Tips for boarder controls

[captinktm]

I don't know about you but I dread them, my personal favorite is the Turkish one, which I have crossed many many times and spent hours there, the longest stay being 8 hours!
So I thought that a few tips would be in order. I would hope that other guys can post a few tips on other boarder crossing so helping us all.

Now as far as I know the only way to get into Turkey is with a electronic visa which cost about £20 sqid and is easy to obtain. once you have that printed off your good to go. Obviously as with other countries you also have to have a passport or travel document that is valid for at least 6 months or more from the date of entry.
That gets you in but not the bike. here's where it can get tricky.
Firstly on entering the boarder control on the Turkish side they will want your papers all they are doing at this point is checking you in to the system. BUT be very careful, make sure that the guy takes the registration from the document and not from the plate which could be covered in muck or in some cases written differently. They will read from top to bottom, and left to right so my reg reads BTK 0278 but this is not the same as the V5 that reads BT0278K. This will mean that when you get to the exit you will not be aloud to leave and could, did take 5 hours to rectify.

You will need insurance (green card) to cover Turkey. Now here in Bulgaria they include Turkey on the Green card but other countries may not so check it. Not a problem if you have not got cover as this can be obtain at the boarder, at a cost. Minimum of three months. It's also only third party and probably not worth the paper it's written on, I have had 2 accidents in Turkey both of which were settle with money not insurance.
You will need your registration documents for the bike, and they need to be the originals anything else will mean a u turn. I have found that crossing the Turkish boarder anywhere other than Edirne ( Bulgaria) or Ipsala (Greek) which are main crossings, is a very good idea they both are very busy most of the time and the staff seem more ...........unhelpful. There are two more crossings on the Bulgarian boarder one at Lesovo, and Malko Tarnovo, both of which will take you a bit longer but you will probably save this time with easier crossing and no ques.
Lastly Turks don't like being shouted at it's probably the worst thing you can do to a male Turk so DON'T, this is rich coming from me as I rarely get though without a pistol whipping. But it matters not weather you are right or wrong they are always right. Best times to cross are late at night or early afternoon. Turks don't eat breakfast and are ............um how shall I put this, a bit tizzy until 12 noon when they break for there lunch.
So I hope that other guys will add more advice about this and other boarder crossings helping us all.

[Simon_100]

That's a good idea and a really useful one. I'm nor demeaning the topic but it's worth noting that the Horizons Unlimited page has a special section for this giving details of pretty much everywhere and is always being updated by users.

But what isn't there are your very good advice about how to treat 'Officialdom' in various countries/regions. I think that in general it's always best to be polite, not necessarily passive, to officials in spite of their apparent intransigence - not to mention a sort of 'power kick' sometimes ...

I had a good reminder of this at Kiev airport the other night, as usual I chose the short queue at passport control only to find that the guy actually at the counter was causing big delays, so, vexed like everyone else, I hopped over to one that was moving. No way! I was shouted at by everyone, including the official at that control and other people in my own queue! A really post-soviet mindset perhaps?

Here in Spain there's aren't really any border controls apart form Andorra - lots of checks for contraband - and Gibraltar, which can be effectively closed if our respective governments have a tiff or spat over sovereignty. But in general never, ever, give backchat to a police officer - especially the Guardia Civil! who do traffic in most of Spain - you won't see the Policies Nacional - see below.

Funny post script though. The next evening as my fellow TET Linesmen began to arrive from all over Europe we mat at a bar that happened to have a live salsa music band from Cuba playing - several of the waiters were Cubans, i.e. Spanish speakers, so I got chatting them - and guess what, there was my man from the passport playing the lead guitar. So, his problem was a) entering the country to 'work' and the Cuba is still very much linked to Russia, not a good alliance to be in if you're travelling in Ukraine right now!*

More anecdotes please!

Simon
* yesterday we passed the Spanish embassy - in a s*** hole location by the docks on the Dnepro river - that's the Ukranian version of Dnpr - and my 'friends', who know I live in Catalonia, suggested I go over and give a friendly greeting in Catalan to the heavily armed, and very well wrapped up, 'Policia Nacional' patrolling outside - Oh how I laughed.

[PaulinBont]

Top tip: have your paperwork in order , be respectful and smile a lot

[bill_qaz]

Tips for boarder controls

Top Tip
Watch out for wild ones crossing , the tusks can be nasty

[Simon_100]

Tips for boarder controls

Top Tip
Watch out for wild ones crossing , the tusks can be nasty

Especially board and lodging ...

[Chasbmw]

Boarder controls....be relaxed, be patient, don’t lose your cool, smile even.......assume people understand English even If they don’t let on, so no smart arse remarks.

I was in customs in Medillin, trying to get my bike into the country, there was a German guy there going in the opposite direction, he had been travelling alone for a while and it had got to him, so he was telling me in English how crap everything was in South America, I couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

I took some pride that we got through all the American borders without paying any bribes at all and that included getting into Bolivia without using the Carnet

[gbags]

Captain mentions Turkey. I was there by bike a couple of years back and sailed through with the online visa that we picked up a week or so earlier.
Six countries in Southern Africa last year, including Zimbabwe. My wife and I travel alone on one bike. We’d heard horror stories about Zimbabwe but I have to say it was easy. Slow, but easy because everything had to be done by hand, in triplicate.
I agree with the earlier people who say be friendly, have the right paperwork and smile. Having a smiley wife also helps.
In Africa, always ask how they are. Show an interest. Have a chat at checkpoints.