Hi everyone, Have any travelers recently returned to Morocco via the border at Ceuta? If so, how is the crossing at Moroccan customs going right now? Are there any products bought in Ceuta that are banned from import into Morocco? Thanks for your replies! Hope you had a great holiday

Hi there,

We’re heading to Southeast Asia for several months as a family with two teens (10 and 13). The first country we’re visiting is Cambodia. I’m having an issue with the e-visa—it won’t accept any of the documents I’m attaching. I’ve validated all four e-visas and received the registration numbers, but when I check the application, it shows no attachments. I’ve tried multiple times in different formats (PDF, JPEG, PNG), whether compressed or not, but there’s always a red cross next to the documents.

Has anyone else run into this problem?

Thanks for your help—I’m losing patience, and our departure is in 15 DAYS 😕

Magos

Hi there, I just got back to France and realized I don’t have a stamp in my French passport. Is it normal that at Suvarnabhumi Airport customs didn’t stamp my passport? I’m really worried because I have to go back in a month and I don’t know what to expect when I arrive at Thai customs. I’m afraid of the consequences, like a fine or worse—being blacklisted from entering Thailand. Has anyone else had this happen? And if it’s not normal, what can I do to avoid any problems?

Hi everyone,

As the owner of a Peugeot 404 in Algeria, I have the opportunity to renovate it in France. My question is whether, administratively, I’m allowed to take my car out in a rusty, worn state and bring it back in great condition—will customs, the technical service, or any other administration have an issue with that?

Thanks in advance for your feedback and insights. Have a great day

Hi there, We’re doing a staged tour of Africa in our Citroën Dyane 2CV. We left Belgium and our car is currently in Zambia. We’ll be joining it at the start of 2025 to continue on to Malawi and Tanzania. We’d love to chat with overlanders who’ve already crossed these borders with a vehicle—without necessarily having a carnet de passage, given the costs and guarantees required. Thanks

Hi there,

My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.

We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?

Thanks so much for your answers! 🙂

Hi everyone, For an Egypt e-visa application, they ask online: Country you’re traveling from Now, if you’re French but leaving from Italy, for example, what do you put? Has anyone been in this situation before? Thanks

Hi there,

Let me explain. I’m cutting it close for arriving around Chinese New Year in Guizhou. There are very few options to maximize (30 days) my stay—otherwise, it’s more like 25 days. I’ve found a "possibility," but for the return flight, the plane is scheduled at 12:50 AM, which is 50 minutes after midnight. So my question is: at what point am I considered "to have left China"? Is it when I clear customs or something else? Thanks.

Hi everyone.

I’m here to share a really reassuring experience about boarding a flight from France to Guadeloupe without an ID card or passport.

Yesterday, I met up with my friend at her place around 4:00 PM. She told me to leave my bag in my car while we ran an errand because “nothing ever happens here.”

When we got back at 8:00 PM, my car window was smashed, and my bag was stolen. In a panic about forgetting something for the trip, I’d left my whole life in that bag—ID card, passport, driver’s license, health insurance card—total meltdown. It was 8:00 PM, and our flight was at 10:00 AM the next day.

We’re on the plane right now, and I’ll tell you exactly what we did.

At 8:30 PM, we went to the police station. No one was there, but there was a number to call for night emergencies. They sent a team to take our statement. We explained that clothes weren’t the issue but that we had a flight the next day. They initially said they couldn’t file the theft report until the next morning. We pleaded a little, and they finally opened the station for us. They gave us the forms for reporting a stolen passport and ID card.

These documents are called either: *"Receipt for theft report"* *"Theft report"*

Even before we finished, we started researching online to see if this paperwork would be enough. The info we found on this forum (from 2014) and what was clearly stated on the Air Caraïbes website totally crushed us. It seemed like it was completely hopeless. Only one person said it depended on the mood of the staff we’d encounter at the airport.

Awful night, total despair.

We arrived at the airport at 6:30 AM for a 10:20 AM boarding. We went to the Air Caraïbes baggage drop-off way too early to talk to someone. We explained the problem to the first woman we saw.

She immediately reassured us that we’d be able to fly. Basically, if you have the police or gendarmerie document for the theft or loss, it’s 100% okay. No issues with that.

We had to fill out a first form swearing we were telling the truth about our checked baggage, then a second one for customs after our carry-on bags were inspected.

