Has any USC travelled with 2 passports?

[bora bora 1]

Here's the story:

I plan on travelling to Brazil this summer and though my passport is still valid - it expires in 2/09 and I changed my last name when I got married last year.

So...I'd like to renew it before I leave. However, I have a valid Brazilian visa in there that is good 'til 2010 or something. I want to know if you think it's alright for me to travel with 2 passports (the one with my maiden name & valid visa) and my new one with my married name. What do you think?

Anyone ever do this?

I'm not surrendering my old passport because it has sentimental value and because it has the visa in it...I don't want the passport agency to do something funny like try to "transfer" the visa to my new passport and/or dispose of it.

A friend of mine said this has been done.

Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

[Krikit 1,166]

I have two passports and have travelled with both. I choose which passport I show depending upon which country I enter. It hasn't been a problem. You just have to remember which passport you've used in case that country uses exit stamps.

Edited March 19, 2008 by Crikey!

[simple_male 1]

Here's the story:

I plan on travelling to Brazil this summer and though my passport is still valid - it expires in 2/09 and I changed my last name when I got married last year.

So...I'd like to renew it before I leave. However, I have a valid Brazilian visa in there that is good 'til 2010 or something. I want to know if you think it's alright for me to travel with 2 passports (the one with my maiden name & valid visa) and my new one with my married name. What do you think?

Anyone ever do this?

I'm not surrendering my old passport because it has sentimental value and because it has the visa in it...I don't want the passport agency to do something funny like try to "transfer" the visa to my new passport and/or dispose of it.

A friend of mine said this has been done.

Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

A valid US passport with visa is good enough to travel to most countries.

[DeadPoolX 9]

It shouldn't be a problem.

When concerning maiden and married names, the general rule that most women follow is carrying around their marriage certificate as proof in the event any ticket/gate agents, security officers or Customs officers get too overzealous. In most cases, however, there shouldn't be too many problems, so long as the name on the boarding pass matches that on whatever ID you need to use (and if it doesn't, having ample proof to show you are who you say you are is good enough).

If you'd like to use two or more passports because you're a citizen of two or more countries, that's also possible. The trick is knowing which passport to use and when, and not letting Customs officers see that you have more than one passport on you at a time. They don't usually like this. I suppose some people have attempted fraud before when using multiple passports.

Whatever the case, you should use the passport of the country you're attempting to enter. For instance, say you're entering the United States and you have both a U.S. passport and a Brazilian passport. You would present your U.S. passport to Customs, since they would then treat you as an American citizen returning to your home country, whereas if you showed them your Brazilian passport, they would see you as a foreign visitor and possibly play a game of "20 questions" with you. The reverse would be true when you enter Brazil as well.

In most cases, a U.S. passport is more than good enough to allow you into nearly any country on the planet. The only nations you might have trouble with are the ones where the United States has unfriendly or openly hostile relations with, such as Iran, North Korea or Cuba. In those relatively rare situations, another passport might be more suitable.

Finally... if all you're worried about is losing parts of your old passport due to sentimental value, then I'd recommend scanning whatever pages into the computer of the old passport you wish to keep (making sure to digitally remove some sensitive material on the ID page) and then using the older hard copy to make getting a new passport easier on yourself. Without the older passport, you'll need to send in some other proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. Why bother with that when you can simply send in the old no-longer-usable passport?

[Yoink 7]

My fiance used to work for a major airline in the airport in Rio de Janiero and she says that people all the time had an expired passport with the valid visa in it and a new valid passport. Both passorts being from the same country.

[bora bora 1]

My fiance used to work for a major airline in the airport in Rio de Janiero and she says that people all the time had an expired passport with the valid visa in it and a new valid passport. Both passorts being from the same country.

Thanks!! This helps so much (knowing that other people have gone through this). I don't have two passports from two different countries...so I'm glad someone got that

[Krikit 1,166]

Thanks!! This helps so much (knowing that other people have gone through this). I don't have two passports from two different countries...so I'm glad someone got that

Ohhhhhhhh. I so didn't get that.... obviously. Sorry for the useless information, Bora Bora.