South America - Travelling with two passports in South America

I am planning on travelling in South America for a few weeks this summer. I'd like to visit Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. As a dual citizen, I have two passports (Canada and Hong Kong). My Hong Kong passport will allow me to travel to Brazil without a visa (unlike my Canadian passport), but I am planning to visit the other countries with my Canadian passport. I will be flying from Canada.

I know which passport to show where (check-in at airport, immigration clearance, etc.) but am not sure whether it's going to be a problem if I exit Brazil on my HK passport, for example, and then enter Argentina on my Canadian passport, because my Canadian passport won't have an exit stamp from Brazil, for example. This is normally not a problem for a lot of countries who don't care about stamp-trails in your passport or countries who don't care if I show them both passports to show where I was before entering their country, but I'm unfamiliar with these South American countries and whether they'll have a problem with me either having gaps on one passport, or having to show two passports.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

I think the easiest solution for you would be to use your HKSAR passport on all flights except your last flight from S.America to Canada, where I would check in with both passports, using your Canadian passport to show you have leave to reside in Canada but be "stamped out" of your last country on your HKSAR Passport. As you're aware the HKSAR document will avoid all the visa-reciprocation from Brazil but are you aware that both Chile and Argentina have hefty entry fees for Canadians? You could avoid these with your HKSAR passport.

Canada doesn't have exit border control as far as I remember so that shouldn't cause a problem on your southbound journey, you can show your Canadian passport to the check in agent on your outbound flight from Canada as well if any questions are asked.

Argentina and Brazil will want you to be stamped in and out on the same passport, although in my experience Argentina is the more lax country on the immigration side of things. I cannot recall 100% if Brazil has a "tourist card" system which you must staple inside your passport whilst in the country - I think they do. Argentina just has an entry and exit system, you fill in a landing card and an exit card at the airport on your way out, nothing to retain with your passport.

Chile is in my experience a very bureaucratic country with a love of paper trails and things in triplicate! You will be given a tourist card on entering Chile which you must store in your passport and then surrender on the way out, therefore you must enter and leave on the same document.

I have no experience of Peru so won't comment.

I do much the same every year travelling from the UK to South America, I am a dual Irish and UK national, residing permanently in the UK but I always travel solely on my Irish Passport. I realise this is somewhat different in that Irish citizens aren't subject to formal immigration control in the UK anyway but it has never caused me any problem on any trip to Chile/Argentina/Uruguay or Brazil.

EDIT: I would add I'm not an immigration expert and am only sharing my experiences as someone who has been in a somewhat similar situation.

You do want to enter and leave each country on the same passport. Otherwise no problem. Believe me they all understand dual nationality. A few months ago my spouse mistakenly presented her US passport to enter Brazil and the immigration agent asked if possibly she did not have another passport. She, chagrined, handed over her Brazilian one. It is probably not ideal to make that error but really the trick is only to enter and leave each country on the same document. that is all. Airlines will ask for proof of your ability to enter so you will need to show whatever passport lets you enter visa-free.

Thanks for both of your replies!

BHDBOY:

I wasn't aware of the entry fees applicable to Canadians for both Chile and Argentina. That certainly sways me in the direction of travelling to those countries with my HKSAR passport! Thanks for the tip there.

HKSAR passport holders can enter Canada without a visa, so I think I technically could even check into my flight from South America back to Canada with my HKSAR passport, and then just show my Canadian passport when I get to Canadian immigration, if I'm not mistaken. Anyone, please correct me if I'm wrong.

jbcarioca:

Good to know that at least Brazil doesn't have a problem with dual citizenship/two passports. I realize not that many countries do, but as I'm unfamiliar with the South American countries, I thought it'd be good to know if I'd encounter any problems if I had to show two passports for stamp-trail reasons.

Actually, out of sheer curiosity, other than Saudi Arabia, do any other countries forbid foreigners with dual citizenship from carrying two passports on them when in the country? I don't mean countries who don't allow their own citizens to carry two passports, but countries who don't allow anyone entering their country to have two passports.

You're welcome HKCanadian.

I should also add that the same will apply to a BN(O) passport if you hold one as well as your HKSAR.