Didn’t report the theft or loss before arriving at the airport? No problem—there’s an office in the airport that handles that. Basically, we didn’t *have* to go to the police station.

The only really important thing is to arrive *very* early to have time to sort everything out. If you show up at customs or boarding without anything prepared beforehand, you’ll obviously be turned away.

If this post reassured or helped you, feel free to leave a comment so this forum ranks higher on Google. I wish I’d read something like this last night—I would’ve slept better. This morning, my alarm went off at 4:00 AM, and unlike usual, I had a *hard* time waking up, like I was heading to prison.

That’s it. Nico and Solène, 40 years old.

Good evening, I booked a one-month stay in an Airbnb in Thailand. Is the booking confirmation enough for the 3-month single-entry tourist visa?

Hello everyone, I’m going on a trip to Egypt, and I booked it through a travel agency (Fram). The trip is in October... After reading my contract more closely, I saw that the visa would cost me 95 €, but if I apply for it in advance, it’ll only be around 25 €. I can’t find the link that lets me do it myself, for a fee of course. Can anyone help me? Thanks a million!

Hello,

We’re leaving in November 2025 for a stay of more than 60 days in Khao Lak and need to apply for a 30-day extension on-site to be allowed to stay nearly 90 days. Should we declare the flight ticket dates (November 13, 2025, to February 9, 2026) directly on the electronic form (if it’s applied from May 1st) before leaving, at the risk of being denied entry (over 60 days), or declare 60 days and quickly apply for a 30-day extension once there? Are flight tickets checked upon arrival (Phuket) or earlier on the electronic entry request? I remember that the arrival check is quite "serious" and after 18 hours of travel, you’re pretty impressionable! Thanks for your help, Best, Bruno.

Hi there, My departure is slowly approaching, and now that I’ve got my Russian visa sorted, I’m fine-tuning the rest of my trip to Tajikistan. Since the Tajik visa is no longer required for stays under 30 days (for French nationals), I’ll need to visit the Ministry of Interior (OVIR) to register within 10 days of entering the country. No big deal, though, since I had to go there anyway to apply for my GBAO permit. 😉 However, I’ve *seen* several reports from travelers (mostly motorized) mentioning that you need an entry permit for Kyrgyzstan, which has to be arranged in advance at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) in Dushanbe. Otherwise, you’re *stuck* at the Kyzyl-Art border (with no Wi-Fi, of course, to try and sort it out). The most recent report was from a year ago, so I’d love to know if this is still the case and if it’s indeed at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) where you need to go for this pre-authorization. Does anyone have any recent info on this? Thanks in advance!

Hi there, we’re planning our trip to the North Cape this summer. We bought a new vehicle for it. Unfortunately, the registration document is still being processed, and the delay seems long—I don’t think I’ll have it in time for our departure... I have the transfer documents, insurance in my name, and all the supporting paperwork, but not the registration document. So my question is: does the ferry company require the registration document *mandatorily* when boarding in Denmark or not? Thanks for any insights...

Hi there,

We’re planning to drive to Senegal by car. We’re a little nervous because it’ll be our first time making the trip with a car that isn’t ours. We’re doing the trip to deliver it to its owner. Has anyone here done this before? What documents will we need?

Thanks in advance for your tips!

Hi everyone, in a few months I need to bring my Thai partner to France. I’m going to prepare the "attestation d’accueil" for 3 months. On the form, they ask me to act as a financial guarantor for her stay—no problem for me. But on the visa application, France asks her to prove she has sufficient income to get the visa. Is it still necessary for her to prove that, given that I’m acting as her financial guarantor? Thanks

Hi everyone, I’m reaching out to the community with a quick question. I’m leaving for the United States soon and don’t have time to renew my passport. However, there are some pretty visible ink stains on the edges of the pages, but the page with my identity info is completely clean. Do you think I’ll be able to enter the United States without any issues? Thanks in advance for your replies! Have a great day!

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my experience in case it helps others. I applied for an ESTA to travel to the United States, but unfortunately, it was denied because I checked a "Yes" box by mistake. I then tried contacting several numbers I found here on the forum for help or to find out how to reset my ESTA application, but most of them no longer work. One of the numbers I called wasn’t even assigned (it came from a 2015 discussion). I also tried reaching the U.S. Embassy in Paris, but they told me to apply for a visa instead.

