Dual Citizenship

Hi, Does anyone have experience travelling with two passports? I will be going to eastern europe and have both Canadian & Polish citizenship. Depending on the visa requirements of the countries I visit, i'd like to alternate between using the two. Could this cause problems? Example: into Czech republic on Polish passport & on to Slovakia with Canadian one..

thanks,

Taking a moment's reflection, Alena mused: Hi, Does anyone have experience travelling with two passports? I will be going to eastern europe and have both Canadian & Polish citizenship. Depending on the visa requirements of the countries I visit, i'd like to alternate between using the two. Could this cause problems? Example: into Czech republic on Polish passport & on to Slovakia with Canadian one..

Yes. Largely due to the need for exit Visas and stamps. Someone will likely see that you have entered a given country, but they'll see that (according to your passport) you never left that country ... yet here you are in their country. It's generally not wise to travel with two passports. Pick the one that gives you the best benefit, and stick to it.

Not quite true. Many countries do not stamp exit stamps on the passports. I have a friend with two passports - with the first he passess the Greek border, with the second Macedonian border.

Taking a moment's reflection, corpz mused: Not quite true. Many countries do not stamp exit stamps on the passports. I have a friend with two passports - with the first he passess the Greek border, with the second Macedonian border.

Indeed. But, if you run into a country that does, and you find out as you are leaving under a second passport ... it's a bit too late, and now there is explaining to do.

as long as you leave on the one you enter, no problem. I travel with two (australian + british) and have no problem.

A) Exit visas? What, in North Korea?

This is a problem in the same way that bringing both a passport and a pair of underwear is a problem: You could enter a country with the passport, and then show the underwear when you leave, and they'll be surprised and upset because the underwear doesn't have any stamps in it.

Just like you show the same object when entering and leaving if you are carrying a passport and underwear, you do the same if carrying two passports. Why would you switch midstream? And why should the possibility of foolishly doing this provide an argument against traveling with two passports?

I have polish citizenship and have traveled to Czech Rep. and Slovakia several times, not allways having my passport stamped entering the country and I have no problems comeing back. My suggestion for Alena is to travel with Polish passport (in central Europe ofcourse). I don't know visa rquirements for Canadians but Polish don't need to have visas to most europiean countries.....

Michal Ostaszewski

Right. Use the same passport when you enter a country as when you leave it. The next country you enter doesn't care about exit Visas from the last country. They couldn't care less, and they won't check. As long as you're legal to ENTER their country, they're happy. Don't worry about it.