Why I Have 2 U.S. Passports — And How This Helps Me Travel the World

People are constantly surprised to find out that I have 2 U.S. passports. Yes, 2 current, valid, active passports from the U.S. government — at the same time.

Many people seem surprised to learn that this is possible, and for most people, having 2 passports isn’t necessary. The second passport helps a lot with my travel style, though, helping avoid headaches and last-minute problems before heading overseas.

There are some downsides to having a second U.S. passport, though, and I won’t deny that. Here’s why having 2 U.S. passports helps me travel.

Can You Have 2 U.S. Passports at the Same Time?

Before going further, let’s clear this up by looking at the rules. The U.S. Department of State provides instructions on applying for a second passport.

To be clear, these instructions apply to having a second passport that’s valid at the same time as your existing (first) passport, and this isn’t related to having a passport book and passport card at the same time — something separate but also possible.

Valid reasons for obtaining a second passport, according to the U.S. government, include:

• Travel to a country that will deny you entry based on other countries you’ve visited
• Obtain multiple visas in a short amount of time
• Urgent travel while your primary passport is currently at a foreign embassy for a visa application there and can’t be withdrawn

So, yes, you can have 2 U.S. passports at the same time. As an adult, your primary passport will be valid for the full 10 years. The second passport will be valid for just 4 years, though. It still costs the same amount as a 10-year passport, so the pricing deserves an honest assessment of whether you really need a second passport before applying.

How Carrying 2 U.S. Passports Has Helped Me Travel

I travel to a lot of places where my friends and relatives don’t travel. And I need a visa for many of my trips. This includes a traditional visa — the type where you mail your passport to an embassy, get a full-page sticker in the passport, and it comes back to you. Hopefully, all of that will happen before your departure flight.

For many countries, the visa is only valid for 30 or 60 days from the date it’s put in your passport. Conversely, it might have a longer validity period, but the country may have a rule that you can only apply X number of days before your trip. I’ve found that number to usually be “no more than 60 days before your trip” or “no more than 30,” depending on the embassy.

If you see where this is going, you often need to mail your passport to the embassy within a month of your departure. It can take a few days or sometimes 2-3 weeks to receive your passport back with the visa in it. What if you need 2 visas for an upcoming trip?

That’s the logic that led me to get a second passport. Getting 2 visas within 30 days before your flight can be difficult — even if you’re willing to pay for priority shipping and express visa handling. Missing or canceling a flight because your passport didn’t return in time with the visa can be costly, and most travel insurance doesn’t cover canceling a trip because your passport didn’t return with a visa in time for takeoff.

For trips where I need to get 2 visas in a short timeframe, having 2 passports has been essential. It greatly reduces stress, because I can send both visa applications at the same time, rather than hoping the first returns quickly before I’m able to send the second. For example, when I needed a visa for Chad and Ghana on the same trip, I mailed my separate passports to the respective embassies simultaneously.

Having a second passport is also useful for traveling to countries that you don’t want to reveal your travel history to. While Israel, Cuba, and a few other countries won’t stamp your passport (you’ll get a stamp on a piece of paper, which you return on departure), not every country is friends with each other. Evidence of travel to Israel could make you ineligible for travel to other countries. Stamps from Pakistan or India in your passport may lead to extra questioning when visiting the other. Visiting 1 of these countries with passport A and the other with passport B can avoid headaches.

Should You Get a Second Passport?

Having a second U.S. passport isn’t necessary for everyone. It also doesn’t solve every problem. I want to clarify right away that your second passport shouldn’t be used as a method of hiding illegal activity, and you’re not supposed to lie to border patrol agents about where you’ve been.

Moreover, not everyone takes trips to countries that still require a physical visa placed in your passport before travel. Visa-free travel and e-visas are becoming increasingly popular. If you aren’t regularly traveling to countries with physical visas — and aren’t regularly traveling to more than 1 of these in a short timeframe — you probably don’t need a second passport that’s valid at the same time as your first.

The exception would be regular travel to 2 countries that might exclude you from entering if they found out you visited the other. For example, people who regularly travel to Israel for religious reasons but also need to visit Pakistan for work reasons would benefit from having 2 passports to avoid issues.

If you’re in the situation of needing multiple visas for a trip or needing to visit countries with frozen diplomatic relations, having 2 passports can be useful. For the average international traveler, it’s not necessary.

Moreover, many passport control agents — both abroad and even in the U.S. — aren’t aware having 2 passports is permitted. And this can cause problems if government officials think you have a fake passport. On a previous trip, airport police thought they’d captured an international spy until I convinced them to contact the U.S. embassy to verify my passports (after being detained for multiple hours). That’s because I had both passports with me on that trip, and they noticed a second passport while searching my backpack.

Why I Probably Won’t Renew My Second Passport

After considering the positives and negatives, as well as changes to my travel plans going forward, I highly doubt I’ll need to renew my passport after this 1 expires. I’ve completed my goal of visiting every country, so the number of trips where a second passport would be helpful has declined significantly. In the past 9 months, I haven’t needed to apply for 2 visas at the same time. That was the chief reason for a second passport.

Looking at our future travel plans, my wife and I don’t see a need for obtaining multiple visas quickly within the next year or 2 of our travel plans. Unless there’s a major change, the second passport won’t be necessary or worth the cost for me right now. That could change further down the right, and I could get another passport at that time.

Final Thoughts

For most people, having a second passport won’t be necessary. And while you might be surprised it’s possible to have 2 U.S. passports at the same time, it’s both legal and possible. The government will even add a note on the final page of your second passport stating that this is a legitimate passport despite its shortened validity period. That can be helpful if border guards have questions.