Published on: December 04, 2024 | By: @rprasanth_kumar
Traveling after renewing your passport recently can raise questions about whether to carry both your old and new passports. In some cases, such as when your old passport contains a valid visa or important travel history, carrying both is very important. This article will help you understand when and why you might need to carry both passports to ensure smooth international travel.
Should I carry both old and new Passports?
- Yes, when traveling internationally after renewing your passport, you should carry both your old and new passports.
- Old passports may be needed to verify travel history. Newly issued passports might raise questions. So, the old passport can help confirm your identity and past travel.
- If the old passport has no valid visas or relevant stamps, you typically only need the new one.
- Always check the requirements of the countries you plan to visit and clarify your doubts with the relevant Embassies and Consulates.
If your old passport contains a valid Visa
Some countries issue long-term visas that remain valid even if your passport expires. In this case, you’ll need to carry both passports:
- New Passport: Used as your primary travel document.
- Old Passport: Used to present the valid visa.
Examples:
- United States: You have a 10-year multiple-entry U.S. tourist visa B1/B2 in your old passport, but your passport was renewed after 5 years. When traveling to the U.S., you’ll need both the new and old passports to show the valid tourist visa.
- Schengen Area: If you have a long-term Schengen visa (e.g., a multiple entry tourist or a study visa) in your old passport, you’ll need both passports when entering Schengen countries.
If your new Passport was recently issued
A newly issued passport might not have any entry/exit immigration stamps, which could lead to questions about your travel history or identity. Carrying your old passport can help resolve these doubts.
- If your old passport doesn’t contain a valid visa or relevant immigration stamps, you typically won’t need to carry it. In such cases, only the new passport is good enough.
- Personally, I carry my old passport too because it hardly weighs a few grams.
I forgot to carry my old Passport
- Valid Visas: If your old passport contained a valid visa, you can apply for a duplicate visa, return visa or a completely new visa. The process depends on the immigration rules of the respective countries.
- For example: If you had a Schengen visa from France and you are currently in India, you can apply for a Visa de retour using your new passport. This single-use visa will allow you to return back to France. Please refer to this article for more details, Visa de retour Application experience – VFS Hyderabad.
- A photocopy of the visa is not a valid travel document. So, it cannot be used as a main travel document.
- Additional Documentation: Carry supporting documents like your previous visa approval letters, photocopies of the old passport (if available), or other proof of past travel.
