This is a problem that I have never heard of before and having red many posts here I am sure that someone will have an answer to this question.

Let me begin with a little history.

I met an old friend, (both in the length of time I have known him and age) in a local watering hole recently and after a few glasses of lubrication he told me his story. He has had a run of very bad luck over the past two years and is not in a very happy state. Now admittedly some of the fault is his own but that is being judgmental on my part and I do not want to do that.

Here is the problem.

He has overstayed his visa and knows he will have to pay the 20,000 when he leaves.

His passport has no pages left so he got a new one.

The old one was duly cancelled by his Embassy.

His new passport is comletely blank.

Can he just go to the airport with his new and his old passport, pay the file and go back to his country?

He is really keen to leave and go back home and retire.

Thanks a lot for any and all advice.

He may, or may not, have a problem of being briefly detained. Any overstay over 45 days seems to have a possibility of detention until history is checked (criminal activities) but do not believe this is often the case with first world travelers. Suspect he has a good chance of only being fined, stamped as overstay, and being allowed to travel.