Youngtraveldude

Hey all,

Question that I'm betting some of you may know the answer to. I'm a dual citizen (Dutch + US) and I'm trying to understand traveling internationally and potentially using both passports when it makes sense. I've done some research online but it's not over clear. Let me give you a scenario:

I fly from Boston to Amsterdam and use my Dutch passport at check-in and Boston as well as when I enter Holland.

On the way home, I check-in to my return flight using my US passport (just for the airline) but then actually present my Dutch passport at passport control at AMS because I've read you should enter and exit the country with the same passport.

I land in the US and use my US passport at customs.

Will that all work? The underlying question I can't seem to find a clear answer on is if you can leave the US with whatever other passport you have but then return to the US using your US passport

Just using this as an example. There wouldn't be a real benefit in this case to do this but I'm envisioning other trips in the future where a country I'm visiting might be more friendly (based on an entry fee or the general friendliness of that country towards one of mine) to a certain passport.

Thanks in advance.

NickP 1K

Yes, I do this all the time, I hold UK citizenship in addition to my US.

Caveats:

- You MUST EXIT THE US with the US passport

- You MUST ENTER THE US with the US passport

So how that works in reality. On your flight from the US, use APIS/secure data info that has your US passport - present that at check in if needed

Once you land in the EU, use your European passport through immigration. You can advise them that you also hold US citizenship, only one time entering Finland direct from the US did they scan both but did that entry with my UK passport. (one other time entering France they just looked at the US passport)

Once you depart the EU on your flight to the US, use the US passport for APIS/secure data and present that on departure. IF a security team at an airline asks "why no stamp in the US passport", etc. - advise them you hold dual citizenship.

Key thing is - you can NEVER enter the US on your European passport including providing the APIS/secure data at a check in with a non US passport.

Now this also means though that take advantage in the DEPARTURE immigration checks (if applicable) to use the EU line - you still need to clock out of the EU - use your EU passport for that. Just ensure the airline at check in used your US passport and that you use the US passport with CBP. Any immigration officials you go through in the EU on departing for exit controls you can use your EU passport. Don't worry about countries that have no outbound checks (e.g. UK - I've asked and they don't care - if you are flagged for checks they will catch you hold dual - AS LONG as names in both passports match and birth dates in both are correct/match)

NEVER had an issue with this and if you are concerned just show BOTH on exit controls, they may just scan the US one but they will never make you fill out an exit declaration if your country still has these.

Also, for entering/exit in the EU, I use the automatic lanes with my EU passport (well UK is still EU for now).

Bottom line: when dealing with ANY US officials or providing data to US officials you your US passport. The APIS secure data transmitted to the EU using your US passport won't be an issue as you are an EU citizen as well. Just ensure any dealing with EU based immigration officials is using your EU passport - they are fine to accept dual so you can advise them if concerned you have a US passport as well but out of 80+ entries into the EU, only twice someone has looked at it.

Your only mistake - DO NOT use your Dutch passport for check in on the flight to Amsterdam, you may get flagged by CBP and questioned as they will not have a matching ENTRY record (you may be assumed to be an illegal overstay) - NEVER NEVER use that foreign passport to exit the US. Again, at AMS inbound immigration show your Dutch passport - any questions - show them the US, they won't care that you hold dual. The US is the only pain in the rear on dual - ensure anything the US may see only sees your US passport. Don't for a moment assume CBP won't be in the jet bridge on departure - I see it all the time - 50% of the time I see a CBP presence looking for certain people and most time it's dual national issues.

Summary: Never let a US agency, or a US APIS data KNOW you have that non-US passport. This means exit from the US where CBP/TSA/DHS sees exit data must be US passport - the EU country you go to will see this same data, hence you can show both on entry if they reconcile APIS data and ask if you hold another passport.

To add: if the EU starts to make US citizens do an ESTA type thing then all hell breaks loose as you will need to register the US passport for that just to ensure you satisfy the US rule of exit the US on US passport - you can still enter EU immigration with the EU passport but the airline APIS checks will flag you for non electronic visa - yes it will get complicated if that happens!

aztimm

As this isn't specific to AA, I'll move this over to the Travel Safety & Security forum-->Practical subforum.

