Second UK passport
 

Hi,
I'm planning a RTW trip and I understand that a second passport would be useful when visiting Israel and also allowing you to travel while applying for visas. However, from what I have read, having a second passport can also raise questions from suspicious officials.
Would you consider a second passport a necessity?
Cheers
Craig

second passport
 

Hi

We have two uk passports each for that reason....however we have never needed to use the spare one (never been to Israel though).

We always kept the second passport hidden only to use as emergency option or for visa clash.

To be honest, I'm not sure you need one

Becky

I've somehow managed to end up with 6 passports two each of British, French and Australian (just cal me Jason Bourne). I wouldn't say you need one, but like you say it can be handy for visa applications etc.

Just make sure you produce the right one at borders though, years ago I went did the gap year in Australia on my British one with a visa but left on an Australian one (having got it while I was there) A couple of months later my parents got a very worried phone call from someone in the Australian embassy asking for my whereabouts as I'd outstayed my visa and they had no record of me leaving.

If I'm travelling, I don't carry all six, but do carry the spare of whicever one I travel on, I hide it, but don't over hide it, so it looks like it's away for safe-keeping, not to try and pull the wool over someone's eyes. That way if they do find it I can just explain. They never have though.

So, how is it done Becky? I have tried to get a second UK passport, via two separate offices, and even with a letter from an employer I was shown the door.
As for 6......................... expensive to renew!

I'm guessing you could say the first one is lost and reapply. That said the passport numbers might be different.

I had a situation recently where I was at an Irish police station getting my passport photos signed for my Irish passport. I had my British one with me too and had put that down on the desk beside (face down) The cop was looking at my old expired passport and checking details for the new application. A lady was also in the station doing the same thing. When she was done she scooped up all her paperwork and my British passport by accident.

I said. woooah that's mine. The cop then eyeballed me :eek2: and was a little short with me when he asked which passport was I actually using.

for the record I'm Jason Bourne :mchappy:

Two worked for us
 

We had two (I wrote to passport office and told them I was working abroad and applying for visas at same time and they gave it me no problem - did need a letter from my employer though)

We did once pull out the wrong one to the Turkish army - bvut they just laughed. I think we were lucky with that one.

We did use the second one when our route had to be re-planned when Turkmenistan clised it's borders for swine flu reasons. We were in Tehran at the time, during the elections, and it saved us about an extra five day stay as we could apply for Azerbajan and Pakistan visas at the same time. but do be careful, some coutries want to see next and/or previous countries visas, and if they are in two passports then you could be in trouble. We knew that Pakistan weren't bothered about China visas ....

Hope that helps

Second passport
 

Hi,
Thanks for the replies everyone.
I think I will at least try and get a second passport.
As I will be applying personally rather than for business, I guess I wiil just have hope for the best. I've already had a fruitless conversation with someone from the passport office helpline. So fingers crossed.
Regards
Craig

They dont give out second passports for personal use only business, l found this out last year on a vist to the passport office in london luckly l phone my father up who runs his own busniess and he faxed me a company headed letter stating my postion within the company and that l was traveling two both Iran and Israel, still got questioned why and what l was going two thoses places for busniess.

[quote=Alexlebrit;270263]I've somehow managed to end up with 6 passports two each of British, French and Australian (just cal me Jason Bourne). I wouldn't say you need one, but like you say it can be handy for visa applications etc.

Okay, so how do you manage that trick - three separate countries, that is, not the second passports for each. I'd love to follow you all through Iran and the numerous other countries that place added restrictions on US passport holders, but while you all seem to just have to apply and reapply several times for a couple months (just a severe pain in the :censored:) I have to hire China/Libya-style "guides" for every second of my stay (pain in the :censored: and :censored: expensive). Any way short of marriage to acquire dual citizenship?

I work in both Saudi and Israel and so armed with a letter from my company and proof of travel requirement etc etc off I trundled to the consulate here in Vienna. They said no.

Having said that, when I went to Israel, they saw Saudi visa and asked if I wanted a stamp or not. I said no. The general advice is make sure you go to Saudi/other like minded countries before Israel OR make sure you ask the Israelis not to stamp OR if they do, be prepared to change your plans.

PS: Saudi (Dammam) = amazing, Israel (all over) = awesome. Love em both.

If you have an Irish parent or grandparent, you're entitled to Irish citizenship and passport.
Don't know if you are, or even if that helps, but it is a thought.