parnass1

Similar to US program ESTA, European Union has proposed to implement system ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System). That means that everybody traveling on non-EU passport entering EU will have to pay a fee and submit an application in advance.

In other words, you will have to check-in for your flight to EU using your EU passport even if you hold multiple passports.

The problem?

Dual citizens USA-EU. USA requires their own citizens to enter/leave the country using US passport. Flying to EU from USA. According to the US law you have use US passport to leave the country. But we are going to have a conflicting EU law which requires you to use EU passport for your flight to EU.

Seems like nobody thought about this problem yet. What do you think, how will it be solved?

WorldLux

You use your US passport when entering/leaving the US and use your EU passport when entering/leaving the EU.

Obviously the only tricky part will be the airline(s). So far most only offer the possibility to enter ONE passport. I suppose that they will have to adjust their system in order to accommodate those with two passports.

If that's not possible, I would enter the US passport, which will prompt a warning for the airline when traveling to Europe and resulting you having to show your passport during check-in and proof that you may enter the EU without ETIAS authorization.

Fishy

Currently, Airlines have no issue taking note of my 2 passports. ie I have A and B passports. I live in A and have to leave the country using A passport. I would like to go to C which I must use B passport to enter. All I normally do is to tell check in staff that I will use B passport to enter C while using A passport to leave. They just take both passports and check if B passport is good to use to enter C and put the note in their system. Should be similar to this?

Palal

If you can only enter one, enter the one that you'll use at the destination country, and show both if needed.

LondonElite

Checking in for your flight and exiting the US are two completely different things. Since the US has no formal exit controls at airports there is no problem here. Also, why not worry about this when and if this is ever implemented.

WorldLux

The fact that they don't have formal exit controls does not mean that they don't check. The airlines have to sent data of departing passengers to CBP and CBP system will note the departure of foreigners (Travelers can actually check their last departure on the CBP website).

That's obviously going to be a problem when entering the US on the US passport, but "leaving" on the EU passport, which is why I suggested entering only the US passport in the booking and showing the EU passport at the check-in, to clear that you may enter Europe.

parnass1

From the https://etias.com/etias-frequently-asked-questions :
"I have dual citizenship for an E.U. country (e.g. Italy, France, Germany, etc.) and for an ETIAS eligible country (e.g. USA, Canada, Australia), do I need an ETIAS?"

Answer: No, you should use the passport of the E.U. or ETIAS member country to enter and exit Europe. You will not need an ETIAS if you travel using the passport of the E.U. member country.

Problem? If you are a U.S. citizen you cannot travel on other passport than the U.S. one! If you are EU citizen you cannot apply for ETIAS. And at the same time you must use a U.S. passport for which ETIAS is required and you won't be able to get the ETIAS for it. Catch 22 situation!

Does anybody know of an update regarding this problem we all (duals) gonna be facing?

LondonElite

eefor jfp

Living in Europe, i buy round trips that start here when traveling to the US. When returning, I have always used my US passport to leave the US and shown my EU residence permit to justify not needing a round trip or onward ticket.
Hopefully the airlines and governments will figure out a system to enter two passport numbers to comply with the US requirement to leave and enter the US on your American passport and, at the same time, comply with the EU requirement to do the same (or to be compliant with the rules for ETIAS).

LondonElite

This is wrong. The US does not have formal exit formalities. When you depart the US, you show the airline that is taking you to the EU your EU passport, proving eligibility to travel. End of story.

Nexpoman

And vice versa when leaving an EU country to go the the US, i.e., show your US passport to show the airline that you do not need ESTA. There really is no problem here, though I do understand why it seems like there would be one.

parnass1

You cannot do that. When flying out of the U.S. there are exit formalities fulfilled by the airline in the from of a flight manifest. So if you present EU passport you will cause a havoc in the computer because the airline computer won't know which visa you used to enter the U.S. in the first place. (of course none)
​​​​​​
Besides that, it is still the law to enter and exit the U.S. using your US passport if you are the citizen. So what now?

catocony

Parnass, why ask questions if you won't accept the correct answers?

LondonElite

Sorry, but you really don't know what you are talking about. A US/EU dual citizen will not 'cause havoc in the computer' if he presents a EU passport to board a flight to the EU. He legally entered the US as a US citizen on a US passport. Again, the US has no exit formalities so you are trying to argue reconciliation of something that doesn't exist.

TWA884

Folks,

The subject of this thread is dual EU/US citizens traveling to the EU after the implementation of ETIAS in 2020.

When posting here. please keep in mind FlyerTalk Rule 5.

Dual EU/US citizens have been traveling between the US and the EU for as long as I can remember without problems; however, that is NOT the topic of this thread.

Please get back to discussing the subject of this thread and cease the personal echanges. Discuss the topic, not each other (FlyerTalk Rule 12.2).

Future personal exchanges and off-topic remarks will be summarily deleted without further notice. Repeat offenders will be subject to discipline (FlyerTalk Rule 23).

Please consider this to be your one and only warning!

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

P.S. Since this is not information that you need to know "if [you] were traveling today," which is the reason for having the Practical Travel Safety and Security Issues forum, please follow this thread as it moves to the Checkpoints and Borders Policy Debate forum.