Traveling to UK after US Citizenship

[uscit99 0]

I am originally from the UK and now have US Citizenship and live in the US. I understand that the US does not recognize dual nationality but the UK does. My question is: on UK on the customs form it says "what is your nationality?" Do people put US & UK or just US? as I am traveling on a US passport.

Thanks in advance

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I am originally from the UK and now have US Citizenship and live in the US. I understand that the US does not recognize dual nationality but the UK does. My question is: on UK on the customs form it says "what is your nationality?" Do people put US & UK or just US? as I am traveling on a US passport.

Thanks in advance

US passport--American. If you were entering the UK with your British passport, then British. I understand some people go to the UK with one and return with the other.

Edited September 5, 2011 by Nich-Nick

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Yes,

the Ukay recognizes dual citizenship, but unlike Canada, the Ukay requires its citizens to identify themselves as citizens. That means you enter the Ukay with a Ukay passport and your citizenship and Nationality is British. If you have more citizenship, you can try to p*ss off the border agent and write more than one. But why would you want to do that?

[uscit99 0]

Yes,

the Ukay recognizes dual citizenship, but unlike Canada, the Ukay requires its citizens to identify themselves as citizens. That means you enter the Ukay with a Ukay passport and your citizenship and Nationality is British. If you have more citizenship, you can try to p*ss off the border agent and write more than one. But why would you want to do that?

Bob,

Not quite sure what you mean by "the Ukay requires its citizens to identify themselves as citizens". I would have thought you would have caused more issues leave a country on one password and entering another on a different passport?

[NickD 203]

Is that that custom declaration piece of paper the flight attendants hand out right before you land? Wondered about those, hand that out without any pens to fill them out. Already had my pen kept at boarding inspection because it can be a WMD. But my wife manages to find one from somebody, normally another woman that has a small one hidden in her purse.

Have to stand in a long line where a person collects them, watched those people, just collect those many pieces of paper. Never verify if that is really your name on that slip, just collect them, and once they have a handful, drop them into a trashcan. Does anybody really read these?

Really don't know why we have to fill these slips out, thoroughly inspected anyway, go through every inch of our luggage and darn near stripped naked. With a hundred buck bill as the lowest denomination, need a pack of a hundred of those to hide, that is not easy. Who has ten thousand in cash anyway? Tickets cost more than that.

Did bring home my wifes' Technics SLD33 LP turntable, but took it all apart first and packed that in with our luggage. That is a classic in the HiFI world. But had a hell of a time explaining that when coming back. Wife and stepdaughter were stripped searched when they first came here, only because they came from Colombia. What a mess they made out of her luggage, was worthless and all cut up. But they also had to fill out that customs form, if that makes any sense.

[helwardman 1]

I am originally from the UK and now have US Citizenship and live in the US. I understand that the US does not recognize dual nationality but the UK does. My question is: on UK on the customs form it says "what is your nationality?" Do people put US & UK or just US? as I am traveling on a US passport.

Thanks in advance

If you still hold a UK passport then enter the UK on that passport and as far as the UK is concerned, you are a UK citizen. When you re-enter the US, enter on your US passport. because as far as the US is concerned you are a US citizen. If you only hold a US passport, then put "US Citizen".

It is perfectly acceptable to carry two passports and enter different countries with each. People do it all the time.

[Anh map 2,098]

Bob,

Not quite sure what you mean by "the Ukay requires its citizens to identify themselves as citizens". I would have thought you would have caused more issues leave a country on one password and entering another on a different passport?

The US doesn't check your status when you leave. So CBP won't know what citizenship you are claiming when boarding a flight to the UK. Lots of dual nationals use their "home" passport when entering the mother country and then their US passport when entering the US.

Enjoy the trip.

[Ironman140 45]

Well that little piece of paper caused me a big pain in the A## once . In Dublin had a red mark On it from secondary screening. Because I opened my big mouth and said we plan to get married. But after we convinced them we plan to do it legally. They let's us go on our way

But when we arrived at JFK the officer you think is not looking at that paper noticed a little red mark on it and pulled us aside for secondary screening. Talk about a major pain. But they finally lets us go on after searching everything we had and paying a fine for not declaring everything

Is that that custom declaration piece of paper the flight attendants hand out right before you land? Wondered about those, hand that out without any pens to fill them out. Already had my pen kept at boarding inspection because it can be a WMD. But my wife manages to find one from somebody, normally another woman that has a small one hidden in her purse.

Have to stand in a long line where a person collects them, watched those people, just collect those many pieces of paper. Never verify if that is really your name on that slip, just collect them, and once they have a handful, drop them into a trashcan. Does anybody really read these?

Really don't know why we have to fill these slips out, thoroughly inspected anyway, go through every inch of our luggage and darn near stripped naked. With a hundred buck bill as the lowest denomination, need a pack of a hundred of those to hide, that is not easy. Who has ten thousand in cash anyway? Tickets cost more than that.

Did bring home my wifes' Technics SLD33 LP turntable, but took it all apart first and packed that in with our luggage. That is a classic in the HiFI world. But had a hell of a time explaining that when coming back. Wife and stepdaughter were stripped searched when they first came here, only because they came from Colombia. What a mess they made out of her luggage, was worthless and all cut up. But they also had to fill out that customs form, if that makes any sense.

