Today a courier arrived with my second passport. I now have two entirely valid passports!
The State Department takes a dim view of people with two passports, and their official policy is to only issue one at a time per person. However, there are two exceptions:
Exception #1: You’re going to an Arab country…and you’ve already been to Israel.
There are some countries that deny entry to all visitors bearing an Israeli stamp in their passport. The list includes:
Syria
Lebanon
Libya
Iran
Iraq (except Iraqi Kurdistan)
Sudan
Yemen
Note that there are several Arab countries not on this list, most prominently Jordan and Egypt, which share land borders with Israel. Lebanon also shares a land border with Israel, but it is closed to tourists.
The Israeli immigration authorities are aware of this problem. According to latest reports, travellers who arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv can request that their passports not be stamped. The immigration agent will require you to fill out a form with your details, and that will be stamped instead.
However, if you either didn’t get the form or have an old stamp in your passport, have no fear! If you want to travel to one of the countries on the list above, you can apply to the State Department for a second passport that has no stamp in it using the process described below.
Exception #2: You need to get a lot of visas quickly, or you’re already travelling.
It’s obviously impossible to use your passport for travel if it’s been sent to a foreign embassy for visa processing. The State Department recognizes that those who travel frequently or need to obtain a high volume of visas for a long trip might need more than one passport. According to the State Department, reporters attached to the White House frequently need three to keep up with the constant stream of visas they need to follow the President around the world.
It’s in this second category that I’ve applied for my second passport. I’m both already travelling and cannot send the passport bearing my UK visa away, and I need to obtain several visas for this summer’s travel in a short amount of time.
The Process
The London Embassy is so used to this request that they’ve set up a special page on their website for such requests and provided the necessary forms. This isn’t the norm. If you’re applying at another embassy or in the States, there’s no specific page for you, but the guidelines are similar. You’ll need the following:
Your current, valid passport
Application Fee (Currently $110)
A standard 2″x2″ passport photo
A completed form DS-82 (the passport renewal form)
A letter explaining why you need a second passport
Your letter should cite one of the two reasons above. The Embassy in London provides a nice template, which you could modify if you’re applying elsewhere.
And then you send it all in and wait. If you’re successful, the State Department will send you a second passport two weeks later. This passport will only be valid for two years instead of the usual ten.
I’m not sure whether this is routine, but my second passport book is the extra-long type (with 52 pages instead of the usual 28). This may be normal policy, or they may have made an error in my favor. In any case, it will prove useful to have the extra pages.
