Having dual citizenship is great and can be both a time and money saving advantage for extensive travelers. Rand and I are both American citizens so we save money while rarely having to pay for visas or reciprocity fees. However, in the instances that we do have to pay or would rather travel for longer than three months, we can both rely on our dual citizenship, his more beneficial as it’s an Italian citizenship giving him EU rights, mine mostly beneficial just for traveling to Turkey or South America because it’s a Turkish citizenship and Turkey is not part of the EU.

Last year, Rand successfully obtained his Italian passport after proving his Italian ancestry. Both of my parents were born in Turkey so by default I am able to claim dual citizenship. Whenever I enter or leave Turkey, for example in August during our trip to Eastern Europe and Turkey, I showed Turkish customs my American passport along with my (expired) Turkish Identification card to avoid paying a visa fee, which is only $20, but that’s just $20 more I save. I’ve never had an issue with traveling into or out of Turkey with both my American passport and my Turkish ID card, but showing an American Passport and Turkish passport may create an issue. A quick rule is that you should only provide one passport.

Two Passports May Save you Money

Now, if I decide that I would like to travel with a Turkish passport, I would be able to travel to select South American countries without paying for a Visa or Reciprocity fee that American Citizens are required to pay. With his Italian passport, Rand would be traveling as a citizen of a European Union country so he also would not have to pay for a visa traveling through South America.

For certain nationalities, particular those that are descendants of Poland, Armenia, Italy, Ireland, Lithuania, Greece, and the United Kingdom, if you can prove to the consulate that your roots trace back to Europe, you should make that effort to save hundreds of dollars, especially if you are planning on taking several trips to South America. Each country has its own policy for citizenship through blood lineage, but it is worth looking into if you have an ancestor that immigrated to the US. The reciprocity fees are typically a one time payment, but if you’re planning to visit two or three countries during a single trip that require US citizens to pay the fees, that might create a dent in your financial planning. You can easily rack up $480 in visas and fees by traveling to Argentina, Chile, and Brazil on one trip.

Reciprocity Fees by Country

Reciprocity fees are not visas. They’re fees that a country will charge a tourist because the country that they are nationals of charges their citizens for entering their country. It’s kind of like a “well, hey you charge our people, so we’ll charge yours” response to the US. In South America these fees average about $150 USD per person.

In the past you could avoid some reciprocity fees by slipping under the fence. Take Argentina for example, you could fly into a regional airport or enter the country by bus from Chile and not have to pay the fee, but if you fly into EZE airport in Buenos Aires you would be required to pay up. This is no longer the case. Currently for Argentina, you must pre-pay online for the reciprocity fee before entering the country and show proof of payment  entering and exiting the country from any airport, land or sea entry.

Visa and Reciprocity Fees for Traveling to South America by Country

*Visa HQ- Passport and Visa Services is a great resource for finding out if you have to pay for a visa.

Plan Ahead

Some visas that are required before traveling to the country can take weeks to process, so make sure to research whether you have to apply for a visa in advance.

Traveling with Two Passports as a Dual Citizen

One question you have to ask yourself is: “Is saving money worth the risk of possibly compromising your safety while traveling?” Anyone traveling with two passports should take this factor into account. While you don’t denounce your American Citizenship and rights by traveling with a passport from another country, the laws of both countries can kick in while traveling if you get into some trouble. If you would prefer the protection of the US, then travel with an American Passport. If you’re visiting a country that may have issues with American tourists, then travel with your other passport.

Tips for Traveling with Two Passports

First off, while in customs, don’t present both passports at the same time. While I do show my Turkish ID at Turkish customs with my American passport, it’s not an issue because it doesn’t get stamped.

When entering and exiting the US, be sure to show US Customs your American passport.

You should always use the same passport you entered the country with when leaving the country or if asked for a passport by an official. They need proof that you entered the country legally.

If you are traveling from the US to Europe you should leave and enter the US with your American passport and enter and leave the EU with your European passport.

I will get into more passport etiquette in a later post, but the important thing to remember is to just be consistent and careful with the passport you decide to use as your primary traveling tool.

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