How to travel with dual Citizenship ?

[Bibiusa 1]

When I get my US Passport, I will also be able to keep my German one. So what are the rules on how i have to travel - what passport do I have to use/show for 1. leaving the US flying to Germany, 2. Leaving Germany flying to USA and 3. traveling without entering the US, (like from germany to Asia and back to germany) - can I just use my german one for that and leave the US one at home???....Or do I now in general always have to use the US Passport?? Thank you all !

[apple21 953]

All I know is you have to use your US passport to exit and enter the US.

[Alaska2012 462]

You have to leave and enter the us with your American passport. Traveling between Germany and Asia you can use whatever passport you want.

[TinyColombian 3]

you are supposed to use the US Passport everywhere. In some cases your birth country (depending on the country) will ask you for your birth country passport, in your case it is Germany. Use the American Passport everywhere.

[FlyingLonghorn 12]

you are supposed to use the US Passport everywhere. In some cases your birth country (depending on the country) will ask you for your birth country passport, in your case it is Germany. Use the American Passport everywhere.

This is incorrect information.

You do not have to use your US passport outside the United States.

You should use whichever one gets you the easiest/visa free travel (outside of those areas where you are required to use one or the other e.g. Schengen and the USA).

I posted something on the thread about US passports and exiting the US that I will repost here since it is somewhat relevant on the US side. I do this having dual citizenship, and having worked with the US DoD, DHS/CBP, NATO and Schengen authorities arranging certain travel in said manner

From me:

Having worked with DHS on some of these issues before let me add some things.

Can/Could you leave without a US Passport?...the answer is yes...maybe.

Normally the USA does not have exit controls, and the airlines that send your PNR data to DHS to run watch-list matching do not care which passport you enter when you buy your ticket. That ticket can be roundtrip BTW.

When you check-in they want to ensure you can legally enter the country you are going to (and/or through). Thus if flying to the UK, for example, a dual US/UK would just need to present the UK passport at check-in.

The big catch is DHS (Normally CBP) run random and sometimes targeted exit checks at the gate (normally in the jetway) for outbound flights, often times with portable computers linked to DHS systems and/or the systems that link immigration data around the globe (for those that participate). During these they are often looking for undeclared cash, meaning those that did not file a FINCEN 105 form for cash over 10kUS$. But they can and do check for immigration data too. If you were to be checked on one of these flights you could be stopped/denied boarding and/or fined.

So the easiest solution is to have a valid US travel document at exit.

Technically, a US national does not need a US passport to enter the USA, and I don't mean just those with military IDs, green card, tribal IDs, gov't orders or refugee documents.

By law, CBP has to admit US Citizens and Nationals. The key is satisfying them that you are a US citizen/national. Normally a passport does this (quickly, unless you don’t answer their questions, which you legally do not have to do, but you can be detained), also presuming they don't think the passport is altered.

CBP has other ways of verifying citizenship/ID but it takes time. People lose their passports on their flights into the US all the time. People present at land and sea borders without passports too (For various reasons). All that being said, getting an airline, who can risk a big fine, to transport you into the US without a passport, military ID, green card, or refugee document are slim-to-none (and slim just left the building).

(Also as an aside, airline personnel are normally very used to seeing those with multiple citizenships, so one does not need to “hide” extra passports if it helps facilitate visa-free travel.)

The part at the bottom is key. Though I would tell you to take both passports at all times because you never know when plans could change.

On a roundtrip journey from the US to Germany it goes normally something like this, and I'll use a sample Houston (IAH) to Frankfurt (FRA) flight.

At Houston airline check-in show German passport. If names are different you can show the US one also. Airline staff are used to this.

At TSA ID check it is best to show US passport (without going on too much of an anti-TSA rant they sometimes get too confused by foreign passports)

At gate to board flight show German passport. If they ask for an I-94, state you don't have one as a US citizen also, though often they don't even ask.

Upon landing at FRA show German passport to the border authorities (they normally will not speak with you) Presuming nothing to declare, walk out green channel and you are done.