If anyone knows the correct official number or procedure to reset a denied ESTA application, I’d really appreciate it. My departure is in 2 weeks, and I won’t have time to get a visa.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Numbers I’ve already contacted: 202-325-7171 202-325-8000 1-202-877-227-5511

Non-working number found on the forum: 00 1 2023443710

Hi there,

I’m not sure what’s being said on the various European diplomatic sites, but on the Belgian one, they mention that an ESTA and/or visa aren’t a guarantee of entry. Immigration services have the final say—they could even ask to see your electronic devices like phones, tablets, or cameras. And there might be extra hassles for LGBTQIA+ travelers.

Hi, We're heading to Zanzibar in 6 weeks. I've been stuck for several days on the website https://visa.immigration.go.tz/ because we need to specify whether we're employed or self-employed, but the "employer" and "profession" fields are grayed out. It's a roadblock—I can't move on to the next step. I thought it might be a temporary bug, but that's not the case. I've tried filling out the form on my computer using two different browsers, on my phone, but I keep getting stuck at the same step. I emailed their contact address but haven't heard back. Has this happened to any of you? I don't know how to resolve this issue, especially to get our visas before our departure. Thanks for your help. Stéphanie

Hi, I’m leaving for Cape Verde on 11/24/2025... I tried to register on the site www.ease.gov.cv (so more than 5 days before departure). I can’t get past the email verification step (I never receive the code). I’ve tried several browsers and all 3 languages—nothing works...

Any ideas?

hi, and help! I need to complete my TDAC, but the site is stuck on page 2 under Accommodation Information: I can't fill in the "province" field—it's mandatory! I enter Bangkok, but when I scroll down to add the address... everything disappears.

What should I do? Thanks for your help! Elisabeth

Hey everyone! A small group of us are heading to Gabon for a research mission. Everyone got their visa without any issues through the e-visa site, and it only took a few days.

Except for a friend and me. We applied early, and three weeks later, still no news. And we leave in a week...

A colleague on-site tried to help us, but no updates so far.

My questions:

- Has this ever happened to you? - What are the solutions? (I’ve already tried calling, but it doesn’t work. The email contact form doesn’t work either. The Gabonese embassy isn’t functional, and they gave me a number that never answers and where you can’t even leave a message anymore.) - Can this be resolved easily at the airport? - Am I totally screwed?

Clean record, and I haven’t been to any sketchy countries. Brand-new passport...

Thanks in advance for your help! !

Hi, I have to leave for Bali and I’ve got a problem. We’re traveling as a family, but when my partner filled out our daughter’s ticket, they only put one last name, even though she has both—mine and her dad’s—on her passport. I tried to fix it to make sure everything’s correct, but the airline won’t do anything about it. Do you think this will be an issue at boarding?

Hi everyone, I’d like to take a trip from France to Malaysia and Thailand like this:

Paris to Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi

Langkawi to Koh Lipe

Bangkok to Paris

I’m wondering if I’ll run into any visa issues on arrival since I won’t have an outbound flight ticket from Malaysia and I won’t have an inbound flight ticket to Thailand. If you’ve got any tips or have done this trip before, I’d really appreciate your help.

Thanks so much.

Hi there, I’m planning a trip to Laos in February. I tried to apply for my eVisa online, but the system keeps telling me that both my address and the address of my hotel upon arrival are invalid, without any further explanation. I’ve modified them, shortened them several times, but nothing changes. I sent a message to ask for clarification but haven’t received a response. Has anyone else run into this problem? How was it resolved?

Thanks in advance, and happy New Year! 🙂

Hi there,

I’m leaving for Japan in a few weeks. I just noticed my passport has an ink stain on the signature page. Could this cause any issues?

Hi,

I read on another forum that there might be an issue with insurance for our vehicles in the Faroe Islands.

Apparently, we wouldn’t be covered once we disembark from the ferry. From what I understand, the DK on our green card no longer applies to the Faroe Islands.

Could anyone confirm this?

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I’m leaving for England tomorrow and I absolutely need to get my ETA. Problem: my phone’s camera is broken and the app requires a photo… I’m starting to panic a little—does anyone know how I can handle this? 😱

Help!! Thanks

Hi there, I’m spending a few days in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) and would like to cross the Argentine border to make a loop toward Salta and then return to Chile to drop off the rental car. I’ve heard that crossing the border can be tricky! Is it possible with a rental company’s authorization? Which company, and at what cost? Thanks for sharing your experiences! Best regards, Arnale