Dual nationality - middle name only on one passport
Jul 20, 2016, 10:02 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC/SIN
Programs: CX DM, SQ KF
Posts: 2,169
I have similar issue and book ticket without middle name while traveling on passport that has it (been doing it for my last 2-300 flights). CX, EU airlines and even the US airlines are OK with it. Only issue I ran into was with SQ, they were concerned about it and had to call a manager to "approve" it during check in. Think I show the check in agent a stack of used boarding pass all shown without my middle name and that encouraged her to let me thru.
Jul 21, 2016, 8:12 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,343
Maybe not directly relevant to MPC, but I am really curious about HK Immigration Policy. I have Taiwan and US dual (two different first names), and most of my FFPs (including TK and AA) on Taiwanese name. If I book a ticket to HK using my Taiwan name, would I go into trouble if I use US passport to clear Hong Kong border? What about on the way out? Can I just show them both and explain why I have Taiwanese name on boarding pass but using American passport with a different name?
The problem is that you need to show the airline that you have the right documents to enter your destination country.
Since your tickets are in your Taiwan name, you always need to show the airline your Taiwan passport.
But you can't enter HK on your Taiwan passport unless you apply for an online approval and print it out, whereas you don't need any prior approval to enter with your US passport.
So if you are flying to HK, then you either need to register with your Taiwan passport (in which case you might as well just use it to enter HK), or you have to show the airline both passports and tell them you will use the US passport to enter.
If you are flying from HK to the US, then you won't have a US visa in your Taiwan passport, so you would have to show the airline both passports too. This also applies for anywhere which allows US citizens visa-free entry, but not Taiwan/ROC citizens.
Whether airlines will accept two passports with different names, I can't say.
When departing HK, there is a passport and boarding pass check run by the airport. This is not immigration. It is before you pass through security into the secure area. Exit immigration is after security.
At this boarding pass check, you need to show a passport which matches the name on the boarding pass, which is all they care about. So you would always show your Taiwan passport here and never your US passport. After security, the passport you use at the actual exit immigration is the same one you used to enter HK.
If you are going between HK and Taiwan, then you can still use the US passport to enter and exit, but you won't need to show it to anyone except HK immigration.
Jul 21, 2016, 11:50 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: LAX, TPE, NYC
Programs: TK Miles&Smiles, AAdvantage, Flying Blue
Posts: 295
HK immigration doesn't care about your boarding pass or ticket. You can enter and exit using your US passport with no problem in that respect.
The problem is that you need to show the airline that you have the right documents to enter your destination country.
Since your tickets are in your Taiwan name, you always need to show the airline your Taiwan passport.
But you can't enter HK on your Taiwan passport unless you apply for an online approval and print it out, whereas you don't need any prior approval to enter with your US passport.
So if you are flying to HK, then you either need to register with your Taiwan passport (in which case you might as well just use it to enter HK), or you have to show the airline both passports and tell them you will use the US passport to enter.
If you are flying from HK to the US, then you won't have a US visa in your Taiwan passport, so you would have to show the airline both passports too. This also applies for anywhere which allows US citizens visa-free entry, but not Taiwan/ROC citizens.
Whether airlines will accept two passports with different names, I can't say.
When departing HK, there is a passport and boarding pass check run by the airport. This is not immigration. It is before you pass through security into the secure area. Exit immigration is after security.
At this boarding pass check, you need to show a passport which matches the name on the boarding pass, which is all they care about. So you would always show your Taiwan passport here and never your US passport. After security, the passport you use at the actual exit immigration is the same one you used to enter HK.
If you are going between HK and Taiwan, then you can still use the US passport to enter and exit, but you won't need to show it to anyone except HK immigration.
The problem is that you need to show the airline that you have the right documents to enter your destination country.
Since your tickets are in your Taiwan name, you always need to show the airline your Taiwan passport.
But you can't enter HK on your Taiwan passport unless you apply for an online approval and print it out, whereas you don't need any prior approval to enter with your US passport.
So if you are flying to HK, then you either need to register with your Taiwan passport (in which case you might as well just use it to enter HK), or you have to show the airline both passports and tell them you will use the US passport to enter.
If you are flying from HK to the US, then you won't have a US visa in your Taiwan passport, so you would have to show the airline both passports too. This also applies for anywhere which allows US citizens visa-free entry, but not Taiwan/ROC citizens.
Whether airlines will accept two passports with different names, I can't say.
When departing HK, there is a passport and boarding pass check run by the airport. This is not immigration. It is before you pass through security into the secure area. Exit immigration is after security.
At this boarding pass check, you need to show a passport which matches the name on the boarding pass, which is all they care about. So you would always show your Taiwan passport here and never your US passport. After security, the passport you use at the actual exit immigration is the same one you used to enter HK.
If you are going between HK and Taiwan, then you can still use the US passport to enter and exit, but you won't need to show it to anyone except HK immigration.
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation!! Really informative. Many thanks again!
I could actually use my Taiwan Compatriot Pass (Taibaozheng), but I really want to have a stamp on my either passport, so US seems to be the only choice. Yet my FFPs are all registered under my Taiwan name, and that's why I still prefer to book it with Taiwan name to avoid arguing with ground agents.
It's good to know that HK immigration wouldn't check BP so I can just use my US when clearing border. Thank you so much again for the tip!! ^
Jul 21, 2016, 8:26 pm
#19
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,053
Jul 21, 2016, 8:51 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: EBD, BAEC GGL/CCR, Alitalia AlataPlus, Club Carlson Gold, SPG Plat100, HHD
Posts: 654
Jul 24, 2016, 11:58 am
#21
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: LAX, TPE, NYC
Programs: TK Miles&Smiles, AAdvantage, Flying Blue
Posts: 295
Aww that's sad. Collecting stamps has always been a fun part in travelling.
But if they won't stamp in my US, I might just use Taiwan passport + Taibaozheng for simplicity then...
Jul 24, 2016, 4:57 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/KUL/RGN
Programs: RJ Gold, AZ E+, Air Asia Platinum
Posts: 2,187
You mean they don't stamp on any passport in HK and Macau!? I thought only Taiwan passports are not stamped.
Aww that's sad. Collecting stamps has always been a fun part in travelling.
But if they won't stamp in my US, I might just use Taiwan passport + Taibaozheng for simplicity then...
Aww that's sad. Collecting stamps has always been a fun part in travelling.
But if they won't stamp in my US, I might just use Taiwan passport + Taibaozheng for simplicity then...
Visitors' slip's size is about half of credit card size and the resident's slip size is 2X the visitor one.
