Strange or surprising laws you have seen in other countries.

[johnnychips]

I’m in Barcelona and just fancied a beer in my room at 2335. Despite many all-night supermarkets, I found out that they are not allowed to sell alcohol after 2300. Of course, I could go to a bar and drink all night if it were open.

I do realise that this was the situation in the UK till about ten years ago, but I was surprised at Spain. Apparently it is to stop groups of youths buying alcohol and keeping the neighbourhood up all night by being raucous and playing loud music.

Any other examples of laws abroad that surprised you, not restricted to alcohol?

 

[kristiang85]

There's a few oddities that spring to mind...

When I was in Macedonia it was 7pm limit on alcohol selling.

And when I went to stay with a friend in Sweden, I arrived on a Saturday and she rushed me from the airport to one of their official government booze shops before anything else as they shut at 2pm.

In Pakistan I had to get a "licence" to drink in my hotel - basically I had to prove I wasn't Muslim, they gave me a signed bit of paper, and from then on whenever I wanted a beer I would ring down and it would be discreetly delivered to my room. My atheist Malaysian colleague on the other hand, who loved a drink, wasn't allowed a permit as his passport was from a Muslim country...

In Northern Territory of Australia I had to show ID with every purchase and it was logged in a central system, knowing how many drinks I had purchased that day in the state (I think the limit was something like 24 beers). It also checks if you are a "banned drinker" or not.

My favourite though is probably Svalbard. As a tourist, you aren't really affected, but residents have an alcohol card which limits the number of beers and spirits they can buy a week (The only week it isn't enforced is Christmas Week). It comes from the time it was a mining community and the mine management didn't want their workers being constantly drunk, so they limited their consumption. It has continued to this day, but more as a protection against illness and injury given healthcare is very hard to get in the remote islands. However, there are drinks that have no restrictions - wine and champagne. That's because the mines' owners liked to drink these so never set a limit. Apparently that is still the case today. Also, because Svalbard is tax free but imports are very expensive, it means you can get a can of Svalbard Ale for about £2 in the shop, yet half a pint of milk is £4...

 

[westv]

Even though I've been to Spain a number of times, I didn't realise until last year that you were supposed to carry ID with you when you are there!

 

[Broucek]

In the ultra - liberal (in many other ways) Netherlands, there are controls on what you can name a child

 

[Iskra]

I always find Jaywalking laws a bit odd, and I guess the countries where they exist do too since they seem to be rarely enforced.

 

[gordonthemoron]

NSW seems to occasionally have restrictions on drinking spirits in pubs, spirits would only be served with mixers, not neat. I encountered this around ANZAC day but on other occasions there’s been nothing said.

 

[dosxuk]

I always find Jaywalking laws a bit odd, and I guess the countries where they exist do too since they seem to be rarely enforced.

Especially in the US with their rules about turning right on a red light, so pedestrians, crossing on a green light can find themselves in the middle of the road with a car coming at them that has right of way.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

In the ultra - liberal (in many other ways) Netherlands, there are controls on what you can name a child

This is also teh case in Germany. In General the German philosphy is to prioritise protecting people from the harmful effects of the actions of others above protecting the rights of people to do whatever they want. This starts withe the constitution which names "Human Dignity" as the most basic human right, before personal freedom.
So the basic idea of restricting the naming of Children to established names is to avoid children being embarassed/disadvantaged by their parents picking a stupid name for them.

Especially in the US with their rules about turning right on a red light, so pedestrians, crossing on a green light can find themselves in the middle of the road with a car coming at them that has right of way.

Anecdotal evidence suggests walking in any manner in the US outside of major city is enough to attract the attention of law enforcement, if only because the police may be concerned about your sanity

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Even stranger? In Japan people are to be officially encouraged to drink more alcohol.

To be fair (?) the motivation is to increase tax revenue.

 

[dosxuk]

So the basic idea of restricting the naming of Children to established names is to avoid children being embarassed/disadvantaged by their parents picking a stupid name for them.

