Landing cards

bobblebob

Them forms you have to fill out when visiting most countries, do they actually do anything with them?

Filled one out when visiting Tanzania and Nepal over the years, and you could put anything on them. They just throw them to one side, take the money for the visa and stamp your passport. They must get thousands every day and unless they use them for statistical data seems they're more interested in the cash for the visa than anything else

DTDfanBoy

They are primarily used as a legal declaration in order to stop border officials having to ask every passenger the same questions.

They are used differently in each country, some may bin them on the spot others will keep them as a record.

In the vast majority of countries they are a legal declaration, for example if you don't declare an apple when entering New Zealand you can expect to receive a $400 on the spot fine, don't declare the £20,000 in your briefcase they can seize it etc :eek:

It also helps immigration/customs officials prove intent if the need arises.

It isn't wise to write down anything you want on them, in most places it's an offence to provide a false declaration, punishment can range from simply being denied entry to being escorted to the nearest jail

Simply refusing to fill a card in on arrival to the UK will get you a £5,000 fine or up to six months in prison if they wish to pursue the matter

bobblebob

One i recently filled in to get into Morocco didnt ask me to declare anything, just wanted to know my name/age/passport details (which are all on my passport anyway so not sure why) and where i was staying.

Wanted to know my job aswell and both entry and exit they couldnt understand what National Health Service was when i wrote that down. I just said im a doctor even though im not as it was the only thing they understood

PompeyPete

Landing Cards have got no relevance to visas.
Filling in a LC correctly won't get you into a country where you also need a visa, particularly so if you can't get a VOA.

InsideInsurance

Years ago before the Mrs became british I called UKBA at Heathrow to discuss both their delaying her coming through a few days earlier and how to avoid such issues when she was going to be travelling in a couple of weeks time when she'd actually have become british but still wouldnt have a british passport

Coincidentally the chap I spoke to, said he was the chief immigration officer for the airport, said that he'd actually got my wifes landing card on his desk as we spoke.

Didnt ask what he was doing with it but clearly they werent simply binning them (or he was lying)

Inevitably just as the requirement to complete them and what info they ask for varies by country I suspect what is done with them also varies.

Doshwaster

I once got pulled up by Jobsworth immigration guy when flying into the US as I had't put the street number of the hotel I was stopping in, just (for example) "Hilton Hotel, Main Street". I said that I didn't know the number and that it was the only hotel on the street.

"Sir, I need a number"
"Sorry, I don't know it."
"Sir, I just need a number..."
"100?"
"Have a nice day, sir"