Denial of entry - declare or not declare?

Question

I was refused entry into Pakistan due to a technical issue (incorrect mode of transport declared on visa application form - they are really strict about that) and I was asked to come back using the mode of transport indicated on the form. I never went back, but I did have a CANCELLED stamp on my passport.

I have since gotten a new passport, and intend to visit a non-FCC country. Do I have to declare this incident as a "denial of entry"? Can they ever find out about it if it's not on my passport? Put another way, is such information shared between non-FCC countries? Additional info: I have since then travelled 8-10 times and never once been asked about it while exiting India or entering any other country (none of them FCC countries).

Answer 1

The way to think about it is like this. If you declare the refusal, then there is a small chance that you may be denied a visa. However if you fully explain the reasons, it's pretty unlikely. You are almost certainly not the first person to do this, and the country is probably well aware of the technicalities of a Pakistan visa. Your chances are good. And if they do deny you this time, the problem will still probably go away with time. Also you have behaved as an honest human being, if that's important to you.

However if you lie on your application form, that is highly likely to be considered deception, and that can attract long term bans from visiting a country, and possibly any countries they share information with. This can seriously impact your travel plans for a long time.

Take the route of low consequences and tell the truth.