[Ironman140 45]

Just a side note if I had noticed that little red mark I would have just filled out another one. Would have saved me some money ;-(

[NickD 203]

Just a side note if I had noticed that little red mark I would have just filled out another one. Would have saved me some money ;-(

You saying not to fill it out with a red pen? US customs on a return trip was going to confiscate my overpriced notebook, because the battery was dead. Good thing I had the charger cord in my bag, but had to run all over to find an outlet to plug it into. It booted into Windows, so was okay, if it didn't, goodbye notebook.

We never had problems entering a foreign country, was always coming back. Feel they really target good looking women coming back alone with a visa or a green card. Never targeted my wife when I was traveling with her, if they did, not sure what I would have done. Couldn't go with her on her last trip, but that was my first question, were you stripped searched when I picked her up at the airport? She said no, maybe its because she finally had a US passport.

God, I hate the airlines, last trip was a total of 5.5 hours of flight time with another waiting ten hours in long lines.

[Ironman140 45]

Red pen ok , but my custom form had red marks on it from the POE in Dublin. Because they did secondary screening on us in Dublin, but our luggage was already on plane. So when we arrived at JFK they noticed the marks on that form and pulled us in again. Only this time, went threw our luggage. I don't smoke but Betty does and we had a few to many cartons of Majors. Paid the penalty and they sent us on our way. After repacking ;-(

So yes they do read and look at them

You saying not to fill it out with a red pen? US customs on a return trip was going to confiscate my overpriced notebook, because the battery was dead. Good thing I had the charger cord in my bag, but had to run all over to find an outlet to plug it into. It booted into Windows, so was okay, if it didn't, goodbye notebook.

We never had problems entering a foreign country, was always coming back. Feel they really target good looking women coming back alone with a visa or a green card. Never targeted my wife when I was traveling with her, if they did, not sure what I would have done. Couldn't go with her on her last trip, but that was my first question, were you stripped searched when I picked her up at the airport? She said no, maybe its because she finally had a US passport.

God, I hate the airlines, last trip was a total of 5.5 hours of flight time with another waiting ten hours in long lines.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Ironman140

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

The thing is pretty easy and straight forward, really.

The U.S requires U.S. citizens to leave and to enter the U.S. with their U.S passport.

The U.K. requires U.K. citizens to leave and to enter the U.K. with their U.K. passport.

That pretty much covers it. Keep in mind that showing the appropriate passport means showing it to customs and border patrol, not the drone at the flight counter, not the guy at the bar, not the taxi cab driver or auto rental employee.

If a customs and border agent asks questions, you truthfully show him passport number 2. End of story.

[uscit99 0]

The thing is pretty easy and straight forward, really.

The U.S requires U.S. citizens to leave and to enter the U.S. with their U.S passport.

The U.K. requires U.K. citizens to leave and to enter the U.K. with their U.K. passport.

That pretty much covers it. Keep in mind that showing the appropriate passport means showing it to customs and border patrol, not the drone at the flight counter, not the guy at the bar, not the taxi cab driver or auto rental employee.

If a customs and border agent asks questions, you truthfully show him passport number 2. End of story.

Thanks, I know the US requires you to enter and leave on a US passport, as they do not recognize dual nationality.. but can you show me where the UK requires it (as they do)?

[CoffeeBeans 1]

Thanks, I know the US requires you to enter and leave on a US passport, as they do not recognize dual nationality.. but can you show me where the UK requires it (as they do)?

You can enter UK on whatever passport you like really, but if you do so, you will be ineligible to claim any benefits reserved only for Britons. For examples, staying indefinitely or working in the UK. Many Britons holding dual or multiple nationality use their foreign passports to enter UK for short visits and when they do not plan to work and/or claim any benefits reserved for Britons. So you can use your US passport to enter UK if you like, as long as you do not overstay the time limit permissible under US/UK visa waiver arrangement, and do not work there and/or claim benefits for UK citizens. Otherwise, you will need to enter UK using your British passport.

BTW, it is incorrect to say US government does not recognize dual nationality. DOS site has this "The U.S. Government recognizes that dual nationality exists but does not encourage it"

You may want to google "travel with dual citizenship" to read about how people (many of them Britons) travel with multiple passports, UK is one (rare) nation that does not recognize renunciation of its citizenship by its subjects.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

The thing is pretty easy and straight forward, really.

The U.S requires U.S. citizens to leave and to enter the U.S. with their U.S passport.

The U.K. requires U.K. citizens to leave and to enter the U.K. with their U.K. passport.

That pretty much covers it. Keep in mind that showing the appropriate passport means showing it to customs and border patrol, not the drone at the flight counter, not the guy at the bar, not the taxi cab driver or auto rental employee.

If a customs and border agent asks questions, you truthfully show him passport number 2. End of story.

Close but not quite.

When I tried to leave the US for Australia I showed my UK passport because that's what I entered on. I was called up because I didn't have a visa to Australia and had to show my Australian passport. I know that's different to the US/UK thing but my point is the OP will HAVE to show their UK passport to prove they have the visa for the country they're entering (or don't need a visa). I know the rule for the US is to show US passport but the OP will need to show their UK passport to the ticket agents to prove their eligibility as well as their US. What a pain in the butt. All because the US wants to track it's citizens :S