On Friday, I read a post over on Lifehacker about the advantages of ordering and possessing a duplicate passport. The line of thinking was as follows: Having a duplicate passport (not a second passport if you're lucky enough to hold two nationalities), gives you three distinct advantages:
- A duplicate passport can help you access countries
- Expedite visa processing with a second passport book
- Reduce your risk of getting stuck thanks to a lost passport
I believe that the cons far outweigh the pros for traveling with two passports for one nationality. My argument continues below after the jump.
First off, let me say that the theory behind this is developed with good intentions. The writer (and the post on Lifehacker came from about.com) wrote her article to try and make traveling more comfortable, or at least more fluid.
However, I believe there are better ways of traveling stress-free without carrying two passports; methods that not only make your life easier but also reduce the risk that you'll run into some major legal and bureaucratic obstacles. Let me explain.
A duplicate passport can help you access countries
The logic behind this argument is that traveling to certain countries on the planet if you're an American or if your country simply plays a big geopolitical game, can block you from traveling to others.
The easiest example would be that someone who visited Israel could potentially be blocked from entering an Arab country because an Israeli immigration stamp is in their passport. While this in itself could be interpreted as prudent advice, it doesn't necessarily reflect the reality.
Israel has abandoned the practice of directly stamping passports. Instead, travelers can request to have their stamp registered on an official form that is returned to immigration upon leaving Israel. This removes the 'risk' that an Arab country would refuse entry for a traveler who has visited the holy land.
I've also heard stories of Americans visiting Cuba asking passport control in Havana to do something similar with their travel documents. Indeed, Nathalie visited Cuba back in 2003, and she was given a card with her entry stamp inside it. Nothing in her passport had indicated that she had been to the rum, cigar and salsa capital of the world.
Better advice: If you're concerned about repercussions from your homeland or being potentially limited from visiting another country, ask passport control if they can stamp a separate official document. If you have any doubts, contact said nation's consulate in your country of nationality.
Expedite visa processing with a second passport book
Here, the author argues that if you're frequently traveling and you'll need a visa approved to enter a third country while traveling in another, then you can simply give your duplicate passport to the third country and travel on your initial one. To clarify, let's put this in an example.
Say you're an American citizen and you need to go to Beijing, China, for work. However, you're in Malaysia for the moment and won't be able to return to the US in time to get your visa. Instead of going without your one passport while in Malaysia, you simply give the Chinese consulate in Kuala Lumpur your duplicate and let them authorize the visa in that one.
This piece of advice is probably the most useful of the three arguments. However, there's still a better alternative than walking around with two passports.
Almost all consulates offer a 'rush' service. While this will cost more than a normal visa, you can get your passport back much faster. As an example, I quickly checked the Chinese consular's website for information about visa fees and processing times. As suspected, you can pay a fee to have your visa rushed within 2-3 days. If you're in even more of a hurry, they'll do it in one day (although you have to give them 10 dollars more and a legitimate reason to do so).
Additionally, lots of countries offer what is known as a "Visa On Arrival" (VOA). This program allows a traveler to purchase their visa once they enter the country. Sometimes, you will need to apply for the first part before you arrive (Vietnam is an example of this, where you need to get a 'letter of invitation' by paying a company to sponsor you), other times you can simply do the whole procedure in one go.
In any case, check with the embassy of the country in your homeland to find out if you're eligible for a VOA and for any other rules about your entry into their territory.
Better advice: If you need a visa while traveling, check with the consulate in whichever country you need to go to. Inquire about a rush service to be with your passport longer. If possible, check to see if you're eligible for a Visa On Arrival (VOA). Additionally, before you turn in your passport, make a copy of the identification page and a copy of the visa/entry stamp.
Reduce your risk of getting stuck by losing your passport
The final argument made in the article is that having a duplicate passport can save your bacon should you lose one of them either through carelessness or theft. While it might seem really practical that you don't have to make a trip to the nearest consulate or embassy, in practice, it simply doesn't work that way. Let's run through a theoretical scenario that could become very real very quickly.
You’re in a foreign country, and you have two passports. Now when you’ve entered said-country, you’ll only show one of your two passports. Showing both will raise some serious suspicion with the border agent who will more than likely question if you're actually who you say you are and make sure you're not a spy (who will be invited to either the nearest jail or given a spot on the next flight back to wherever you came from). You get your stamp in one of the two passports and continue on your way.
Two days after arriving your stamped passport gets stolen, leaving you with just your backup. The problem is, though, that this second document has no record of you entering the country. You'll have to report that one of your passports is missing to your embassy. Even if our travel documents are becoming more sophisticated each year with increased biometric metric features, passports are still a hot commodity on the black market, and they need to notify the respective international agencies to void that number.
Now let's have some real fun.
Let’s say you get stopped at a routine roadblock or document control (widespread in the developing world), and you’re asked by a police officer to show your papers. You give them your backup passport, and upon seeing that there’s no stamp from immigration inside, they arrest you because, in their eyes, you’re in their country illegally.
Now, you get to spend the next few days sitting an exotic jail cell while waiting for the police to figure out what to do with you. You call the US embassy and explain the situation. Sure, they'll be able to eventually sort it out with the local authorities to find a record of you entering on your other passport, it will take them time to do so (especially true if you’re detained during the weekend).
Eventually, the problem will untangle itself. The police are told that you have the right to be in the country, but by this point, you’re tired, dirty and humiliated from experience, and you're paying a fine to the local lawman, whether it's legal or not.
You’ve blown through your plans and hotel reservations and are left feeling sour and lighter in the wallet. You continue on your trip, but surprise! It’s not the end of the story!
Tired and ready to go home, you head to the airport to leave the country. You go through passport control where a border agent checks to make sure that you haven’t overstayed your visa/visitation time.
He doesn’t find any stamp inside your passport and pulls you in for questioning. "How did you get here?" "How long have you been in our country for?" "What was the real purpose of your visit?" While your first passport shows that you're a simple tourist on a two-week visit, you can't prove it as that document is gone. Your new best friend, Mr. Border Agent, has absolute authority to charge you for an exit visa, going back to when you first arrived along with any fees he sees fit; and it's going to cost you a lot.
So Voila! You might have the ‘comfort’ of holding two passports for one nationality, but in the end, you’re exposing yourself to unnecessary risks, lots of bureaucratic headaches, and a guaranteed bad time.
Better advice: Make a photocopy of your one passport with the entry visa attached to another page. That way, if you lose your passport, you have a backup proving your legality in the foreign country. Embassies and consulates can issue a replacement passport (not just an emergency one) if you need it; it only takes a couple of weeks. You can also pay a rush service. However, it comes at a price.
Even better advice: Keep track of your passport! This, along with your credit card, are the single most essential belongings you travel with. Keep it secure, either in your hotel safe or on you in a place that is away from a pick-pocket's sticky fingers. Be aware of your surroundings, and you'll be fine.
Now that I've given my input, I'm curious to hear yours! Hit the comments box below to share your opinions on this subject.
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