Slovakia Can Fine Travellers 1,600 Euros for Not Carrying a Passport

Travellers in Slovakia are required to carry a passport as identification, and current UK government guidance says anyone who cannot produce ID when police request it can be fined up to 1,600 euros. Slovakia is one of seven countries where government guidance tells foreign visitors to keep an original passport or a qualifying residence document on them at all times.

Key facts

• Slovakia: fine of up to 1,600 euros for failing to show identification to police
• Seven countries covered: Japan, China, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Uzbekistan and Turkey
• China: the rule applies to foreigners aged 16 and older
• Hungary: a photocopy of a passport does not satisfy the requirement
• Japan: violations of the carry rule are subject to criminal penalties
• Mid- to long-term residents in some countries can use a residence card instead of a passport

Which countries require you to carry your passport?

Japan's Immigration Services Agency says foreign nationals must carry a passport and show it to an authorised official on request. The exception is mid- to long-term residents who hold a residence card; tourists have no substitute document, and violations are subject to criminal penalties.

China's Exit and Entry Administration Law requires foreigners aged 16 and over to carry a passport, another international travel document, or a stay or residence permit and to accept inspection. Current UK guidance says printed copies are not accepted during police checks, and failure to produce the document can lead to a fine or detention.

Hungary's guidance is direct: visitors should always carry their passport and show identification if police ask, and a photocopy is not sufficient. Travellers holding a Hungarian residence permit can use that document where applicable. In Czechia, carrying identification is a legal requirement; police may fine or arrest someone who cannot produce it, although authorities will normally accept a passport scan if the traveller is not suspected of a crime.

In Uzbekistan, visitors must carry their passport at all times and police conduct identification checks; failure to do so can result in a fine or arrest. Turkish law makes it illegal to be without photographic identification, and guidance tells visitors to carry a passport or residence permit, particularly because police check people in busy districts and at road checkpoints.

What happens if you cannot show identification?

Penalties vary by country. Slovakia can issue a fine of up to 1,600 euros, while China's guidance warns of a fine or detention and Uzbekistan's of a fine or arrest. In Czechia, police may fine or arrest a person who cannot produce identification, and in Japan the carry rule is backed by criminal penalties.

Who can use another document?

Residents often have an alternative. Japan accepts a residence card held by mid- to long-term residents, Hungary accepts a residence permit where applicable, and Turkey accepts a residence permit. Short-term tourists in these destinations should plan on carrying a passport unless the authorities confirm another accepted form of identification.

What this means for travellers

Leaving a passport in a hotel safe can protect it from pickpockets but may leave a visitor unable to answer a roadside or street-level police request. Guidance for Uzbekistan notes that hotel staff may temporarily hold a passport for registration, so travellers should confirm when it will be returned before heading out.

The practical advice is to carry the original document in a concealed, water-resistant holder where the destination requires it, and to keep a separate digital or paper copy in case the passport is lost. Rules can change, so a fresh check of official travel advice before every trip is as important as checking the passport's expiry date.