When you see the names freely chosen by the likes of Elon Musk (X AE A-XII) or Jacob Rees-Mogg (Sixtus), the justification is easy to see.

 

[Gloster]

I don’t know about now, but before the Euro it used to be the situation in France that you had to have 10 Francs on you at all times. If you didn’t they could arrest you for vagrancy. You also had to have official ID on you, although if this happened within your commune there would be no repercussions if they could accompany you to your house and check it.

France is another country with restrictions on the names given to children. I think they have a (long) list, but you can apply for permission to use a name not on the list.

 

[Scousemouse]

In Oregon it is illegal to be present in public carrying a concealed weapon over six feet in length.

 

[Broucek]

Especially in the US with their rules about turning right on a red light, so pedestrians, crossing on a green light can find themselves in the middle of the road with a car coming at them that has right of way.

I always thought that the pedestrian had right of way in those circumstances (along with cars on the road you are joining).

 

[Cloud Strife]

There are restrictions on names in Poland too, although mostly for grammar reasons. Most women have names ending in A as a result, although there are some exceptions. Any name that doesn't end in a completely breaks the grammar system.

In terms of strange laws, one awkward one for me is that it's illegal to wash your car at your own property. You need to take it to a car wash, or you need to drain the water/soap/whatever into a closed circuit that doesn't have access to the public sewage system.

 

[J-2739]

In Oregon it is illegal to be present in public carrying a concealed weapon over six feet in length.

Guess I'm never going there then...

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don’t know about now, but before the Euro it used to be the situation in France that you had to have 10 Francs on you at all times. If you didn’t they could arrest you for vagrancy. You also had to have official ID on you, although if this happened within your commune there would be no repercussions if they could accompany you to your house and check it.

Compulsory identity carry is very common in European countries. The Netherlands is another that has it. Germany I believe only sort-of does in that there's no penalty for not carrying but you can be detained while the Police verify your identity if they see it as necessary.

 

[westv]

Compulsory identity carry is very common in European countries. The Netherlands is another that has it. Germany I believe only sort-of does in that there's no penalty for not carrying but you can be detained while the Police verify your identity if they see it as necessary.

I've never bothered in Spain (as per previous post I didn't realise) and I won't bother when we go again in October. If I post to here from jail when we are there you will all know it went wrong!
What do tourists carry? There is no way I would take my passport out and about with me.

 

[SargeNpton]

In the ultra - liberal (in many other ways) Netherlands, there are controls on what you can name a child

Similary in Iceland.

Perhaps because, in the case of males, their first name becomes part of their own offsprings' surname - so any odd name carries on through two generations.

 

[AlterEgo]

When you see the names freely chosen by the likes of Elon Musk (X AE A-XII) or Jacob Rees-Mogg (Sixtus), the justification is easy to see.

Sixtus is an excellent name shared by several popes (sadly they only went up to five, there was never a Sixtus the Sixth!) and is Latin, just like my name and many others.

 

[duncombec]

Even though I've been to Spain a number of times, I didn't realise until last year that you were supposed to carry ID with you when you are there!

I think it's remarkably common in a lot of European countries (where ID cards are 'a thing') - you certainly have to in Germany and Italy, too. I actually got stopped in Ostia (presumably the combination of my photographing buses and trudging along after an irritating morning made me look suspicious!). I never used to carry it in Germany and was lucky never to be stopped (although I did have to remember when using any group rail tickets that required a named ID holder to be entered onto the ticket), although I did once border hop to Denmark without it, and got quite worried when I saw two Danish policemen on patrol at the station - I made sure to stay behind them until they reached their office!

This is also teh case in Germany. In General the German philosphy is to prioritise protecting people from the harmful effects of the actions of others above protecting the rights of people to do whatever they want. This starts withe the constitution which names "Human Dignity" as the most basic human right, before personal freedom.
So the basic idea of restricting the naming of Children to established names is to avoid children being embarassed/disadvantaged by their parents picking a stupid name for them.

