thebrit123

On Friday, I will be flying from the USA going to Edinburgh via Heathrow. I have both a US & UK passport.

Would like to know from people who have traveled recently if anything has changed about using two passports. In the past, I had heard rumors that changes in the UK border agency were going to cause problems with dual nationals.

The plan is for me to follow these rules.

1. Fly out on the US passport, have given that info to the airline.
2. Enter Heathrow passport control using UK passport.

When flying back the plan is to do the following.

1. Use the USA passport at Edinburgh and Heathrow.
2. Use the USA passport when arriving in the US.

Should I use the UK passport in Edinburgh when flying to Heathrow to catch the overseas return flight?

Lion in Winter

As far as I know, the original option is still the correct on. I did that at Christmas. You use the US passport to return to the US, because the airline staff based in the UK are checking your right to return to the US before they send you there - I think. Anyway, it's US passport to leave and return to the US, UK passport to enter the UK.

thebrit123

Thanks

MarylandNed

I read an article recently about the issue you mentioned:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/tr...tionality.html

The article is a few years old now so the system may have been updated to handle this scenario.

In fact, my wife did this a few months ago. She left/entered the US on her US passport (as she is legally required to do). She entered the UK on her UK passport. When leaving the UK she used her US passport but at one point was asked why there wasn't an entry stamp in it for the UK. At that point she produced her UK passport and was waved through. Our daughter (also a dual citizen) was with my wife and just used her US passport at all stages (which is also what I did the last time I went to the UK).

Bink

It's not a problem. Occasionally on leaving the UK, they'll check your US passport (which you need to check-in on as you're going to America as a US Citizen) and ask why there's no entry stamp on it, and then you present your British passport to them as MarylandNEd said. I've done it many times and there's never been an issue. It's the correct way to do it.

Guindalf

I traveled back in Dec/Jan and used the US passport to leave, the UK one on arrival and the US one again to return. Never had an issue.

IME, it's rare that passports are stamped anyway.

thebrit123

Thanks for all your replies.

It has been 3 years since my last visit to the UK. This is one of those rare family reunions. Just got to put up with the 24hour travel time which includes a 8 hour layover in DFW.

sir_eccles

Which shouldn't be taken to mean that they don't know when you enter and leave the country.

Jscl

We flew back earlier this month. The only difference we saw was that there are now booths at immigration in the UK for people who have a chip in their passport and want to do some sort of expedited electronic entry (don't know the details as hubby didn't have the chip, so we couldn't use them).

Other than that it's all the same, show the airlines the US passport in all cases and only use the UK one to enter the UK.

Bink

Using the new chip system doesn't make any difference either (I have a chipped UK PP). It's exactly the same process. I was cursing my wife though as we had to wait 1.75 hours in a queue for immigration and the queue for chipped passports was non-existent... I know my place though and stayed in line

oxonlad

I traveled last spring using my US/UK passports, and will be doing so in about a month. Last year, I believe I:

1) Left the US on my US Passport
2) Arrived at Heathrow on my UK Passport
3) Left Heathrow on my UK Passport
4) Arrived in US on my US Passport

I'm not sure why you'd present your US passport at Heathrow, as they could look for an entry stamp, which you do not need. When you are in the UK, you are British. Period.

Bink

Well, in theory as you're flying back to the US you have to present the passport you're flying on, which would be your US passport if you're a US citizen.

oxonlad

Using that logic, you should also leave the US on your UK passport, which would raise red-flags if they checked for an entry stamp as well. Since the US/UK have no visa agreements for visits, I don't see how it would cause any problems using the method I suggested above.

Bink

No, you check in with the passport the flight is booked under. This will be the US one as you have to enter the US on a US PP if you have one, and that info gets forwarded to US with the flight list. The UK doesn't mind. Therefore you leave the US on a US PP, enter the UK on a UK PP, leave the UK on a US PP unless asked about an entry stamp and enter the US on a US PP.

lansbury

It might cause a problem when the airline transmit the passenger manifest in advance of the flights departure, and the details listed against your name are your UK passport details. You arrive in the US and present a US passport and those details are not recorded for that flight. Depends how stroppy CBP choose to be I guess.

The correct way to leave the UK for the US if you used your UK passport on arrival in the UK. is. 1) Present your US passport to the airline and 2) If the UK immigration are operating exit controls, show them your UK passport.