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How Can I Get a Second Passport?
To get a second passport, you must first obtain the proper form. All information on the form should be filled in completely. The completed form must then be sent to the proper office, along with a passport photo and the appropriate fees. A letter explaining why you need an extra passport should also be included.
When legally trying to get a second passport, most individuals will typically need to complete government paperwork. In the United States, individuals can obtain this form from the Department of State website. Individuals will need to print and fill out the form before signing it.
It is important to fill out this form completely. You will need to fill in information such as your name and any aliases. Contact information, such as your address, must also be filled in. United States citizens must also fill in their citizenship information, including their Social Security numbers and birthplaces.
An incomplete passport application could lead to delays when you are trying to get a second passport. It is also important to print clearly and legibly. Some countries may also have additional requirements when filling out passport forms. The United States, for instance, applicants are required to use black ink to fill out passport forms.
Individuals must also attach a passport photograph to the form when trying to obtain a second passport. This must be a recent color photograph, in which you are facing the camera. Passport photos should also be very clear and in focus. These photographs should only be face shots, and a white background is usually required.
A fee must also usually accompany your request for a second passport. These fees can vary, depending on a number of things. In the United States, a list of passport fees can be found on the Department of State website. Expedited or emergency passports usually require extra fees.
Not everyone will be able to get a second passport, and you must have an acceptable reason for applying for one. If you travel often and have a hard time obtaining the necessary visas with one passport, you may be allowed to get a second one. Also, some countries deny entry to travelers who have been to other countries. You will also need to send a signed statement outlining your need for a second passport, along with your application, passport photo, and fees. Most areas also require that you send your current passport as well, which will be returned to you.
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Discussion Comments
People take for granted the inner stability in the United States and do not realize how common it is for someone to obtain a second passport.
While in the United States obtaining a second passport is usually done for business or reasons of dual citizenship, in other country's that do not have great stability a second passport is a good thing to have if a country goes to war or if the government becomes hostile.
If something bad like this occurs someone can easily enter another country using the other passport as opposed to their original one that they run a risk of being sent away. This is not at all uncommon and the absolute legal thing to do in order to ensure that you will flee a country safely and not be turned away.
@TreeMan - Quite true and that is a perfectly legitimate reason to obtain a second passport. Another reason is that passports can be canceled at any time and say if a country has a civil war someone is stuck if they are trying to flee and a country will not let them in because of a policy against refugees. Second passports can also be used to avoid extreme taxes in a way as well as open bank accounts in other nations.
Although it is somewhat difficult to obtain a second passport it is not if there is a legitimate reason behind needing one and every security measure checks out on it. It is not uncommon for someone to request a second passport and can sometimes be as simple as getting a passport.
@Emilski - I think that there are many reasons for obtaining a second passport, but they do not hand them out to just anyone.
One of the many reasons for obtaining a second passport is simply because the present passport is getting ready to expire and someone is having trouble renewing their present passport. This is about the most common type of reason why someone would want to obtain a second passport, but there are also more serious reasons why.
Someone who has dual citizenship and is from a country that is not so well off may want to obtain another passport from the other country that they have citizenship in in case a country they are visiting does not let people in from that said persons country of origin. This gives them an opportunity to pass off legally as citizen from a different country and be allowed in.
There are various reason that someone would want to get a second passport. One reason could be that someone is needing to visit another country as a diplomat, thus they would need a diplomatic passport. Depending on how important the person is these are a lot easier to obtain than just a normal everyday person trying to obtain a second passport.
I do not know of many other reasons for someone to get a second passport other than maybe they are afraid of theirs getting lost or their passport is starting to wear and fade and they are getting one as a replacement for the near future.
I do know though that the process to obtain a second passport is very long and there is a lot of red tape involved. This may be due to the times we live in nowadays, but international travel is now a major security issue and passport service do not like to take chances on anything potentially hazardous.
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