Where did you hear that from gramps? Past 3 times I've stayed in private accommodation I've never been asked for anything like that. Also staying in private accommodation this time and haven't been told I need to provide the copies

It's yet another new rule they've dug up for this season. I got an email from my accommodation warning me of this a couple of days ago. Ouir friends were alerted bu their cruise line last May before they left the UK. I understand Tour Operaters are warning their clients of this before they leave, so I'm afraid it's a fact. Unfortunatley if you are going DIY your accommodation might, or might not, alert you to this.
Alan

When I read about this yesterday, I contacted First Choice customer services who knew nothing about it. I then emailed the hotel where we will be staying who responded by saying that they would like one photocopy of our visa and passport. I assume that if they need further copies, they will use their own copier.

More nonsense, they grant you a visa with all details, you fill more forms in on plane with the same details, they always take your passport at hotels for 24 hours to take more details, sad and pathetic process to go through..

I agree Spike. It is more faff.

What about those people who go on tours of India, will they need to take extra copies of their visa and passport for each hotel? What happens to the copies you supply?

We contacted Jewel in the Crown and they said they are sending out letters with tickets to inform people of this but they said all we need is 1 photo and no photocopies of anything. We will be touring India in April so will have to take loads of photos with us but will also take lots of photocopies of passport and visa just in case. I will take copies and photos with me to Goa too just in case as we will need them for sim cards. They will have more photos of me than my own family by the time I have finished. Will probably get extras when we get to Goa in December as it will be cheaper.

Goodness me, what an absolute palaver

I think all hotels/ campsites/ etc in foreign countries take a copy of your passpost & visa (if required) or at least note down the details when staying at a hotel. It's why you hand your passport in when you check in.

It's a security thing & the onus is on the hotelier to collect the info. It's basically so they know where everyone is at any time (i.e. if the embassy/ police whoever need to find you).

I first had this happen to me back in the late 80's, early 90's in Italy and the reason given was as above.

It's not done in private accommodation for obvious reasons - it's unenforcable

It'd be interesting to know what the routine is here in the uk - anyone own a hotel?

It's not done in private accommodation for obvious reasons - it's unenforcable

In Cuba it is done in private accommodation and is enforceable and enforced. The first thing that is done when you arrive in 'casa particulare' in Cuba is that the landlady/householder asks for your passport and takes down all the details in a register they are required to keep for the purpose and the guest has to sign to say that the entry is accurate. Spot checks are done regularly by the licencing authorities and if the register isn't being kept properly then the householder loses their licence to take in paying guests and hence loses a good supplementary source of income. So it's in their interests to ensure that they do keep this register properly. Also, if you aren't licensed but do have guests in your house overnight then the penalties are even greater.

What also interested me was that on one occasion, arranged in advance with my landlady, I invited my dance teacher back to the casa for lunch as a 'thank you' after he'd given me a private lesson and immediately he arrived, my landlady's husband asked to see his identity card. Carlos just produced it as if this was perfectly normal whenever a non-family member arrived at the door and Manolo checked it over, made a note of the number and handed it back. When I later asked why, I was told that this is because householders are responsible for everybody under their roof and that it was perfectly reasonable of Manolo to check that Carlos did have his ID card with him and Carlos would also expect him to do so. That way they were both covered if either the police or the licensing inspectors turned up because the relevant documentation would have been in order in relation to everybody who was is the house at the time.

I guess the difference between India and Cuba is not the level of bureacracy (they are probably both pretty high up the league table!) but that Cuba is an efficient bureacracy in that they have the infrastructure in place to mean that checks ARE made and so everybody complies just in case a check is carried out. Coupled of course with penalties that really bite if you are caught not complying with the regulations. And possibly that the laws against trying to bribe officials are also enforced and are pretty draconian too.

When I was in a taxi in Havana Vieja that was stopped by the police going the wrong way up a one way street - the driver had struggled to work out how he could drop me at my door due to the complicated one-way system in the old city and had refused to let me get out at the nearest corner because it was 3am in the morning. I asked him what would happen to him now and he said that he'd probably be fined. So I asked did he have to pay it on the spot because I would pay it there and then if he did because it had only happened because he was concerned with my safety. This was my first trip to Cuba and I was a bit of an innocent but the driver nearly had kittens because he was really worried that the two policemen would think that I'd just offered to bribe them to let him off! Luckily, we were then able to explain that I wasn't trying to bribe them but just make sure that he wasn't out of pocket as result of wanting to make sure I got home safely. Once I'd established what sort of level fine he would probably get notice of having to pay at the local police station, I just made sure that I added it to the fare - it was peanuts by our standards - and all ended well. But I gather that in Goa the police would have been more than ready to accept an 'on-the-spot fine'?

SM