joer1212

I have U.S. and Italian passports, and will be traveling to Brazil and Argentina for the first time next year (Jan 24-Feb 1). Brazil requires U.S. citizens to obtain a visa ($160). Argentina requires no visa for U.S. citizens, but charges them a reciprocity fee (also $160).
Italian citizens don't require a visa to enter Brazil, and they pay nothing to enter Argentina.

Since I hold Italian citizenship, could I avoid getting a Brazilian visa, and paying the reciprocity fee in Argentina?

But, here's the problem: My U.S. passport name is 'Joseph', while my Italian passport name is 'Giuseppe' (Italian for 'Joseph'). Both passports have the same surname.
Airlines require that the ticket name and the passport name match. Therefore, I cannot use my Italian passport because the names don't match, which forces me to use my American passport, which would require me to obtain a costly visa.

Is there any way around this? I hate the idea of paying over $300 in entry fees because of a minor technicality, especially when I am eligible to pay nothing.
Could I possibly use BOTH passports?

My itinerary:

EWR-IAD
IAD-GRU
GRU-SDU
SDU-GRU
GRU-EZE
EZE-SCL
SCL-MIA
MIA-JFK

I appreciate any input.

VidaNaPraia

You need to check with the airline.

Brazil will let you enter with your Italian passport and return through their passport control booth (where you give back the piece of paper you got on entry) on your departure using your Italian passport.

However, the airline wants to assure itself that they will not have to transport you back to your departure point at their expense if you cannot enter Brazil on arrival. They want to know you have a visa or do not need one. SO it is the airline who may give you problems over the difference in names in the passport you intend to use to enter vs. their manifest.

US passport control only wants to see your US passport on return entry to see if you are legal (not any entry/exit stamps from anywhere else, so just explain if they ask--someone at US entry should be worldly enough to understand the 'Giuseppe'/Italian for 'Joseph thing).

btw, people do this "two passport" thing all the time. (Brazilians are required to enter and leave Brazil on a Brazilian passport , even if they have a US one.) Don't let the name difference throw you or the airline.

Marambio

I also have two passports (Argentina and EU). Since Argentinians are required to have a visa for the USA, I enter the States on the EU one. The process is quite straightforward. Applying it to your situation:

You leave the USA on your US passport.

You enter Brazil on your Italian passport.
You leave Brazil on your Italian passport.

You enter the USA on your US passport.

You don't show have to show your US passport upon leaving Brazil, just give them the Italian one. The Brazilian immigration officer doesn't care whether you are allowed to enter the US, he just cares about you being the same person that entered Brazil.

The airline check-in staff might ask to see your US passport in case you don't have an ESTA on the Italian one, just to make sure you are allowed in the USA.

I have done the same in Russia coming in from Europe (EU passports require a visa for Russia, Argentina doesn't need one). The immigration officer at DME asked where I was coming from.
"London", I said.
"You don't have a London stamp, you have two passports?"
"Yep"
"OK"
She let me through with a smile.

Mwenenzi

The passport you show the airline and the passport you show immigration do not need to be the same (as the same border). Some countries/airlines are very used to people having 2 passports. Do not offer or say anything about the other passport unless asked. Always be honest. At immigration controls always use the same passport in & out.

joer1212

If my name was the same on my 2 passports, I would do exactly this. But since it's not, here's how I think it would go down if I followed the above suggestion:


You leave the USA on your US passport
So far, no problem at all. My name on my ticket is exactly the same as my name in my US passport. The airline ticket agent will hand me my boarding pass with a smile, and off I go.


You enter Brazil on your Italian passport.
No problem here either, since the customs agent will not match my ticket to my passport. He will simply stamp my Italian passport, and wave me through (but no smile )


You leave Brazil on your Italian passport.
Now, here's where it gets tricky.
I approach my airline's ticket counter, and hand the agent my ticket and Italian passport with the entry stamp. She eyeballs the documents, and immediately notices the discrepancy in the name on the 2 documents. I can't tell you what would happen after this*. The situation could be rectified by simply showing the agent my US passport, or it could escalate into a major bureaucratic problem, causing me to miss my flight.