German rules also require the gender of the person to be easily identifiable, if not through first name, through the middle name(s). What you shorten them to afterwards, though, is obviously personal choice.

In terms of strange laws, one awkward one for me is that it's illegal to wash your car at your own property. You need to take it to a car wash, or you need to drain the water/soap/whatever into a closed circuit that doesn't have access to the public sewage system.

Certainly true in some areas of Germany, too. A lot of areas still have small, municipal waterworks, and I believe it has something to do with how it is treated afterwards. This leads to slightly odd situations whereby people with flat driveways on one side of the road can wash their car on the driveway, as long as the water goes onto their own gardens, whilst people with sloped driveways down to the road cannot.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Try this lot then...

60 Weird Laws Around the World

Watch out: These weird laws around the world could land you behind bars!

www.farandwide.com

Examples:

It's Illegal to Reincarnate Without Permission in China

Tibetan Buddist monks are not allowed to reincarnate after they die unless they have been granted permission from the government.

We're not sure how they enforce this, but China is known for having some strict laws.

It's Illegal for Your Chicken to Cross the Road in Georgia

Yep, that's right! In an effort to encourage people to keep their chickens under control, there is a statute in Quitman, Georgia, that says you can be fined if your chicken should get loose.

This means it cannot cross the road to get to the other side.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Germany I believe only sort-of does in that there's no penalty for not carrying but you can be detained while the Police verify your identity if they see it as necessary.

Germany doesn't have a requirement to have a national ID (for German citizens), although they're obliged to have either a national ID or passport.

One thing I find strange about many European countries is that ID cards are quite expensive. In Finland for example, it's nearly 50 Euro for 5 years validity, which is ridiculous.

To be honest, at this point, I find it strange *not* to have a national ID card. I was crossing the Danish border on foot a few days ago, and as they've suspended Schengen, everyone was required to show their identity documents at the border crossing. The Danes all had to show their passports, which struck me as incredibly cumbersome. My ID card lives in my wallet, I just don't think about it. The only issue I have is that I keep writing "British" for citizenship on application forms by mistake!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Germany doesn't have a requirement to have a national ID (for German citizens), although they're obliged to have either a national ID or passport.

To have it, though unlike the Netherlands there is no financial penalty for not carrying it, just the inconvenience penalty of being detained while the Police establish who you are.

Meanwhile in the UK pretty much everyone over their early 20s (people tend to start driving later these days) carries an ID card, it's just called a driving licence. We aren't the only one with that weird setup, the US do it as well.

I think it's remarkably common in a lot of European countries (where ID cards are 'a thing') - you certainly have to in Germany and Italy, too.

There is no penalty in Germany for not carrying ID, but if the Police see fit they can detain you while your identity is verified, or take you home to get it or whatever.

In the Netherlands since the early 2000s there is a penalty for simply not carrying ID, by contrast.

I've never bothered in Spain (as per previous post I didn't realise) and I won't bother when we go again in October. If I post to here from jail when we are there you will all know it went wrong!
What do tourists carry? There is no way I would take my passport out and about with me.

In my experience anything that's definitely official will do, e.g. a driving licence (the one time I ever got asked, in Germany, it was my residency permit I showed, as I didn't generally carry my passport). Though technically it does indeed need to be your passport, so you may wish to ensure you don't fail the "attitude test". Carrying a photocopy of your passport as well isn't a bad plan.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Meanwhile in the UK pretty much everyone over their early 20s (people tend to start driving later these days) carries an ID card, it's just called a driving licence. We aren't the only one with that weird setup, the US do it as well.

I actually have my ID card on my phone, and in the near future, it will become completely equal in law to the physical ID card. It really saves a lot of hassle: for instance, in most situations where my ID card is requested, I just show them my phone and job done.

I strongly dislike the UK/US culture of having the driving licence as a de facto ID, because not everyone can get one. It really shouldn't be a big deal to introduce an optional ID card, and identity theft here is almost non-existent in comparison to the UK.

