gave the exit stamp. Asked if everything is OK and she said "no problems." Know she made some entries into the computer, what they were is a anyone's guess. The exit thing kind of baffled me, in Argentina for 22 days. My best guess is they keep a running total for the days spent in Argentina. Have never over stayed or even come close. Just make a lot of trips to Argentina. Stay for about three weeks and away for a month or so.

 

[Somewhereinba]

Also have many stamps and my last trip was a bit unnerving for me at EZE: immigration. When entering, the agent took off and I guess conferred with someone. After about five minutes or so she returned and gave me a ninety day tourist stamp. Did not say anything. When departing about three weeks later, same deal, agent took off and returned in about five minutes and gave the exit stamp. Asked if everything is OK and she said "no problems." Know she made some entries into the computer, what they were is a anyone's guess. The exit thing kind of baffled me, in Argentina for 22 days. My best guess is they keep a running total for the days spent in Argentina. Have never over stayed or even come close. Just make a lot of trips to Argentina. Stay for about three weeks and away for a month or so.

My situation is similar, I am never in the country more than 180 days of the year so I guess we can't be classed as a permatourist.

 

[Icabod]

You guys are probably fine since you are entering Argentina and they are lax with the rules and glad to have you here spending money. However, Argentinian immigration, like the immigration of any country, can make the decision at the border on whether or not you can enter the country. The visa is permission to go there and knock on the door - la migra decides whether or not they will let you actually enter.

If you are staying here half of the year then you fall into unusual circumstances and might need to explain them. There are reasons why you might be doing it that are completely legit: trust fund kid, love to travel and don't mind living on the cheap, etc. The normal concern of most countries is that you are working, or studying, or doing something that would explain your extended length of time - and the ability to pay for it - that isn't covered with a tourist visa.

My professional opinion.

 

[dennisr]

You guys are probably fine since you are entering Argentina and they are lax with the rules and glad to have you here spending money. However, Argentinian immigration, like the immigration of any country, can make the decision at the border on whether or not you can enter the country. The visa is permission to go there and knock on the door - la migra decides whether or not they will let you actually enter.

If you are staying here half of the year then you fall into unusual circumstances and might need to explain them. There are reasons why you might be doing it that are completely legit: trust fund kid, love to travel and don't mind living on the cheap, etc. The normal concern of most countries is that you are working, or studying, or doing something that would explain your extended length of time - and the ability to pay for it - that isn't covered with a tourist visa.

My professional opinion.

Thanks, hope you are correct. My other thought for the close scrutiny, us$$ dilemma in AR. Suspected of being some sort of money mule, if there is such a thing. Am clean, just a guess. One thing for sure, if an Argentine was entering the US with as many entry/exit stamps as I have for Argentina, the poor soul would be in the sweat box: secondary screening.

 

[sleslie23]

The US State Department charges you to "insert" pages in your passport, but there is no additional charge if you request extra pages when getting a new passport.

 

[NickF]

I'm out of pages now on my US passport and was looking into what I had to do this morning to get more pages... found out you can go to to American embassy in the morning without an appointment, drop off the passport, and come back same day in the afternoon after 3:30 and they will have more pages added. Cost though is US 82.

 

[DontMindMe]

Yes, after picking mine up today I can confirm that sleslie23 is correct. It's on the application, first page at the top. Check the box for 28 pages (standard) or 52 pages.

 

[John.St]

... I am in the country less than 180 days a year and I never work there, am I breaking any law and do they have a right to not let me enter - I get some funny looks when they flip through the pages and see a lot of argentina stamps? I spoke to a lawyer who said I was doing nothing illegal and they can't say anything - any confirmation?

Less than 180 days a year in Argentina, and you are well within both law Nº 25.871 and Decreto 616/2010, which define the immigration rules.

Truth is: nobody really cares; I have entered with more than 50 stamps and not a word of caution, although it took a little time for the chap in immigrations to thumb through all the pages (probably to see if I had been expelled at some point in time).