How's traveling with dual citizenship?

[mountainhouse]

With all the passport discussion going on, I wonder what it's like traveling with 2 passports? The Dutch government changed it position on dual citizenship, and it's retroactive. I am a naturalized US citizen, and am in the process of regaining my Dutch citizenship. We planning to go to Europe next summer. Does it make much difference in getting through customs? Only significant thing I've thought of so far is avoiding the visa fees in Brazil ;-)

[sabaka]

My children have dual citizenship and passports from two countires. U.S. and Russian. We always travel using the U.S. passports, never had any questions only a few coustoms agents trying to say hello or good-bye in Russian to them. If we go to Russia we have to have the kids use their Russian passports as it is Russian law. This will also make getting through coustoms in Russia easier for my husband and myself as we can go in the russian citizen line with our kids and get through the huge lines much faster! If you have a Dutch passport and enter Europe in holland you may need to use your Dutch passport every country has different coustoms requirements.

[Druke I]

Three of our grandchildren have dual citizenship, US & UK, and if I understand their mother (our daughter) correctly, they use which ever is more convenient for the area they are visiting. If a country is friendlier to the UK, they use that one, otherwise they use the US one.

 

My daughter has only US citizenship, and her hubby has only UK.

[kruisey]

A European Community UK/Canadian ,born in UK,so on Princess and visiting USA I use my Canadian passport also when visiting overseas use that one also.At Heathrow in UK I also go through the European Community UK exits with the other passport because the lineups are much shorter.

You have to use the passport of the country you live in to exit the country.....not your other one,due to the fact you have to come back to that country.If you used the other passport you would have a longer wait at immigration on the way back home....proving your citizenship.

I use British Airways and they explained it this way to me..........Kruisey

[Northender]

I have dual citizenship. Naturalized US Citizen (been here since 1955) and applied to get my Canadian citizenship back after 9/11. I have both passports but only use US one. But when the next Sh** hits the fan, I am driving straight to Canada. Notice I said "when" and not "if."

[llandaff]

I have American and British passports and, like Michael and Kruisey, use whichever is more convenient or 'country-friendly'. I also just like having two! ;)

[derf5585]

Dual Citizenship FAQ:

from

http://www.richw.org/dualcit/

 

The concept of dual citizenship

from

http://www.visa2003.com/citizenship/dual.htm

 

Does the US Constitution forbid dual citizenship?

from

http://www.republicofanodyne.org/dualcitizenfaq.htm

[merela]

passports.

 

I think if you are naturalized US citizen, you would have to give up your citizenship from your birth country at the swearing in.

 

A lot of Canadians are living in the US, but they have Canadian passports, but have US green cards.

 

As far as I know, US INS do not look favorably with 2 passports....I forget which passport they will confiscate (this could be urban legend).

 

Do look at the INS site just to make sure.

 

A lot of countries accept dual citizenships, like Canada and perhaps most European nations, but the US only allows one citizenship. I'm a Canadian presently living in the US (US green card) and if something happens to me (like political kidnapping) while I'm in my birth country (the country where I also have a passport), then the Canadian government will not come to my rescue. This was true for lots of Iranian women who for various reasons were detained by the government there. Even with pleas from the women's families in Canada, the Canadian government could not help them.

 

But for countries like the US and Japan where they only allow one citizenship, they really try to take care of their citizens. Like in the 70s, in Vietnam, the US embassy evacuated all US citizens who were willing to leave Vietnam as Saigon fell.

 

I would just use your US passports and leave the other one at home.

 

I do know that there is a visa charge in Santiago Chile if you landed that country by plane. US passport holders get charged US$100 and the Canadian passport holders get charged US$55. It's all because of the reciprocal treaties by the respective countries with Chile. So there are some disadvantages for holding an US passport.

 

This is a complicated issue, I would consult an immigration lawyer if you are in doubt.

