I have a bit of an issue with trying to get a visa for a trip to Russia, in that I don’t really have enough time free where I could be without my passport for long enough the Ruskis to put a visa in it!

Can’t find anything on the .gov website about getting a second passport, so I thought I’d try the STW Hivemind!

Anyone?

I have a French and a British one. HTH 🙂

It can be done – http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/passports1/passports-a-to-z/s-topics/second-passport

Second passports will only be issued where there is an ongoing and compelling need for frequent travel and it is likely that visas will need to be applied for whilst other travel is undertaken.

i have 2 x uk

im an offshore worker so i applied as per getting a new passport for the second but enclose a letter from HR at work explaining why i need it – for getting visas for dodgy places…..

quick interviewski at glasgow and a passport was issued.

Brilliant, thanks all! Apart from clubber… 😉

You’re welcome 😉

Can you be without passport for 48 hours? That’s how long it took to get my Russian visa, used these people.

CFH – you need to use a visa service. They get it sorted in a day or so. There’s one off Lancaster gate/notting hill Ive used before for my russian visa. I can find contact details if you like.

re the visa service, I use CIBT, but wasn’t sure if they would be able to do a 48hr (or similar) service. Am looking at every avenue, basically!

here we are:
http://www.andrews-consulting.co.uk/

very fast. Theyre just round the corner from russ embassy so they stick a man in the queue evrey day.

Elena looked after me there.

I have two for pretty much the same reason as Trail Rat. Didn’t need an interview; did need a letter from work; and am under strict orders to send back the old one at some point.

I’ve had 2 UK passports for years for work reasons (visa applications / travel to ‘incompatible countries’ etc). As above you just need a letter from your employer stating the business need.

Last time one of my passports was up for renewal I went to the PP office in Peterborough to get it done same day, and they were happy to do both at the same time (needed forms and photos for each plus the company letter again). Conveniently this means that I now also have consecutive passport numbers and the same expiry dates – which is handy for remembering when filling in forms.

If you do a lot of travel and need a lot of visas then it’s definitely worth doing.

For your visa problem, CIBT are generally fairly capable when it comes to fast turnaround. I think they even publish some specific guidance somewhere for getting your Russia visa application submitted the same day.

Good luck!

I don’t really have enough time free where I could be without my passport for long enough the Ruskis to put a visa in it

I suspect you need to pay more. Relatively recently the consulate was doing one-hour turnaround for the right price.

Edit: I don’t mean dishonestly. Just that they had a sliding scale of charges. Speak to your visa runner.

Also, I have had two UK passports simultaneously for visa reasons. They don’t seem to like giving out 10-year ones – they’ll give you a 1-year one unless you can show an ongoing need, afaics.

Yep – easy to get two UK passports – just fill in a new application stating either Visas or Israel / Muslim countries as the reason.

I have one I use as a Middle Eastern passport (Syria et al) and a US and Israel one – saves explaining axis of evil countries to US immigration and being deported from Muslim countries for visiting the ‘occupied Palestine’….

Can be done. A mate of mine has an ‘Isreal and USA’ and an ‘everywhere else’ one. A lot of places won’t let you in if they see an Isreali stamp in it.

Andrews Travel House has been around since the Stone Age (well, 1992 at least…). The CEO is an interesting guy.

http://www.andrews-consulting.co.uk/index.php

Note that if you do have 2 passports travelling to some countries with both of them in your possession is illegal…