Visitor Visa Runs with Dual Citizenship?

Hi everyone,

I have read most of the posts on this site about tourist visa runs, so I think I'm relatively well-informed about the process and limitations (ie increasingly strict immigration and an unofficial limit of 3 entries), but I haven't seen anything specifically related to dual citizenship.

My Malaysian boyfriend needed to move back to the country for some time, so I tagged along with him and am here on a tourist visa with the hope to stay for as long as possible while he sorts out his overseas visa. I am currently on my second visitor Visa, having left on day 71 of the first visa to spend 5 days in Thailand, and I'm in the process of planning my next departure. I'm aiming to leave around the 80 day mark for a period of 10 days.

What (might) make my circumstances slightly different is that I am fortunate enough to have two passports, let's call them American and British. I originally entered on my American passport, and re-entered on that same passport again after my first visa run. I am wondering if for the second visa run there would be any benefit to entering on my British passport (of course leaving on the American), or whether facial recognition/fingerprinting at customs would allow immigration to catch on.

Does anyone have any insight? Any other advice or recent news related to visa extensions would be great to hear as well.

Thanks!

You need to use the same passport for entry and departure otherwise it will look like you have overstayed at a later point in time due to entry/departure stamps

Photo and fingerprints will detect you on either passport. Stay clean or risk a Do Not Land (ie one month ban on entering).

UK and US passport holders can apply up to twice to extend their tourist visa without leaving the country.

Thanks for your response Gravitas. I'm always careful to enter and leave on the same passport when visiting a country, but it sounds as though switching between the two when outside the country won't be much help to me! I certainly don't want to risk a Do Not Land order.

Are you able to elaborate on the visa extension process or provide some links? From what I understand based on what I've read in this forum, extensions are normally offered for a period of 30 days and a subsequent 15 days. If that's the case, a full Visa renewal is obviously preferable to get the full 90 days (but more risky of course).

You can go to the immigration office and request an extension, but typically after the first extension they will start to question you. And they could deny the extension.

Okay, thanks for the input. I think I'll risk the visa run to aim for the full 90 days this time around. I'll be sure to use the American passport so immigration doesn't catch on to any funny business!

When I've come in via the land border they have checked that I have a valid exit stamp from Thailand, makes swapping passports a little more difficult. Although not noticed by airplane, I left Malaysia on one passport then entered and left India on another because my visa's were in different passports, that didn't obviously cause an issue.

I have never heard of the an unofficial limit of 3 entries

I just visited Malaysia last December
During my conversation with some friends, we were talking about how those people from Thailand came to Malaysia with tourist visa
Many of them OWN restaurants in Malaysia (yes, abusing their visa terms)

Each month they cross the border and a make a U-turn

I am moving back to Malaysia for good with my US passport
I have to make this U turn every 3 month

Are you having older passport, means two passport with respective citizenship, I heard those dual citizenship have new passport with two citizenship, why don't you change to the new passport.

Will check, but I doubt that
Malaysian can only hold one citizenship - per constitution

It's true that Malaysia does not recognise dual citizenship so officially citizens should only hold one Malaysian passport.

Yes.  I've been told there's an unofficial limit of 3 visits in one year, not altogether.  If you think about it if you had three short visits they will be fine but three visits of 90 days would mean you should be applying for residency and paying tax. Regarding renewing visas on the rat run,  I had a friend who is Thai and owned a restaurant here for many years until their cheap piece of land became very valuable.  She used to pay at the border monthly  for her  chop or just pay for the chop  without going out of town through a local  "agent", what with all the local  bribes and the monthly border bribes there was seriously 90% of their money going in bribes, they were so relieved to get back and invest their sales proceeds in Thailand even though their local partner pocketed most of the profit (the property was in his name!!)  I believe things have been cleaned up since the bad old days.

Malaysian American: It's illegal for Malaysians to hold dual  citizenships if their first citizenship is Malaysian...  My wife chose to keep her Malaysian Citizenship over British or Swedish, she's very proud!

I think using your alternative passport should work as you're not Malaysian you are allowed dual  citizenship so if they do  pull you I can't see an issue as it's a  separate trip and you never broke any rules on your previous  trip.  I've been told they don't bother "Prime" passport holders like USA and Canada but are looking to stop illegal workers.   If they think you are working you'll be in trouble on your third trip but  as this is only your second you'll be OK on your original  passport anyway.  Just don't break any rules and you'll be  fine.

My wife always hung on to her Malaysian citizenship, some of her friends who tried to beat the system and took British citizenship got letters in the post from the High Commission telling them to send their Malaysian passport back - can only assume the British grassed them up.

Another thing to watch if you're doing visa runs is the Thai authorities limit the number of land crossings you can make in a year too two if you're not Thai or Malaysian

I read that the 2 land crossing rule had been lifted last year?

It came up on a couple of FB groups only last Autumn so I understood it to be relatively new. It is still on the Thai embassy site http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/new-visa-rules.php

Why suddenly changed topic isn't the post started as entering or exitting a country with either one of UK , US passport of dual citizenship

But is very true you know , Dubai airport check dual citizenship passports, in case you're from europe, the newer version with both citizenship in a passport, or else they suspect why there are same name in two passports.

Once posted, your post will be editable for 1 hour.

Quite confusing as there was an uncle replied to an answer which is an answer to a previously edited topic.

Admin please take note, it is quite confusing.

Why don't create another post instead of editing a previous post to make it look like another post.

Just wanted to come back with an update for anyone else who is need of some info. I left on day 80 of my second tourist visa and spent 10 days in another Asian country and had no trouble coming back in (used the same passport I left on). The immigration officer did ask how long I was planning to stay and I truthfully answered that I wasn't sure but he didn't have an issue with it.

Hope this helps those of you in a similar situation.

purplecarrot wrote:

Just wanted to come back with an update for anyone else who is need of some info. I left on day 80 of my second tourist visa and spent 10 days in another Asian country and had no trouble coming back in (used the same passport I left on). The immigration officer did ask how long I was planning to stay and I truthfully answered that I wasn't sure but he didn't have an issue with it.

Hope this helps those of you in a similar situation.


How many days were you allowed to stay after you entered the country?

I was given the 90 day stamp, as usual