BKaur

Hi,

Just a quick question, not sure if this is the right section to post, but I'll give it a shot. My daughter who is 9 months has both UK & US passports. We are currently in the uk visiting family. I am a green card holder. My hubby is in the US military and we are currently stationed in Germany. My daughter was born in the UK. We are travelling to the states in June taking our daughter for the first time. We are not sure which passport she would travel in leaving the UK to go to the states and vice versa. If she is to use her UK passport, I read that she would need a ESTA???? I'm a little confused, so any advice would be awesome. Thank you.

DavidLemon

If she is a USC then it is illegal for her to enter the US on any other passport than her US one. The UK does not have the same approach. My girl was born in the UK and has a USC mum, we always use her US passport to travel in and out of the US, inc into the UK.

BKaur

Yes, she is a United States citizen. Thank you for your response. As I mentioned, I was not sure, hence asking the question on here. So, when we are travelling back to the UK, she still would need to travel on her US passport to enter the UK, not her UK passport???? If that's the case, as a USC travelling to the UK, she would only be allowed 90 days in the UK??? Now I'm confused....

Duncan Roberts

It really doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is you use the US passport to enter the US.

md95065

No.

As a US citizen, she has to enter and leave the US using her US passport.

The "leaving the US using her US passport" is something of a technicality since nobody is actually going to check that so you can quite safely use her UK passport when you check in for your return flight back to Europe and, regardless of that, even if you did show the airline her US passport you can still present her UK passport when you enter the UK (or any other country for that matter).

MarylandNed

UK to US:
Use the US passport when leaving the UK (this proves the right to enter the US since the baby won't have a US visa or ESTA). Be prepared to present the UK passport if asked about the baby's status in the UK. Use the US passport when entering the US (USC's are legally required to do this).

US to UK:
Use the US passport when leaving the US (again, a legal requirement for USC's). Use either passport when entering the UK (the UK does not require that its citizens use UK passports; a US passport is acceptable for visiting the UK). If the child is going to remain in the UK beyond the length of a normal visit, then enter the UK with the UK passport.

My wife and kids also have US/UK citizenship. Sometimes we've entered the UK on UK passports - sometimes on US passports. We always check in with the US passport (regardless of where we start from) and we always enter the US on US passports. Carry both passports and be prepared to show either at short notice.

DavidLemon

Im sorry for the confusion. Coffee is kicking in i promise. I mentioned my daughter as an example, as my USC/UKC daughter enters the UK on her US passport for visits as the UK does not care. However the US does care and it is illegal for her to enter the US as a USC on any passport other than her US one.

BKaur

Thank you all for your responses. Greatly appreciated.