3 ms·

Why did you present two passports?

by whiddershins 7y ago

refurb 7y ago
Great question!
- Havoc 7y ago
  Answered in detail 2x in other comments in this thread. I'd directly link you but can't see a way to do so on hn
munk-a 7y ago
Actually yea, when I got my second citizenship I was explicitly informed about the legal difficulties of two passports. It is somewhat advised to only ever carry one passport when abroad, but it's critical in a lot of areas, that you use the same passport whenever crossing the boards of a particular country within the same visit.
- Havoc 7y ago
  >only ever carry one passport when abroad No that's 100% wrong and provably so (see below). You absolutely have to carry all because there are situations where you'll legally need a mix. Using my example: South African and EU passport. Suppose I'm flying from SA to Spain. Airline desk: They want the EU passport. Because they get screwed if they fly someone into the EU that has no right being there. Outbound immigration desk: Has to be SA passport. It's 100% ILLEGAL for me to present the EU one here - under fine or imprisonment Inbound in Spain: They'll want to see the EU one because the SA one doesn't have a suitable visa stamp. My "I presented both" comment is based on an observation that generally playing open cards with officials will result in them selecting the most favourable one. e.g. Iceland won't tell a German "oh we see you also have an afghan passport so you can't enter". Plus I like to play open cards. I have nothing to hide. You want to check both passports...go for it.
Havoc 7y ago
>Why did you present two passports? Two reasons: Internationally if you do this the official will (normally) pick the most favorable/least paperwork one. For transparency - I have nothing to hide & wanted to play open cards. If he wants to run both through his systems that's cool - they'll both come back clean. Me: Good morning sir. Here are my passports. My US ESTA Visa for entry into the USA was issued on the German one. Him: You can't have two passports. Me: I have dual citizenship, hence two passports. Him: No US law doesn't allow you to have two passports. Me - thinking...oh fk...this guy isn't grasping that US citizenship law doesn't apply to all 7.5 billion people on the world. Do I argue with this idiot? Nope...read enough horror stories on HN about US border arbitrarily detentions. US border agents can clearly do whatever the fuck they want. Went with a fake sorry sir won't happen again. Oh and this is for a white male in a business suit for a business meeting with a company that's on the HN frontpage on a fuckin German passport speaking perfect English. I dread to think what the experience is like for someone more ahem diverse.
- refurb 7y ago
  For transparency Yeah, don’t do that. When interacting with the government, you give them what they need and no more. Sounds like you got a really stupid CBP agent.
  - Havoc 7y ago
    >(transparency)Yeah, don’t do that. Gov needs to decide. They can't penalize me for not being transparent (e.g. encrypting docs and refusing to hand over password at border) and at the same time punishing me for being transparent (like in this example). Fuckin decide what you want....

Why did you present two passports?

refurb 7y ago

Great question!

Havoc 7y ago
Answered in detail 2x in other comments in this thread. I'd directly link you but can't see a way to do so on hn

munk-a 7y ago

Actually yea, when I got my second citizenship I was explicitly informed about the legal difficulties of two passports. It is somewhat advised to only ever carry one passport when abroad, but it's critical in a lot of areas, that you use the same passport whenever crossing the boards of a particular country within the same visit.

Havoc 7y ago
>only ever carry one passport when abroad No that's 100% wrong and provably so (see below). You absolutely have to carry all because there are situations where you'll legally need a mix. Using my example: South African and EU passport. Suppose I'm flying from SA to Spain. Airline desk: They want the EU passport. Because they get screwed if they fly someone into the EU that has no right being there. Outbound immigration desk: Has to be SA passport. It's 100% ILLEGAL for me to present the EU one here - under fine or imprisonment Inbound in Spain: They'll want to see the EU one because the SA one doesn't have a suitable visa stamp. My "I presented both" comment is based on an observation that generally playing open cards with officials will result in them selecting the most favourable one. e.g. Iceland won't tell a German "oh we see you also have an afghan passport so you can't enter". Plus I like to play open cards. I have nothing to hide. You want to check both passports...go for it.

Havoc 7y ago

>Why did you present two passports? Two reasons: Internationally if you do this the official will (normally) pick the most favorable/least paperwork one. For transparency - I have nothing to hide & wanted to play open cards. If he wants to run both through his systems that's cool - they'll both come back clean. Me: Good morning sir. Here are my passports. My US ESTA Visa for entry into the USA was issued on the German one. Him: You can't have two passports. Me: I have dual citizenship, hence two passports. Him: No US law doesn't allow you to have two passports. Me - thinking...oh fk...this guy isn't grasping that US citizenship law doesn't apply to all 7.5 billion people on the world. Do I argue with this idiot? Nope...read enough horror stories on HN about US border arbitrarily detentions. US border agents can clearly do whatever the fuck they want. Went with a fake sorry sir won't happen again. Oh and this is for a white male in a business suit for a business meeting with a company that's on the HN frontpage on a fuckin German passport speaking perfect English. I dread to think what the experience is like for someone more ahem diverse.

refurb 7y ago
For transparency Yeah, don’t do that. When interacting with the government, you give them what they need and no more. Sounds like you got a really stupid CBP agent.
- Havoc 7y ago
  >(transparency)Yeah, don’t do that. Gov needs to decide. They can't penalize me for not being transparent (e.g. encrypting docs and refusing to hand over password at border) and at the same time punishing me for being transparent (like in this example). Fuckin decide what you want....