Why does a travel agency in Cappadocia ask for a passport copy even for a self-drive trip without flights, and is it safe to give it?
Based on 1 discussion with 3 participants · Last activity: 19 days ago
TL;DR
It's usually not the agency itself but hotels (for check-in registration) and transfer companies (who log passenger data for police checks) that need passport copies. If you're driving yourself and not booking accommodation or transfers through an agency, you shouldn't need to share your passport — be cautious of suspicious requests.
What the community said
If you're driving yourself with no accommodation or transfer bookings through a third party, you don't need to hand your passport copy to an unfamiliar company — be cautious, this can be a scam attempt (e.g. taking out a loan in your name). Abroad, it's best not to advertise that you're carrying a foreign passport at all.
21 days ago
If accommodation is booked by an agency or directly with a hotel, passport data is required under local guest-registration rules — but this is usually collected at check-in, not requested in advance by the agency.
22 days ago
For transfer bookings, passport details are entered into the driver's route sheet — this lets traffic police verify during checks that the passengers in the vehicle are registered, not random people.
22 days ago
Tour/excursion companies may also ask for passport details for the same reason — to compile participant lists, not because of some new special law.
22 days ago