Understanding Concurrent Passports
In The Bourne Identity, Jason Bourne is rescued from the Mediterranean Sea by Italian fishermen who tend to his bullet wounds and deposit him safely upon European soil. Upon arriving in Zürich with nothing but amnesia and the clothes on his back, Bourne discovers a bank lockbox filled with international passports and cash that seem to indicate he’s a high-level spy.
Those half-dozen passports come in handy as he crisscrosses the globe evading villains and pursuing the truth. Aside from the adventurous aspects of the story, how many of us have dreamed of taking our travels to the next level with a handful of passports from around the world?
While obtaining multiple passports through dual citizenship is an option for some, establishing a second homeland is often an expensive process that takes years to complete. However, two passports from the same country can be a more readily attainable goal. A host of countries will issue a second, concurrently valid passport to their citizens who can prove the need for more than one.
Who Needs More Than One Passport?
If you frequently travel internationally, having a second passport could greatly assist you when obtaining visas, as you need to submit a valid passport with the visa application. Consequently, possessing a second passport means you can continue to travel while your original passport is waiting at the embassy.
This option can be particularly beneficial if your travel plans include politically sensitive countries. For instance, after Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, Serbia banned travelers with Kosovan stamps from entering. Additionally, if you are from a country that requires a visa to enter the United States, you will need to apply for it before you step foot on American soil if your passport has a stamp from countries like Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen.
Moreover, while Israeli immigration officers now issue slips of paper rather than passport stamps, an older Israeli stamp or visa in your passport could complicate your entry into nations such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen.
With an increasingly complex political climate evolving around the world, having a second passport could become advantageous amidst issues like the Spratly Islands dispute, the China-Taiwan debate, or various African border issues.
How to Acquire a Second Passport
Wondering how to obtain a second passport? For most countries, this process requires submitting an application along with a letter specifying the reason for the need and proof of travel plans—such as a booked flight itinerary. It can also be beneficial to have supporting documentation from your employer, especially if the travel is work-related.
Countries that grant a second passport include Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United States.
Italy and Switzerland may issue second passports under valid circumstances; however, they officially allow travel with only a single passport at any given time. In these cases, your second passport must be surrendered for safekeeping. Furthermore, Malaysia issues a second passport solely for business travel, not for personal leisure activities, often involving complex bureaucratic processes.
In Canada and Australia, a second, short-term passport can be issued primarily for citizens conducting business in both Israel and Arab countries where Israeli stamps or visas might pose obstacles. Nevertheless, acquiring a second passport under such circumstances is less common among citizens.
Some nations will only issue a second passport for diplomatic purposes; for example, Jamaica and India allow two passports under these circumstances. In India, the diplomatic passport is typically issued for a specific work assignment, requiring the surrender of the personal passport until completion. However, rules for diplomatic passports can often be vague, with significant variance in individual experiences.
The United Kingdom permits its citizens to hold up to three concurrently valid passports, while citizens of Georgia seem to face no restrictions in the number they can possess.
Conversely, some countries explicitly prohibit their residents from having multiple concurrent passports, including the Philippines and Trinidad & Tobago.
If having two passports does not quench your travel ambitions and you’re focused on acquiring dual citizenship, ensure your second homeland boasts a high passport mobility score. Begin your research with the annual Henley & Partners Passport Index and the International Citizenship Index, which rank the advantages of citizenship in numerous countries worldwide.
Ultimately, if your aim is simply to be a perpetual traveler, then having two passports from your current country of citizenship can significantly enrich your exploration of the planet.
Unfortunately, they don’t come with Bourne’s lockbox of cash.