BHDBOY: No, I don't hold a BN(O) passport. I had left HK by the time they started giving those out and didn't return to HK to register before the final registration date (this is what happens when you're a just a kid at the time and your parents don't care as much about this kind of thing as you do). Although these days, the HKSAR passport seems to get me visa-free access to more countries (that I wouldn't have visa-free access to with just my Canadian passport) than the BN(O) passport does, so I'm not as disappointed that I don't have the latter as I could be. It would be a very different case if they had granted Hong Kongers full British passports (yeah, right) but that's a different story for a different time!

Actually, out of sheer curiosity, other than Saudi Arabia, do any other countries forbid foreigners with dual citizenship from carrying two passports on them when in the country? I don't mean countries who don't allow their own citizens to carry two passports, but countries who don't allow anyone entering their country to have two passports.

I'm wondering whether border officials who might rummage through one's baggage and find a second passport might pose problems upon finding a second passport. I'm sure the Brazilians, et. al., wouldn't mind, but how about the North Koreans? I'm considering a trip there next year. Does anyone here have experience with them?

I traveled to Brazil last fall with two passports one US and another from a European country. I was given a hard time by US Airways in SEA (on domestic leg). They tried to convince me that I need a visa since I have US passport, despite my second passport allowed to enter Brazil without a visa. Finally the agent called the supervisor, and i was allowed to check-in.

At CLT during the boarding to the flight to GIG they just looked at visa-free passport and waved me through.

I think that border officials are quite used to people holding two or more passports. They don't care, as long as your other passport is not from a country that's deemed a threat for your destination.

However, airline agents, especially in mostly domestic outstations can be confused with this situation.

However, airline agents, especially in mostly domestic outstations can be confused with this situation.

That is true. I have needed to explain to several such agents in several countries. It has never been a problem, just a slight delay while the agent learned how immigration works in X country.

The only place that has been odd is going to Russia on a Brazilian passport last October, when the visa-free Russia entry for Brazilians was only a month old. That took about five minutes for the agent to learn about.

You will not have any issues with Argentine immigration.... I say use your HK passport and avoid the fee. Have a great trip !!! ^

Actually, out of sheer curiosity, other than Saudi Arabia, do any other countries forbid foreigners with dual citizenship from carrying two passports on them when in the country? I don't mean countries who don't allow their own citizens to carry two passports, but countries who don't allow anyone entering their country to have two passports.

When living in Doha (Qatar), I applied to the Saudis for a transit visa to the UAE so as to drive there. The conditions for the transit visa were:
(1) residency in a GCC country - this was on my Canadian passport
(2) proof that I could enter the destination country. At that time, the UAE required a visa for Canadians, but not for UK citizens. So I had to show them my UK passport.

They issued the visa on the UK passport, and then stapled the two passports together!!! This was the way I presented the passports at the 2 border posts in Saudi in both directions. So there were at least 5 interactions showing dual nationality. No problem, except for the congestion over the Eid holiday.

I'm wondering whether border officials who might rummage through one's baggage and find a second passport might pose problems upon finding a second passport. I'm sure the Brazilians, et. al., wouldn't mind, but how about the North Koreans? I'm considering a trip there next year. Does anyone here have experience with them?

Just curious - which passport would you be using to enter North Korea and why? I don't think there are any countries that have visa-free access to North Korea, but I'm probably wrong there.

Slipless and jbcarioca: I'm sure you're both right.

Gaucho100K: Thanks!

donard: Thanks for sharing! That's very different from what I've read elsewhere, but it's good to know that the rule doesn't seem to be as rigid as some have made it out to be.

Just curious - which passport would you be using to enter North Korea and why? I don't think there are any countries that have visa-free access to North Korea, but I'm probably wrong there.

Slipless and jbcarioca: I'm sure you're both right.

Gaucho100K: Thanks!

donard: Thanks for sharing! That's very different from what I've read elsewhere, but it's good to know that the rule doesn't seem to be as rigid as some have made it out to be.

The North Koreans have been inconsistent in their visa policies. True, everyone needs a visa, but the last I heard bearers of U.S. passports could only travel in North Korea in groups, whereas Europeans could book individual tours.