[sabaka]

All 3 of my children are naturalized U.S. citizens and they not only do not have to give up their Russian citizenship and passports we are required by our adoption decree to keep their Russian passports current until they are 18 and then can denounce thier Russian citizenship if they choose to do so.

[merela]

All 3 of my children are naturalized U.S. citizens and they not only do not have to give up their Russian citizenship and passports we are required by our adoption decree to keep their Russian passports current until they are 18 and then can denounce thier Russian citizenship if they choose to do so.

 

My Canadian born friends with US parents also get to choose their allegiance when they turned 18.

 

If you are over 18, I would still check with an immigration lawyer or the INS regarding this matter.

[relevart]

If it is legal with everyone I would use the Dutch passport. More people hate Americans than the Dutch. If some sort of a hostage thing came up you might be a lot safer with a Dutch passport.

[Podgieree]

I am a dual citizen (US and Ireland). On my honeymoon, I used my US passport to enter and leave France. It was never stamped. Thinking that somehow this was now the norm in the EU, when I went to England the following year I entered on my Irish passport. (It was a short line and my husband was a UK citizen.) The problem arose when I tried to leave England on my US passport. As I did not have a current stamp, they thought that I had been illegally in the country for several years! I did go home and now enter and leave the EU on my American passport. I use my Irish passport to travel within the EU. -Podge

[Aussie Gran]

We have dual citizenship Australian/UK and Australia/Italian.

We use the European passports in Europe, can often avoid queues and filling in forms. It's important to use the same passport when enterering / exit a country, and we need to use our Aussie passports to return home.

 

As non US citizens we have to hand in our passports on a US based cruise, so it's reassuring to have an extra passport if required for ID on shore, but it honestly has never been needed.

[Globaliser]

when I went to England the following year I entered on my Irish passport. The problem arose when I tried to leave England on my US passport. As I did not have a current stamp, they thought that I had been illegally in the country for several years!

Was this a while ago now? The UK doesn't check passports on the way any more. The airline will want to see it, but only to confirm your identity. So this isn't a problem any more. In fact, it's easier to show the airline your US passport if you're flying to the US, because it means they have fewer checks to make about your entitlement to enter the US before they let you on board the aircraft.

 

I'm not quite sure if I've formally got dual nationality but I'm certainly a Hong Kong person with an identity card which can be used to enter and leave Hong Kong. So flying to Hong Kong's dead easy now with both documents: I use the UK passport to leave and enter the UK and Hong Kong ID card to enter and leave there. Not much queueing at either end, which makes the travel very easy indeed. It's nice when you know that you can walk off the aircraft and be in a car within 15 minutes at either end of the flight.

[mountainhouse]

Wow, thanks for all the information. Great FAQ, Derf.

 

Merela, per Derf's FAQ, I don't think there's an issue with 2 passports at all. I would, of course, have to show the US passport when entering the US.

 

ALSO, I have, sort of, gotten approval from the State Dept. Working on restoring my Dutch citizenship has been a bit of chore! Ever heard of an "apostille"? Any US legal documents are not valid outside the US. Here's an example of "internationalizing" my US Certificate of Naturalization:

1. Get it out of the safe deposit - You keep it there because it can take 2 years to replace.

2. Fedex the certificate to the Dept of Homeland Security to validate authenticity - I use Fedex because I trust them. Homeland Security's validation came back via pre-paid Fedex.

3. Fedex the certificate and validation to the Dept of State. They issue the Apostille, so the doc is internationally recognized. ALSO, I had to give them an explanation for the apostille request. http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/c1267.htm

 

All I have left to do is get Apostilles from several state level Departments of State for:

- My marriage certificate *

- Letter from local police that I have no criminal record *

- My wife's birth certificate - I'm still not sure why they need this.

(California charges $20 per apostille - OUCH!)

 

When I started this whole thing, I was sure the documents from Holland would take the longest to get...... silly me.

 

Hopefully, I'll be travelling with 2 passports in about 60 days. :)

 

(aka Frans)