On one of my several holidays to indonesia the officer forgot to stamp my passport with the stamp of an exit visa. I went to my country and when I returned to indonesia again I faced investigation about how I had left indonesia without the exit stamp. It took me six hours to prove to them that I left on 21th of September on Garuda flight and my name was on the manefist as a VIP traveller. After seeing the manefist they granted me an entry visa to enter Indonesia. Those six hours I ll never forget and I get the lesson that I must check my passport when I get in and out of any country. Imagine what should happen if I could not prove to them that I had left on due time? Of course jail and fine could have been the result of the failure of the proof and the mistake of the passport Officer. In fact, "the mistake was the officer's mistake not mine", "because it is his duty to stamp the passport of those who leave the country". Any way, the second lesson I get is that no one will confess his/her mistake, and no one accept false accusation and silly justifications. The third lesson I get that no one scratches your skin as your nail. I hope when you travel you pay attention to the stamps, otherwise, God knows what will happen to innocent good travellers as a result of the mistakes of the passport officers.
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The same thing happened to me on my way back to the US. The officer couldn't find the exit stamp on my passport. I was told that I should check my passport if properly stamped each time I go in and out of the country. It just never occurred to me that something like that is possible. But unlike you, I was just asked few questions and was sent my way. Mine was not a big deal. It was obvious that it was their mistake not mine.
Hi Ohnie,
Thank you for the support, but my experience was very bad and I felt that I was terrorised by the Passport officers. It was not my mistake. Thus, they should have apologised for me instead of threatning innocent travellers by jail and fine. they could have been more gentle, humanitarian, and civilised in their dealing with people. They were very rough and asked me to show them the last holiday ticket and the boarding card which I kept in a file in my country. I told them I did not carry that with me. They left me in the airport and gave me some time to bring the manefist from Garuda Office to prove that I left on the 21 th of September. Thanks God I got my mobile phone with me and I called my Embassy and told them about the case. The Embassy promised to interfere, but the good people of Garuda were very fast and got the right manefist with the exact day of departure with my name and the seat number. After seeing the proof they granted me the entry visa and when I finished my holiday I checked my passport by my self, and learnt that I must check my passport by myself everywhere even if I travel to the moon. Finally, I think that everyone must apologise for his/her mistake instead of making troubles to torists because their mistakes will hinder tourism in Indonesia and people will not go to them. Thank you very much for the support and I am going to inform their embassy in my country about the case.