Is it worth having two passports?
Discussion
Aside from living out my Jason Bourne fantasies and having a bundle of passports & a pistol under my bed, is there any benefit to my holding an Irish as well as UK passport?
I don't travel that often or work abroad, although that may change in the near future.
My mum's quite happy that I appear to be embracing my heritage but other than that, what are the benefits?
Is it simply a case of getting to pick the shortest queue?
I don't travel that often or work abroad, although that may change in the near future.
My mum's quite happy that I appear to be embracing my heritage but other than that, what are the benefits?
Is it simply a case of getting to pick the shortest queue?
With Brexit round the corner having an EU passport alongside your British one could be quite useful.
The only downside to dual citizenship is that if you’re ever arrested in country A, country B won’t offer you diplomatic assistance.
This isn’t really a concern with countries like the UK and Ireland as both have decent legal systems but as the poor British/Iranian lady currently sitting in an Iranian jail has found out it can make a huge difference for certain dual nationals.
Actually there is one more negative but it only applies to a handful of nations. If you were a dual UK-USA citizen for example and were living in the UK you are still expected to pay taxes in the US under certain circumstances even if you’ve never lived there.
This is why lots of UK-US dual nationals living in the UK give up their US citizenship. Boris Johnson is an example of this.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.telegraph.co.uk/t...
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com...
The only downside to dual citizenship is that if you’re ever arrested in country A, country B won’t offer you diplomatic assistance.
Gov.uk said:
Travelling abroad
As a dual national you can’t get diplomatic help from the British government when you are in the other country where you hold citizenship.
For example, if you hold both British and Chinese citizenship you can’t get diplomatic help from the UK when you’re in China.
https://www.gov.uk/dual-citizenshipAs a dual national you can’t get diplomatic help from the British government when you are in the other country where you hold citizenship.
For example, if you hold both British and Chinese citizenship you can’t get diplomatic help from the UK when you’re in China.
This isn’t really a concern with countries like the UK and Ireland as both have decent legal systems but as the poor British/Iranian lady currently sitting in an Iranian jail has found out it can make a huge difference for certain dual nationals.
Actually there is one more negative but it only applies to a handful of nations. If you were a dual UK-USA citizen for example and were living in the UK you are still expected to pay taxes in the US under certain circumstances even if you’ve never lived there.
This is why lots of UK-US dual nationals living in the UK give up their US citizenship. Boris Johnson is an example of this.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.telegraph.co.uk/t...
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com...
Edited by BlackLabel on Friday 12th January 22:53
Zetec-S said:
If you have your passport stamped in Israel you may find immigration in some Arab countries might be a bit awkward about it.
Used to work with someone who travelled on business to both Israel and Saudi, so kept 2 passports to avoid the hassle.
I'm pretty sure that's about 40 years out of date, isn't it?Used to work with someone who travelled on business to both Israel and Saudi, so kept 2 passports to avoid the hassle.
The first time I went to Israel was on a cruise as a kid in 1983, and I've been maybe 4 or 5 times on business in subsequent years. Every single time, the stamp was on a separate piece of paper that Israeli immigration removed on departure, so there was never any trace of the visit left in my passport.
I did have two passports for a while, and that was down to Saudi Arabia, but only insofar as I realised 8 weeks before traveling to the godforsaken hole that I didn't have three consecutive working days in the country on which to give them my passport to have a visa put into it!
Kermit power said:
Zetec-S said:
If you have your passport stamped in Israel you may find immigration in some Arab countries might be a bit awkward about it.
Used to work with someone who travelled on business to both Israel and Saudi, so kept 2 passports to avoid the hassle.
I'm pretty sure that's about 40 years out of date, isn't it?Used to work with someone who travelled on business to both Israel and Saudi, so kept 2 passports to avoid the hassle.
The first time I went to Israel was on a cruise as a kid in 1983, and I've been maybe 4 or 5 times on business in subsequent years. Every single time, the stamp was on a separate piece of paper that Israeli immigration removed on departure, so there was never any trace of the visit left in my passport.
I did have two passports for a while, and that was down to Saudi Arabia, but only insofar as I realised 8 weeks before traveling to the godforsaken hole that I didn't have three consecutive working days in the country on which to give them my passport to have a visa put into it!
tr7v8 said:
It is, I have two UK passports bit that is so I can travel whilst the other is away having a visa put in it.Quite common amongst frequent travellers. Needs a letter from your company as to why it is needed.
Rather amusingly, I got mine with my letter from my boss, but he was turned down by the passport office a couple of months later when he requested a second passport!
You wont get into Malaysia, where I live with an Israel stamp, and I think Brunei is the same. I had two British passports in the past, because I needed to travel while one was away for Visas. needed a letter from my employer and copy of passport to prove need, was it a benefit to me? No and I stopped it when I no longer needed it.
But the question is it worth having passport from two countries, all my Children have duel nationality, and as noted it may cause problems on security clearance, but I encourage them to have the two, no real down side apart from the cost.
Technically today the passport that can access most countries visa free is Singapore, but in practice there is no real difference between European countries, with brexit, (and I'm a supporter) if I could I'd get a second European passport I would as there is no down side.
But the question is it worth having passport from two countries, all my Children have duel nationality, and as noted it may cause problems on security clearance, but I encourage them to have the two, no real down side apart from the cost.
Technically today the passport that can access most countries visa free is Singapore, but in practice there is no real difference between European countries, with brexit, (and I'm a supporter) if I could I'd get a second European passport I would as there is no down side.
swerni said:
Zetec-S said:
If you have your passport stamped in Israel you may find immigration in some Arab countries might be a bit awkward about it.
Used to work with someone who travelled on business to both Israel and Saudi, so kept 2 passports to avoid the hassle.
They don’t stamp your passport going in and out of Israel.Used to work with someone who travelled on business to both Israel and Saudi, so kept 2 passports to avoid the hassle.
The advantages of two passport is, if. you constantly travel and need to send one off to get a visa.
swerni said:
They don’t stamp your passport going in and out of Israel.
The advantages of two passport is, if. you constantly travel and need to send one off to get a visa.
They did for me (arrived/departed by road though rather than air). The advantages of two passport is, if. you constantly travel and need to send one off to get a visa.
I have 2 UK passports. Try to avoid using the Israeli stamped one in the Gulf where possible due to my paranoia but have had to on occasion - slightly longer look from the passport man but no problem entering.
I have 2 British passports, for the same reason others commented above. Also going for dual nationality in a couple of months as I've lived in Luxembourg for 20 years.
I also qualify for the Irish passport from my Mum & Grandmother, but I don't pay taxes there and I want to be able to vote where I pay my tax, so a Luxembourger I will become!
I also qualify for the Irish passport from my Mum & Grandmother, but I don't pay taxes there and I want to be able to vote where I pay my tax, so a Luxembourger I will become!
Kermit power said:
I did have two passports for a while, and that was down to Saudi Arabia, but only insofar as I realised 8 weeks before traveling to the godforsaken hole that I didn't have three consecutive working days in the country on which to give them my passport to have a visa put into it!
Conversely, it is illegal to carry two passports when you are in Saudi.When I worked there some ten + years ago we were given a long list of banned items not to carry, to make sure we did not spend hours/days at immigration or in jail when we arrived. They truly are/were a primitive bunch of desert dwellers.
Jewellery, books, magazines, photos, cameras, religious paraphernalia, TWO passports, and probably other items I forget now.
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