Application for second passport. Usually, one passport is enough, but sometimes you might need a second one. For instance, if you travel a lot to countries that require visas or visit places that may deny entry because of stamps from other countries. Getting a second passport in Germany can be difficult and needs a good reason. The Federal Ministry of the Interior controls this process, and a second passport is only allowed in special cases.
Second passport in Germany
The German Passport Act states that a person is not allowed to have more than one passport from the Federal Republic of Germany unless they can prove a valid reason for needing more than one passport (according to § 1 para. 3 of the Passport Act).
Read also: Germany’s new citizenship law: What you need to know about dual citizenship
Exceptions for a second passport may be:
- Anyone who plans several private or business trips within a short time to different countries, some of which require a visa, may need to submit their passport for a visa application at the embassy or consulate of the destination country. For example, if someone has to leave their passport at a foreign embassy to get a visa but also needs to travel urgently for another private or business trip, they might not be able to get their passport back in time, reports HNA.de.
- Someone planning to travel to a country that might deny entry to German citizens because their passport shows previous visits to certain other countries.
According to the BMI, a second passport is valid for up to six years. In contrast, a first passport is valid for ten years for people over 24. For those under 24, the first passport is also valid for six years.