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kbp4g5 · Joined: 06 Aug 2010 Posts: 8

I'll be moving to KSA next month and have already secured a second 2-year concurrent passport from the U.S. State Department to enter KSA, because my first passport has Israeli stamps in it.

1.) Does the KSA passport control turn a blind eye to Americans entering on a 2 year, completely brand new passport? They have got to know that it was issued for this very reason, right?

2.) Would I be risking it big-time if I were to "sneak in" my original passport so that I could have the option of visiting Israel while living in KSA? (obviously covering my tracks by flying in and out of Jordan/Turkey/Egypt, etc...)

Any insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated. I can't find any info pertaining to my particular situation online. All I can find is the obligatory "you can't enter KSA with Israeli stamps" web page.

I'm leaning towards just leaving the original passport at home just to play it safe, but wanted to know what you guys thought.

Cheers.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 4:24 am Post subject:

I'd think that just the fact of being caught with two valid passports from the same country would be cause enuf for throwing you UNDER the gaol! Shocked

NCTBA

kbp4g5 · Joined: 06 Aug 2010 Posts: 8

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 4:53 am Post subject:

My son has two passports, but he's a dual-national. I'm no customs official, but I'm pretty darned sure that having two valid passports from the same country...even with the same identity constitutes duplicity...a grave charge in the least and provides proof to another country that the U.S. is offering an official travel document under colour...something that would be VERY embarrassing, indeed!

Even embassy officials, I believe, leave their "personal" passports at home and travel under their "official" passports when undertaking official business. Anybody who can dispute my gut-feeling here, pls. chime in...

NCTBA

also in saudi · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 137

The US passport agency invalidates your old passport when issuing a new passport. I suspect the Saudis and Israelis would detect an invalid US passport.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

You are suffering from paranoia. But be careful to avoid telling people that you have visited that Place We May Not Name.

And do not let the authorities know that you have two passports. Mind you they have bigger things to worry about. Like the thousands of illegals in KSA. But then you might run across someone who wants to get his own back on the "West" for what has been going on recently.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:02 pm Post subject:

I share Cleo's perplexity (perplexion? perplexitude?) at the fact that your first passport was not cancelled. Very odd, and if it is suspicious to us, it will be highly suspicious to the KSA authorities. I think you'd probably be safer smuggling in a bottle of whiskey and a pound of fine bacon wrapped in porn magazines...at least those won't have the stamp of the Country that Dare not be Named. The risk of being caught is less (a passport being small) but the consequences could be much greater.

Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I'd also be careful with e-mail and any other correspondence to that country. And again, do not mention your connnections or your visits to anyone, not even colleagues. Someone could use it against you. Sorry, but that is just reality in KSA.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:12 pm Post subject:

..."Place We May Not Name"...

Aww..c'mon on folks! Call a spade a spade...it's al-quds... There! It's been bespoken of... Very Happy

NCTBA

Cleopatra · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:16 pm Post subject:

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:23 pm Post subject:

My brain is out of warranty or I would send it in and get a new one! Sorry, VS!

johnslat · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:24 pm Post subject:

Dear VS,

It's called precognition and Mia's got it (strange, though, that it didn't work with respect to Saudi.)

Regards,
John

PattyFlipper · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 572

Some of the 'advice' and comments on this thread are ludicrously alarmist.

I had two (UK) passports for years, initially for the same reason as the OP, and never had any problems taking them to the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. I also entered Saudi Arabia twice on NEW passports without stamps from other countries, and that was not a problem either.

Scot's advice on not advertising the fact that you DO have concurrent passports is eminently sensible however. I would further suggest that you do not even mention to colleagues or other expats, as you never know when such information might be used to your detriment.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Did you ever enter a country with one of the passports and then depart to another destination using the other? Such as flying into Cairo on one passport. Then doing a round trip to Israel with the second. And then depart again from Cairo with the original passport?

Could this cause problems? Could this even be done?

VS