On return flight to US show US passport at check-in, and answer their inane questions about packing your own bags.

At exit control, show German passport, most likely getting a grunt or wave of the hand to move on (German polizei don't talk much)

At boarding show US passport.

At IAH point of entry give US passport to CBP.

Note-if you travel overseas get Global Entry, then you don;t even have to talk to the CBP normally. I have had it nearly 5 years now and love it.

[menina 50]

This is incorrect information.

You do not have to use your US passport outside the United States.

You should use whichever one gets you the easiest/visa free travel (outside of those areas where you are required to use one or the other e.g. Schengen and the USA).

I posted something on the thread about US passports and exiting the US that I will repost here since it is somewhat relevant on the US side. I do this having dual citizenship, and having worked with the US DoD, DHS/CBP, NATO and Schengen authorities arranging certain travel in said manner

From me:

The part at the bottom is key. Though I would tell you to take both passports at all times because you never know when plans could change.

On a roundtrip journey from the US to Germany it goes normally something like this, and I'll use a sample Houston (IAH) to Frankfurt (FRA) flight.

At Houston airline check-in show German passport. If names are different you can show the US one also. Airline staff are used to this.

At TSA ID check it is best to show US passport (without going on too much of an anti-TSA rant they sometimes get too confused by foreign passports)

At gate to board flight show German passport. If they ask for an I-94, state you don't have one as a US citizen also, though often they don't even ask.

Upon landing at FRA show German passport to the border authorities (they normally will not speak with you) Presuming nothing to declare, walk out green channel and you are done.

On return flight to US show US passport at check-in, and answer their inane questions about packing your own bags.

At exit control, show German passport, most likely getting a grunt or wave of the hand to move on (German polizei don't talk much)

At boarding show US passport.

At IAH point of entry give US passport to CBP.

Note-if you travel overseas get Global Entry, then you don;t even have to talk to the CBP normally. I have had it nearly 5 years now and love it.

Can you tell me what global entry is? Is anyone eligible?

[FlyingLonghorn 12]

Can you tell me what global entry is? Is anyone eligible?

Global Entry is a trusted traveller program within DHS/CBP. US Citizens, and US LPR are eligible. There are also programs for Dutch, Mexican, Canadian, and South Korean nationals to join. It also allows one to use smart gate when visiting Australia.

You submit an online application through their GOES website, go do a quick interview where they take your fingerprints and scan your passport, and then, presuming you have no criminal record and are approved you bypass the normal immigration and customs lines at most major airports in the US. You use a kiosk at the US POE and get a receipt that you had to the agent at the exit. No lines, and normally no secondaries, though they do random ones to keep the system honest.

It costs 100$ for a 5 year membership, and is by far one of the best US government programs in years.

It has saved me hours and hours over the last few years, and avoids the normal CBP interaction one often gets entering the US.

WWW.GLOBALENTRY.GOV

[menina 50]

Global Entry is a trusted traveller program within DHS/CBP. US Citizens, and US LPR are eligible. There are also programs for Dutch, Mexican, Canadian, and South Korean nationals to join. It also allows one to use smart gate when visiting Australia.

You submit an online application through their GOES website, go do a quick interview where they take your fingerprints and scan your passport, and then, presuming you have no criminal record and are approved you bypass the normal immigration and customs lines at most major airports in the US. You use a kiosk at the US POE and get a receipt that you had to the agent at the exit. No lines, and normally no secondaries, though they do random ones to keep the system honest.

It costs 100$ for a 5 year membership, and is by far one of the best US government programs in years.

It has saved me hours and hours over the last few years, and avoids the normal CBP interaction one often gets entering the US.

WWW.GLOBALENTRY.GOV

Thank-you for the information!

[christeen 966]

Thank-you for the information!

I second the global entry vote! At some airports they also have a fast lane for security going to your flight. At miami airport, when the CBP line is hours long, I zip by, get the bags and then go through the special global entry customs line saving me literally 2 hours of BS! If you travel outside the USA, it is the best $100 you can spend!