You enter the USA on your US passport
No problem here at all. This is actually the easiest and most straightforward step.


*Keep in mind that I would have to repeat this process upon leaving Argentina as well. I don't know if I have the stomach to deal with this twice.
Now, I know I can call or email my airline to inquire about this hypothetical scenario, but despite what they tell me, it may be totally different once I'm on the road.

Oh, and let's not forget that the airline may not be my only problem when I leave Brazil and Argentina. There could be customs agents that match my boarding pass name to my passport name (as they do in the US).

joer1212

Upon leaving Brazil and/or Argentina, if my airline makes a fuss about my name in my Italian passport not matching my ticket, would simply showing them my US passport (with the name matching my ticket) resolve the issue?

qfrodo

With a US passport for a flight from the US to Brazil, the airline will not allow you to board unless you have a visa or permanent resident card for Brazil. And since your name in the Italian passport does not match, you cannot use that either. I'm thinking you will need to get the visa, or fly to Brazil via Italy. :-)

In Brazil you likely won't talk to Customs unless you are bringing in a lot of checked bags or boxes.

VidaNaPraia

Customs deal with merchandise, in this case that belonging to travelers.
Passport control/immigration deals with people and their documents.
You will not deal with customs over this issue.

Passport control in Brazil or Argentina are only concerned that you have a valid travel document to enter and leave their countries. It would be an anomaly for them to show any interest in anyone's ticketing on exit.

joer1212

Yes, you're right. Sorry, but I totally overlooked the obvious! This is exactly why I created this thread to begin with.

joer1212

It appears that I will be stuck paying $320 in fees-- money that could have been spent on my trip. This is very frustrating to a holder of an Italian passport, who is not required to pay these fees.
I can't even avoid the Argentina reciprocity fee, now that you have to pay online in advance, or they won't let you in the country. It used to be that this fee was charged upon arrival. If that still was the case, I would have had a chance to avoid paying it by showing my Italian passport.

boboqui

Isn't it common to have the first name in the passport's language and the ticket in English? Won't the airline change the name on the ticket?


With all due respect, the only things that are constant in Brazil's bureaucracy are its unpredictilaby and inconsistency. Things change overnight, there is no stability, it makes it impossible to make long term plans.

VidaNaPraia

" In Brazil you likely won't talk to customs...."
Agree about the bureaucracy, and how convenient an opportunity this thread gives for you to vent about it once again.

However, this issue has nothing to do with Brazil's bureaucracy or their customs service.(In the event the OP were stopped at customs on entry and his baggage checked, they would be checking merchandise, and only incidentally the legitimate Giuseppe passport on which he entered. Customs does not check outgoing passengers.)

The issue has to do with airline protocol, probably of a non-Brazilian based airline.

joer1212

If they did this, it would solve my problem in one fell swoop. But, I paid for my ticket online using a credit card, and the name on my credit card is "Joseph". That's another conflict right there.

Btw, I purchased my flights using United and American frequent flyer miles, and paid for the fees using a credit card. The airlines I will be flying are several: United, American Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Azul and KLM.

boboqui

The first name in the credit card may have to match to the passenger name but is not checked when the cc is charged.

Call the airline(s) to ask if they will accept the 2 passports, perhaps this situation is not so unusual and they'll have a ready answer.

joer1212

I'll have to call 4 airlines: United (IAD-GRU); Turkish (GRU-EZE); KLM (EZE-SCL); American (SCL-MIA). If any of these don't accept 2 passports, the whole idea is dead.

Before I call, do you think it's too late to have my ticket name changed from "Joseph" to "Giuseppe"? This would be a lot easier and more comprehensive than getting all the airlines to agree to accept 2 passports. I would have to call several airlines if I went with the latter option (United, American and KLM-- the other airline segments fall under United because they were purchased with their miles. KLM was purchased w/o miles, and would have to be called separately).