Passport question
 

Hi,

I am leaving tomorrow 6/1 to London and returning on 6/6. I have a US passport and an Italian passport. My US passport expires on 6/9. Will I have any problem at the airport-flying out or back in?

I have been reading that agents require a 6 month validility on passports. My Italian passport expires in 2012-so I could use that one when I get to the UK..

Any suggestions?

For a million-and-one reasons, use your Italian passport to enter the UK and US passport on the way home. No, no one will ask any questions, and you get to queue-jump in both directions.

I have an Italian passport and US passports. I almost always enter the UK on my Italian passport. It is easier, and normally quicker. I have used on of my US passports when the Europe line is much longer-basically only to save time. I tend to get more questions in the UK when traveling on an American passport.

Entering the USA you should have no problem until the 9th or 10th.

Ciao,
FH

Wouldn't it be an issue to use a foreign passport to enter the US if you are a US citizen?

We use the Euro passports for entering Europe and then the US one to re-enter the USA.

If you have one, you must use a US passport to enter the USA. You do not have to use the US passport to enter the UK. Euro ones are much easier.

Ciao,
FH

Thanks. I see now that I misread stevenshev's post.

I never had a problem using one of the foreigner lines in Europe when the EU line was longer with my EU passport, btw.

I have never seen a foreigner line in Europe. There are EU lines and lines which can be used by anyone, EU citizen or not.

I'm pretty sure FRA and VIE have it signposted EU vs Foreign nationals. Will check for sure next time I'll come back from a non-Schengen country.

Has anyone tried entering the US with an expired US passport? I assume DHS would leave you in a world of pain, consistent with an attempt to show an expired drivers license to the TSA. That said, I always wondered if I'd have to run by a consulate if I let the US passport expire, traveled on an EU one, and then wanted to go to the US again. I think some countries explicitly allow repatriation on expired passports, which makes a lot of sense.

I haven't been thru the UK in awhile, but don't they have exit document checking? If you do as above, what if they notice your US passport has no recent entry stamp?
Does their computer have your name matched under both passport numbers? Otherwise your entry stamp has no matching exit, and their computer might flag you as an "overstay". Or when you return in a year on another visit, might they say "how can you be entering, you never left last time?"

I presume it works the same way as it does in the Schengen countries. You can not leave on a different passport than the one you entered on. I made that mistake about a year ago, entered Italy on my American passport, and tried to leave on my Israeli one. The computer immediately reported that I had not entered the country and I had to show my American passport.

Still, this does not mean that you have to show the same passport upon arrival that you used upon departure.

If someone is flying Israel-UK-USA, with a stay in the UK, he can enter and leave Britain on his Israeli passport but if he is American, he will have to show his US passport to enter.

Never been a problem for me. If asked you can always exit on your Euro passport as well (which I have done). I present the airline and US CBP with my US passports and there are no problems, and it is not illegal.

Ciao,
FH

I don't understand how Schengen countries would know if a traveler uses the same document on entry and exit. The immigration police almost never stamp my passport or input anything in their computers in either direction.

The UK always stamps US passports on entry, but I don't know if they stamp or record EU entries. Accordingly, if there were exit controls and you presented an unstamped US document, it would raise a red flag. The converse might be completely unremarkable.

UK used to have immigration control on exit up to late 90s when you'd get a triangular stamp [as opposed to a square one on entry]. Haven't seen them doing that since I've been in UK for the last 8 years.