In my experience anything that's definitely official will do, e.g. a driving licence (the one time I ever got asked, in Germany, it was my residency permit I showed, as I didn't generally carry my passport). Though technically it does indeed need to be your passport, so you may wish to ensure you don't fail the "attitude test". Carrying a photocopy of your passport as well isn't a bad plan.

In Poland, there's actually quite a wide range of documents that can be used. It's strange, because they have two different things: one is a list of documents that can be used to identify yourself to the state, and another is a list of documents that can be used to identify yourself to the bank, in airports, etc. The latter list is much more restrictive.

 

[westv]

I never carry my driving licence with me.

 

[Jamiescott1]

I’m in Barcelona and just fancied a beer in my room at 2335. Despite many all-night supermarkets, I found out that they are not allowed to sell alcohol after 2300. Of course, I could go to a bar and drink all night if it were open.

I do realise that this was the situation in the UK till about ten years ago, but I was surprised at Spain. Apparently it is to stop groups of youths buying alcohol and keeping the neighbourhood up all night by being raucous and playing loud music.

Any other examples of laws abroad that surprised you, not restricted to alcohol?

Theres 100s of lookie lookie men selling beer on streets in Barcelona. Buy a few cans from them

A few that have been mentioned that jumped to mind when I saw the post title.

Jaywalking. Alot of people think its illegal here too

Government controlled alcohol stores

 

[gg1]

I strongly dislike the UK/US culture of having the driving licence as a de facto ID, because not everyone can get one. It really shouldn't be a big deal to introduce an optional ID card, and identity theft here is almost non-existent in comparison to the UK.

Indeed, and if responsibility for issuing them was given to the DVLA and using the same systems and process as used for driving licences, it'd probably be a relatively cheap thing to implement.

Back to the original question, the legal requirement for US citizens living and working abroad to still have to pay US income tax on their overseas earnings has always struck me as completely bonkers.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I strongly dislike the UK/US culture of having the driving licence as a de facto ID, because not everyone can get one. It really shouldn't be a big deal to introduce an optional ID card, and identity theft here is almost non-existent in comparison to the UK.

Almost everyone can in some form (e.g. a provisional), and for those who can't there's the option of a passport.

I was opposed to the early-2000s plan for a complex ID system, but I'd be happy with a simple option to have a driving licence with no driving entitlement on it, which would be a cheap and effective way to deal with it, and how some US states do.

 

[Cloud Strife]

I was opposed to the early-2000s plan for a complex ID system, but I'd be happy with a simple option to have a driving licence with no driving entitlement on it, which would be a cheap and effective way to deal with it, and how some US states do.

Yes, such a system is also fine. The early-2000s plan was an absolute mess on so many levels, not least because the architects didn't understand that European ID card systems are handled at the municipal level.

Back to the original question, the legal requirement for US citizens living and working abroad to still have to pay US income tax on their overseas earnings has always struck me as completely bonkers.

It is absolutely bonkers. A friend of mine has a monumental tax bill in the US that she simply won't pay and won't return to pay, because she was born in the US and is therefore a US citizen. Yet she's never lived there as an adult, and her family left the US when she was 10 years old.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

I strongly dislike the UK/US culture of having the driving licence as a de facto ID, because not everyone can get one. It really shouldn't be a big deal to introduce an optional ID card, and identity theft here is almost non-existent in comparison to the UK.

In the UK whilst registered as a learner driver you receive an "provisional" driving license which is also valid as ID for the next decade. I had one for years, despite not having the slightest intention to actually obtain a driving license.

In the US, the same authority which issues licenses issues "non-driver ID cards". This stretches the "driving licenses aren't our national ID card" pretense to it's limit, but that's how it is

Back to the original question, the legal requirement for US citizens living and working abroad to still have to pay US income tax on their overseas earnings has always struck me as completely bonkers.

A follow on from this is that if a French Bank has a customer who lives in France, is a French citizen and works for a French company, but this person also holds American citizenship, American law requires the bank to report the activities of this person to the US authorities. Many banks simply refuse American customers altogether rather than deal with this, which can make their financial choices rather limited.