An entrant in the booth.
An entrant is a character who enters the inspector's booth at the border checkpoint in Grestin. Most entrants, though not all, have documents the inspector can approve or deny, and most desire entry (a notable exception occurs on day 21, when the fourth entrant is willing to pay money to get a red stamp). Entrants make up the bulk of the NPCs the inspector deals with during the game. (Non-entrant NPCs include most guards and scripted attackers who do not enter the booth; the inspector cannot deny or approve their entry or documents.)
Types of entrants
The entrants are divided into two major groups, foreigners and Arstotzkan citizens. (There are also a few entrants, neither foreigner nor citizen, who are simply characters.) The two groups are addressed by the above names in the rulebook, and are distinguished by the documents they carry. Document requirements for foreigners vary depending on the type of the foreigner and the current in-game date, but foreigners typically require more paperwork than citizens.
- Arstotzkan citizens require a passport, an ID card (since day 4), and a certificate of vaccination (since day 26).
- Foreigners require at least a passport and a certificate of vaccination (since day 26). Other required documents depend of the type of the foreigner.
Foreigner types
Immigrant
Access permit required from workers, immigrants, tourists and transients since day 27
Immigrant is a foreigner who is planning to move to Arstotzka permanently. The purpose field in their entry permit or access permit states "immigrate" and the duration field says "forever." The documents they need for valid entry are:
- passport
- entry permit (days 4–26)
- ID supplement (days 13–26)
- access permit (since day 27)
- certificate of vaccination (since day 26)
Tourist and transient
Tourists and transients are foreigners who are planning to stay in Arstotzka for a limited amount of time. The purpose field in their entry permit or access permit states either "transit" or "visit" and the duration field states a time period. They require the same documents as immigrants:
- passport
- entry permit (days 4–26)
- ID supplement (days 13–26)
- access permit (since day 27)
- certificate of vaccination (since day 26)
Worker
Workers are foreigners who will be working in Arstotzka for a limited amount of time. The purpose field in their entry permit or access permit states "work" and the duration field states a time period. They are first seen on day 4. On day 6, the Arstotzkan government begins to protect their economy and introduces the Work Pass to regulate their entry. The documents they need for valid entry are:
- passport
- entry permit (days 4–26)
- ID supplement (days 13–26)
- access permit (since day 27)
- work pass (since day 6)
- certificate of vaccination (since day 26)
Asylum-seeker
Asylum-seekers are foreigners who come to Arstotzka to seek (political) asylum and carry a grant of asylum issued by the Ministry of Admission. They are first seen on day 21. The inspector needs to check their fingerprints before approving entry. Asylum-seekers need the following documents:
- passport
- grant of asylum
- certificate of vaccination (since day 26)
Diplomat
Diplomats are envoys of foreign countries who have unlimited diplomatic access to certain other countries. They are first seen on day 8 and carry a diplomatic authorization issued by their own government. There are no Arstotzkan diplomats in the game. Diplomats require the following documents:
- passport
- diplomatic authorization
- certificate of vaccination (since day 26)
Journalist
Journalists are members of the press who attempt to enter Arstotzka presenting just a passport and an international press identification. The latter is not a valid document for entry purposes in Arstotzka, so journalists can be denied entry without risk of citation. There are only two journalists in the game, who appear on days 17 and 20.
Terminology
The game uses the terms entrant, foreigner and immigrant inconsistently. Sometimes the characters use them interchangeably, but the rulebook and different documents clearly distinguish between the three types. Foreigners are not necessarily immigrants (not all of them wish to move to Arstotzka permanently) and not all entrants are foreigners since many of them are Arstotzkan citizens.
Dialogue
When a procedurally generated foreigner enters the booth, the inspector asks them a few questions regarding the parameters of their trip. They may also say something that conflicts with their documents, prompting further dialogue options. All responses are documented on the audio transcript for reference.
Firstly, the inspector asks "What is the purpose of your trip?" Replies vary according to the type of entrant (see that page for transcripts of responses). Secondly, the inspector will only ask about the duration of stay if the entrant is a tourist, transient, or worker.
Examples of entrants