[Keigwyn 1]

This may be the same for Germany, but for the UK I believe that if you enter the UK with your UK passport, you would be entitled to free health care if necessary. If you entered with your USA passport, technically you are not entitled.

[Tiekey 1]

For the UK I believe that if you enter the UK with your UK passport, you would be entitled to free health care if necessary. If you entered with your USA passport, technically you are not entitled.

This is incorrect, if you're ordinarily resident in the UK, you're entitled to the NHS, if not, you're not, regardless of nationality, or what passport you enter on.

Anyone who is deemed to be ordinarily resident in the UK is entitled to free NHS hospital treatment in England. “Ordinarily resident” is a common law concept interpreted by the House of Lords in 1982 as someone who is living lawfully in the United Kingdom voluntarily and for settled purposes as part of the regular order of their life for the time being, with an identifiable purpose for their residence here which has a sufficient degree of continuity to be properly described as settled.

Anyone who is not ordinarily resident is subject to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2011. These regulations place a responsibility on NHS hospitals to establish whether a person is ordinarily resident; or exempt from charges under one of a number of exemption categories; or liable for charges.

Nationality or past or present payments of UK taxes and National Insurance contributions are not taken into consideration when establishing residence. The only thing relevant is whether you ordinarily live in the UK.

Source www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/index.htm

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

As a US and German citizen, you leave and enter the United States with your US passport, and you leave and enter Germany with your German passport. Understand that this is the law in both countries, and it applies to identifying yourself as a citizen of said country to those who are authorized to inquire, and that's CBP in the US and the Bundesgrenzschutz in Germany, not the airline employees.

Passport usage for dummies:

Trip 1)

US ticket counter: US passport --> TSA: US passport --> boarding plane to Germany: US passport --> arrival in Germany--> German passport.

Trip 2)

German ticket counter: US passport--> Bundesgrenzschutz: German passport--> boarding: US passport--> arrival in the US--> US passport.

If you changed your name when naturalizing in the US (as I did), meaning you have totally different names in your two passports, then it gets a bit more exciting. If so, let me know and I'll add the twist to this in my modified Passport use for dummies directions.

Outside your two countries of citizenship, you can use the passport you deem most appropriate.

For example, if you fly to Israel, use the US one; if you fly to Iran, use the German one.

P.S.

When you said you'd be "able to keep your German" passport, I hope you meant you have a Beibehaltungsgenehmigung. Otherwise your German passport becomes worthless, even if you "keep" it.

Edited March 6, 2013 by Brother Hesekiel

[newacct 688]

Trip 1)

US ticket counter: US passport --> TSA: US passport --> boarding plane to Germany: US passport --> arrival in Germany--> German passport.

shouldn't that be "US ticket counter: German passport"?

[FlyingLonghorn 12]

shouldn't that be "US ticket counter: German passport"?

yes, it is easier that way, as I noted in my post. Because the OP has a US passport and is allowed into the Schengen area for up to 90 days (presuming no other travel there in the last 180) the airline employees can start asking questions about how you plan to leave if you are on a one way ticket or one that stays longer than 90. Some are more ####### than others about it. Some will pull Timatic and go by "the book" others with more experiance know better.

You can show them both if you like, again is fairly common.

[B & G 200]

yes, it is easier that way, as I noted in my post. Because the OP has a US passport and is allowed into the Schengen area for up to 90 days (presuming no other travel there in the last 180) the airline employees can start asking questions about how you plan to leave if you are on a one way ticket or one that stays longer than 90. Some are more ####### than others about it. Some will pull Timatic and go by "the book" others with more experiance know better.

You can show them both if you like, again is fairly common.

At the check in counter, it is best to show that passport you are planning to use when you enter. Airlines are obliged by law to collect passport details of every passenger that is flying and forward said data to the respective immigration that said flight in bound for.

In other words, German passport should be shown at the check in counter if you ae planning to enter with the German passport, and US passport to be shown when leaving for the US.