My hotel asks for my passport and visa details at check-in
Normal. Hotels must register foreign guests with the immigration bureau.
The national government portal says hotels and other places that host foreigners must submit each guest's details on Form C to the Foreigners Registration Office. So a hotel scanning or copying your passport and visa page is routine.
Say this
“Can I have my passport back after you scan it?”
Do this
- Let them scan or copy it at the desk.
- Take your passport back before you go to your room.
- Keep your own photo of the passport and visa pages on your phone.
When it is not normal
A copy or scan is normal. A hotel that wants to keep your original passport for the whole stay, or asks for a big cash deposit in its place, is worth questioning. Ask your embassy or the 1363 helpline.
Use this instead
Your own booking confirmation, to check what the hotel asked for.
Where this comes from · checked Oct 2026
Traveller posts are individual accounts, not a count. This is guidance, not legal advice or a guarantee. When in doubt, don't pay and check with your hotel.