Thanks.


aztimm

catocony

Do your booking and check-in with only your US passport for both flights. Use your Dutch passport when you hit immigration at Schipol, both ways. There's no need to give the airline any info about your Dutch citizenship, and no need to enter/exit Schengen using your US citizenship. The two things are completely separate.

redadeco

In case of dual citizenship, always enter and exit the US with a US passport, in NL use your Dutch passport to clear immigration both ways but present your US passport upon check-in for APIS purposes.
For other countries use the one that is more convenient, your US>NL for entering Canada for instance, and NL>US when traveling to Brazil because you won't need a visa on your dutch passport etc..

Youngtraveldude

Perfect. This makes it clear. Thanks everyone!

ShutteLag

in theory and law, yes... but I know plenty of people who hold dual citizenships enter the US on their foreign passport because they don't want their constituents to know about their dual citizenships. I can even show you a news photo of a US citizen showing her foreign passport with a valid US B1/B2 visa. there seems to be no consequences for these people.

RussianTexan

I found this to be very interesting, because I am a dual USA/Russian citizen and owing to the differences in spelling and translating between the Latin and Cyrillic scripts, my surname is spelled differently in the two. Pronounced exactly the same: looks different in Latin script. I've always exited the USA by showing my Russian passport if I am going home to Russia or to a country that requires visas from Americans but not from Russians. I haven't had a problem with CBP. Am I likely to have one in the future?

NickP 1K

Good luck to them - I wouldn't do this. BTW: If you join Global Entry or similar that is an IMMEDIATE reason to be removed form the program. Just telling you what I've seen with co-workers over the last 10 years who are dual and did this stuff.

This one is a gray area - if you need the visa validation for getting a boarding pass then I don't see an issue. If you do get stopped on the random CBP jet bridge checks then just be prepared with the US passport and state "I need to check in with my Russian passport - as Russia requires me to use that to enter". Same for my Mom entering her country of birth - she HAS to use her passport from that country and ends up doing the same as you.

GUWonder

The law about US citizens entering and exiting the US only with a US passport was made toothless decades ago. Even now, the US must legally admit recognized US citizens, dual or otherwise, at US ports of entry. And US law has allowed US citizens to enter and exit the US even without a US passport for at least the past 75 years.

There is nothing inherent in a dual-citizen of the US entering or exiting the US at a regular port of entry/exit without a US passport that necessarily undermines the credibility of a traveler, whether or not a member of a "trusted traveler" program. Scare stories about the consequences of such actions by US dual-citizens have existed before and after GE was created, commonly without going into the complete details involved about what happened if something went "wrong".

What a US dual-citizen should do when dealing with the USG is present themselves as a US citizen even if without a US passport.

By the way, there are many US dual-citizens who don't even know they are US citizens; some of them are even GE members who were made GE members without realizing they were US citizens.

Not likely, unless you don't get recognized as US citizen when dealing with US CBP in person. Presenting your US passport or other credible evidence of US identity and of US citizenship generally works fine even at that point.

TWA884

We're experiencing topic drift.

The the OP's specific question is whether a US dual citizen can enter or exit Europe using an EU passport and, on the same trip, return to the US using a US passport.

It is not about US dual citizens generally having to exit (or enter) the US using their US passport.

The place for those discussions is the following thread:
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

smallard

I am a US resident but hold both US and UK passports, and frequently fly between the two countries. I typically fly on my US passport but there are times when the UK passport would be advantageous - for example, arriving into London Heathrow where the UK/EU citizens line is always *way* shorter and quicker than the non-EU citizens line!

What are the rules around this? For example, I would imagine it's smart to always enter and leave the US on my US passport but what about other times?

If I leave US on my US passport, is it OK to enter UK on my UK passport? If so, should I also *leave* the UK on my UK passport?

What about travel around Europe and the rest of the world?

All advice gratefully received - thanks.

TWA884

hello @smallard,

I have merged your question into the relevant thread.

You may also want to take a look at this one:
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

catocony

Use your US passport leaving and entering the US. Use your UK passport entering and leaving the UK/Ireland, and also for any EU countries. As to everywhere else, use the one that's most convenient. An example there would be a country that requires a visa for US passport holders but not UK holders.

Often1

This is the most sensible post in the litany of what might be possible.

Other than for those who have a hankering for spending more time and effort than necessary at border crossing's / POE's or who enjoy filling out forms, this basic rule works best.