Before World War I, you didn’t need a passport to travel internationally.

It was a self-evident truth that a sovereign individual could travel anywhere he wanted without asking for anyone’s permission.

Unfortunately, that’s not how travel works today.

Your so-called freedom of movement depends on getting multiple governments’ blessings.

You need to get a passport from your home government—possibly one that contains your immutable biometric information—and a visa from the government of your destination country and further visas from the governments of any country you transit to get there.

In addition to passports and visas, governments can impose ridiculous and invasive medical conditions to enter their territories, as the Covid mass psychosis proved.

Instead of an inalienable right, governments treat travel as a special privilege they grant the plebs that can be taken away if they misbehave—much like how an adult treats a child’s request to go to a friend’s house.

In reality, passports do not facilitate travel. They are tools for governments to control and coerce you. The world would be better off without them.

Unfortunately, passports are not going away.

You will continue to need a passport to travel, so you might as well have more than one to dilute your home government’s ability to control you.

In short, obtaining a second passport is fundamental to freeing yourself from absolute dependence on any country. Once you have that freedom, it’s much harder for any government to coerce you or control your destiny.

Among other things, having a second passport allows you to invest, bank, travel, live, and do business in places you wouldn’t otherwise be able to.

No matter where you live, you can benefit from the political diversification benefits of a second passport.

Here are the top seven reasons why everyone needs a second passport.

Reason #1: Neutralize Travel Restrictions

A second passport prevents the government from locking you in.

Without it, the government can place you under house arrest by canceling your passport if you only have one.

For example, after Castro came to power in Cuba, the government made its citizens apply for an exit visa to leave the island. It did not grant them easily.

Preventing people from leaving has always been the hallmark of an authoritarian regime.

Unfortunately, the practice is growing in so-called liberal democracies.

Consider the totalitarian travel restrictions Canada, Australia, and others imposed during the Covid mass hysteria, which prevented their citizens from leaving unless they underwent an experimental medical procedure.

In the US, the government can cancel your passport if you have a modest tax debt or they accuse you of a felony. They don’t need to convict you; just an accusation will do.

Many people think felonies only consist of major crimes like robbery and murder. But that isn’t true.

The ever-expanding mountain of laws and regulations has criminalized even the most mundane activities. It’s not as hard to commit a felony as you might think. Many victimless “crimes” are felonies.

Civil liberty lawyer Harvey Silverglate found that the average American inadvertently commits three felonies a day.

So, if the US government wants to cancel your US passport, it can find some technicality for doing so… for anyone.

It’s like the old saying from the Soviet Union, “Show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime.”

Here’s the bottom line.

If you hold political views that your government doesn’t like, don’t be surprised if they somehow restrict your freedom of movement.

That, of course, is not unique to the US government.

Any government can revoke or cancel the passport of its citizens for any reason it sees fit.

That’s because “your” passport is not your personal property; the government that issued it owns it.

Having a second passport helps to mitigate this risk.

Reason #2: More Financial Options

A second passport unlocks the door to international financial services that might otherwise be unavailable.

Due to burdensome and overreaching American regulations, many, but not yet all, foreign financial institutions now turn away anyone who presents a US passport. So to be a welcome customer, you may need a passport from a different country.

The same applies to people who hold passports from other countries with political baggage.

Good luck opening an account in a reputable jurisdiction with a passport from Africa, the Middle East, or a country on Washington’s naughty list.

A second passport may solve this problem.

Reason #3: More Visa-Free Travel

Applying for a visa before a trip is a real hassle. It can be frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive. You also might get rejected.

A good second passport gives you visa-free access to more countries.

There are 227 countries and political entities in the world.

The Japanese passport ranks as the best in the world regarding visa-free travel. It allows you to enter 193 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance.

Reason #4: Avoid Foreign Policy Blowback

Suppose your home government has a bad habit of sticking its nose in the internal affairs of other countries. This could make you a target if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

There are passports with minimal risk of foreign policy blowback.

When was the last time you heard of anyone targeting Swiss passport holders or rounding up Uruguayans?

Reason #5: You Don’t Have To Live Like a Refugee

A second passport is mobility insurance for you and your family.

Suppose your home country “breaks,” as it did in Russia in the 1920s or Germany in the 1930s.

Citizens of Venezuela, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and numerous other countries face the same problem today.

Where will you go? Will you be accepted?

The truth is, any country can turn into a Venezuela—or worse—faster than most can imagine or prepare for.

Regardless of how bad the situation might get in your home country, a second passport gives you the legal right to live and work elsewhere.

It guarantees you won’t have to live like a refugee if you can get out of Dodge.

Reason #6: Renunciation

You will need a second passport if you decide to renounce your citizenship.

This could give you huge tax and regulatory benefits if your home country burdens its citizens with suffocating and inescapable taxes… as the US does.

But it’s not just the US.

Several other countries are considering imposing a similar citizenship-based taxation model where renunciation is the only way out.

A second passport guarantees you will always have the option of opting out.

Reason #7: Generational Benefits

Once you obtain a second passport, the political diversification benefits will last for generations.

You can pass on multiple citizenships to your future children and grandchildren.

Not Easy, but Necessary

As they become increasingly desperate, governments implement increasingly destructive policies.

The same pattern has repeatedly played out around the world and throughout history. It’s as predictable as the changing seasons.

The worse a government’s fiscal health gets, the more destructive its policies become.

This is the root of political risk—the risk to your personal and financial well-being from your government.

It’s no secret that political risk is snowballing in many parts of the world. This is especially true in the US, Canada, and Europe, where atrocious spending on welfare and warfare has bankrupted most governments.

It doesn’t matter which party is in power. They are all headed in the same direction, albeit at different speeds.

I fully expect governments will soon impose further restrictions on travel.

Obtaining the political diversification benefits of a second passport is crucial to ensuring your freedom in a changing world.

Unfortunately, no path to a legitimate second passport is at the same time fast, easy, and inexpensive.

However, this does not make obtaining a second passport less urgent or crucial.

You can get Doug Casey’s International Man’s comprehensive guide on how to get the best second passports by clicking here to download the PDF.

The post The Top 7 Reasons Why You Need a Second Passport Today appeared first on Doug Casey’s International Man.