Tips for the Frequent International Traveler

Posted on June 29, 2012 by VISANOW

By Alejandra Leon, GMS, Global Services

 

Have you ever had to miss important business meetings in one country because your passport was being held captive at the consulate of another? Has your passport ever been completely full of visa stamps, so full it precludes future international travel? If so, the following information may prove very useful in order to ensure that you never find yourself in such a predicament again.

A second valid passport is available for all U.S. Citizens that hold a current, valid U.S. passport that was issued to them at the age of 16 years or older, is not heavily damaged and mutilated, and can provide evidence that they have a need for two valid passports. Yes, that’s right. You can hold TWO valid passports at the same time.

What does this mean? It means that you no longer will have to choose between flying to Paris this week or applying for an Indian visa for your India trip next week. While you use one of your valid passports to fly out to Paris, your other passport can stay with the Indian Consulate in the U.S. and be ready in time for your trip to India.

Another useful tip for those of you that will be applying for a passport for the first time is to choose a 52 page passport book instead of the standard 24 page. All the frequent international traveling you will be doing will require plenty of empty passport pages for entry/exit stamps and visas. The less pages your passport holds, the quicker it fills. You will then be required to add pages or renew your passport, and both of these processes take time and money.

So remember, if your current or future job will require you to fly internationally multiple times during the year, think about obtaining a second valid passport and/or applying for a 52 page passport book. It will save you time, money, and help you avoid plenty of headaches in the future.

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