Two Passports Input and Advice Feedback
 

Hi all,

I hold two passports. Both American and Irish (EU) ones.

Here's a little bit of my family history background. While I was born and raised a Yank, I've also held an Irish passport since the late 1970's, qualifying for one under Ireland's "Registry Act". It is legal for me to hold both simultaneously.
My father was born in London. My paternal grandfather was a Colonel in the British Army in the Irish Guard and was born in Ireland, thereby entitling me to Irish citizenship.
My mother was an American. My mother's brother was a Hurricane/Spitfire fighter pilot in the American Eagle Canadian RAF squad, having joined them eighteen months prior to America's entry to the war. It was my American uncle in the RAF whom introduced my parents during WW II.
My father was a young convoy freighter captain (twice torpedoed, obviously not munitions or petrol).
My uncle was shot down and killed just prior to the end of the war during the Battle of the Bulge while on a night time recon flight in his P51 Mustang, having been transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corp prior to D-Day.

I like the fact that I have two passports available to me and I've used the Irish one numerous times over the years in sticky situations and localities where things were made more difficult for you if known as an American.

That being said, I would appreciate any input as to what you think would be the better of the two passports to travel under on my planned motorcycle trips (first one is Deadhorse to Terra to Buenos Areas).

I'm glad I'm an American (though often embarressed by the idots in Washington D.C.) but I'd have no problem travelling under my Irish Passport.

I don't know if problems would arise with the bike being registered, titled and carneted in America while my being technically an Irishman (EU) on the trip.

For those of you who have travelled on your bikes a great deal, what do you think?
I have noticed a number of times over the years that I was treated differently as an Irishman, rather than an American, in a number of the third world countries especially. Being an Irishman is a politcal asset usually (Most everybody loves the Irish) and you normally aren't viewed quite so much as an economic target once they find out you're Irish.
Any of your thoughts appreciated.

Couple things: your name needs to match the bike ownership documents, but your nationality doesn't matter. You can carry (and use) both passports if you want--there are a few places in South America which are cheaper as an Irish national. You don't need a carnet anywhere in the Americas, so skip that whole step unless you're looking for ways to shovel money out of your life (in which case I can offer you a place to do so on your ride south).

As a friendly suggestion: brief, concise questions tend to attract answers. Rambling posts full of rambling queries (like your other post) tend to attract, at best, answers which have no bearing on what you're trying to find out. As you might have noticed.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Hard to say really, you would think that Americans travelling through Viet-Nam would receive a bit of attitude, but in reality they are welcomed.
I'd say it's an even call.
I have two passports as well, I use one only in case of emergencies.

I have travelled with dual Irish/Britsh passport holders in the past and they have found the Irish one opens doors more quickly and cheaply, but this has been in Asia and Africa, in the Americas it might be different or might not matter at all.

Markharf
Understand the rambling part, but I got a couple of terrific connections and further answers from the email reponses to it. But I have to agree with you.

If you can live in Bellingham you don't need my money, so I won't be stopping by with that shovel full of money you mentioned (;>). Thanks for the info about not needing a carnet anywhere directly south of us. Will get one though if I ship the bike out of Buenos Areas to South Africa and on to Australia.

Irish it is by the sounds of the replies.

Take them both.
 

I am a dually. American born and raised with a Canadian Mom. Born outside Canada to a Canadian parent. Picked up the passport a couple years ago with my citizenship card.

I have carried both of my passports for the past 7.5 months, and I´ve ONLY used my american one.

Boliva charges America passport holders $135 for a 5 year entry visa.
Paraguau charges Americans $45.
Brazil charges $100(?)

Just use your Irish Passport for those countries. Or for all of them.

I already have a Bolivian visa from the summer of 2008, so it makes sense for me to carry my US passport. I´ll likely run out of pages though, and might have to bust out the Canadian one for the end of the trip...

Just take them both, and store one securely somewhere.

Also, there are a hell of a lot more American embassies in Central and South America than Irish ones. Lose one passport, you have another. Lose one and dont have a backup... OOPS.

--Alex