MrsA2J

If this is the wrong forum for this question please move it to the appropriate forum

I (a British citizen with US permanant residency status) will be flying with my 2 dual UK/US citizen children to England next Sunday and was wondering what the correct procedure was on using their US and British passports. As I understand it I am to show the airline personel their US passports when boarding here in the US and then when we get to London and go through immigration I am to show the UK officials their UK passports? When returning do I show only the US passports to airline personel and obviously US immigration? What do I say if they ask why there are no entry stamps in their US passports? Do I show them both passports?

Thanks for any help. My husband is worried that they'll be problems if the "officials" find out the kids are carrying 2 passports.

Sarah

snowbunny

Where are you in south Texas?

I will let a dual citizen answer your question as I am not one. But welcome to BE.

gazzpfc

Why would there be an issue if they are UK passport holders they will enter Uk under that passport and back into States on their US passport only usually an issue for kids if adults only carry USA passport then obviously as they need supervision the passport guys can be prickly and say 'sorry' you have to line up with your parent.

MrsA2J

I'm in the Rio Grande Valley about 30 miles north of the Mexican border.

snowbunny

Ah! where I spent much of my time -- near Harlingen in my case. I helped on my grandparents' cotton farm.

I believe it is a requirement that a USC use the US passport to depart and enter the country, and most use their UK passport to enter the UK. If you search the forum for this topic, it has been covered before. It is not illegal to carry two passports so long as they are issued by different countries (you are not supposed to carry two valid US passports, even if both are in your name, for example).

bromleygirl

Both myself and my children all have dual nationality (US/UK). When you leave the US you will need to show your children's US passports. On entry to the UK you then present their British passports and you all enter as British citizens.

When you leave the UK at check in you should show their US passports. Going through passport control is the only time I have ever been asked/questioned so now I just show our UK passports at this time (I did show our US passports once and was questioned why they did not have any entry stamps).

You should then show their US passports again when boarding the US bound plane again and obvioulsy when you land back in the US. I don't know if you are aware of this but when travelling without your husband you should have a letter from him stating that he has given his consent for you to travel out of the US taking your children with you. The US authortities can and have questioned me when I have re-entered the US without my children's father.

Patrick Hasler

I was told differently by both US and UK officials

My daughter holds a US passport and when we asked about a british one we were told that if she leaves the US on and american one she must enter the UK on the same one, recardless of having aUK one also .. she doesn't need a UK passport to be considered a citizen of both countries ! carrying her birthh certificate showing her father is English is enough

bromleygirl

Trust me I have done this a number of times. The US states that it does require US citizens to leave and enter the US on their US passports. There is no requirement however to then enter the UK on the US passport you left the US on - it's entirley up to the dual national to use their UK passport to enter the UK if they wish. I do it all the time for myself and children.

You are quite correct a US/UK child can enter the UK on a US passport - I have also done this with my daughter before I obtained a UK passport for her and walked her thorugh the British/Euro line with me without any problems.

Another example; my son's US passport ran out last year and I only noticed this 4 weeks before we were to travel to the US. I contacted the US embassy in London and asked if he could enter the US using his UK passport and I was told absolutley not and that I would be questioned and his US citizenship queried and possibly put in jeopardy.

paddingtongreen

We used our US passport to leave the USA, we went into the citizen line in London, showed our Brit passport but had them stamp our USA passport. Then we used the USA passport all the way back. The only advantage is that you go down the quicker line on arrival there.

nun

You have it correct. I leave the US on my US passport and enter the UK on my UK passport. The last time I left the UK I used my US passport and for the first time I was asked why there was no entry stamp in it. I just told them that I was a dual UK/US citizen and that I'd enetred on my UK passport. No problem.

nun

This is wrong. The US requires that US citizens leave and enter the US only using their US passport. The UK doesn't mind if you use UK or US, and the US has no say in what passport the dual citizen uses outside of the US.

The dual citizen will only get into difficult areas if they hold or are applying for things like US Security Clearances where the use of a non US passport is frowned upon. Also even traveling on your non-US passport you are still a US citizen so a vacation in Cuba is breaking the law.

kins

My husband is a dual UK-US citizen.

At the UK airport he checks in with his US passport to prove he is allowed into the US.

On arriving in the US he shows his US passport.

At the US airport when he checks in he shows his UK passport to prove he is allowed into the UK.

On arriving in the UK he shows his UK passport.

Jerseygirl

As an USC a person must enter and leave the US using their US PP...this is a legal requirement as the US does not recognise dual citizenship as such. ie If you are a USC you are only a USC in the eyes of the US government. On entering the UK either a US or UK PP can be used.

kins

But on the way out your passport is not checked by an immigration official but by check-in staff, and they just want to know you will be allowed into the country you're entering...

Jerseygirl

It is a legal requirement that all US citizens leave and enter the US using a US passport.