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How many blank pages do I need in my passport?? How many blank pages do I need in my passport??
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Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



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  #1  
Old 4 Aug 2008
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How many blank pages do I need in my passport??
Hi, I'm leaving the UK and travelling down the East coast of Africa going to Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Botwana, Namibia & S. Africa.

I've left my paperwork about visa requirements at home (I'm at work now) and I've forgotten how many blank pages I should have, I've got 7 blank double pages left, and I'm a bit worried that I need to get a new passport and time is running out - help please!

Thanks

Lucie
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Last edited by LucieT; 4 Aug 2008 at 09:39.
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  #2  
Old 4 Aug 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LucieT View Post
Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, & S. Africa.
Can't help with the others; this info is from 2005...

Kenya - half a page for entry and exit stamps
Tanzania - half a page for entry, 1/4 for exit. Extra half a page if you go to Zanzibar.
Malawi - 1/4 page for entry, can't find exit stamp (so it must be a small one)
Mozambique - 1 whole page in and out
SA - half a page in and out
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  #3  
Old 4 Aug 2008
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Not sure about pages either but some countries do take up a whole page with a visa. The other thing, which you probably know is that most African countries like at least 3 months clear before the passport runs out.
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  #4  
Old 5 Aug 2008
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blank pages
youre pushing it with only 7 pages some take a whole page others just a stamp, but if they stamp in the middle of the blank page youve lost the whole page..never be afraid to point out where yu want it stamped..but!!!!! if you can get a new one it would be better

i did that trip youll love it

jeff watts

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  #5  
Old 5 Aug 2008
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Asante!
Thanks Chaps, your combined advice has been v. helpful. I have got 7 double pages - ie 14, plus quite a few with just small stamps on so I think I'll be OK.

Lucie
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Old 11 Aug 2008
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Most African countries' visas will require AT LEAST 2 pages FACING each other, i.e. not 1 page with 2 sides. The 1 page will be used for the actual visa sticker and the other page will be used for the stamps relating to that visa.

No country will place a visa sticker on a page that already has a stamp, no matter how small that stamp is.

7 double pages is useless. I suggest you apply for the 42 page jumbo size UK passport. You could get it in 24 hours if you use the express service that the Identity and Passport Service offer.

P.S. Under no circumstances try to enter South Africa with anything less than 2 free blank pages left in your passport. There are numerous stories in the press of people being denied entry into South Africa because they have not had 2 blank pages left in their passport.

Two blank page passport law: Heads up | South Africa Logue
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  #7  
Old 11 Aug 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kakpraat View Post
Most African countries' visas will require AT LEAST 2 pages FACING each other, i.e. not 1 page with 2 sides. The 1 page will be used for the actual visa sticker and the other page will be used for the stamps relating to that visa.

No country will place a visa sticker on a page that already has a stamp, no matter how small that stamp is.
Well... I have a Tanzania sticker on a page which already held a Kenya stamp; and a SA sticker on a page which already held a Swazi stamp. I found border fellas often quite helpful if you treated them with respect/friendliness.

And... out of 20 African countries, only Benin seemed to give a toss about where the exit stamps went. Mine are all over.
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Old 12 Aug 2008
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I wouldn't worry about it too much. Most likely you can go to your embassy in any country and have pages added. This is what I did several times (though in different passports) The US Embassies will do this, I believe only once per passport. I assume you are from the UK and would think the British Embassies would do the same, but I would verify this.

Have a great ride!
Last edited by rhinoculips; 12 Aug 2008 at 06:05.
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  #9  
Old 12 Aug 2008
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I would worry about it, unlike US passports, British passports can not have new pages added to them when they are full. A full new passport has to be applied for. Furthermore applying for a new British passport while you're on the road in a foreign country will take weeks to do.

The last thing you want is to be denied a visa by some jobsworth African official because you don't have enough blank pages in your passport, especially when you KNOW you only have 7 pages left and you still have time to apply for a new jumbo passport before you leave.

This may all sound pedantic but why chance it when the solution is so clear?
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  #10  
Old 12 Aug 2008
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Hi
Hi Lucie,

Thanks for PM and Libya listing,

Re Passports: East coast is not so crazy, but I started empty and was full by Cape Town on the W coast. The bigger page passport ( cann't remember how many) seems like an expense at the time, but probably pays off later.

Bite the bullet, new passport, big as poss.
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