Travel to Brazil as dual citizen

[lucybelle 453]

My husband is from Costa Rica and just passed his citizenship test! Yay!

 

He travels to Brazil often for business. Costa Rican’s do NOT need a visa to enter Brazil, while US passports do. I told him he could:

 

1. Leave US with US passport, showing CR passport as proof he can enter Brazil.

2. Enter Brazil with CR passport

3. Exit Brazil with CR passport, showing US passport as proof that he can enter US at airline counter.

4. Enter US with US passport.

 

This way there is no need to get a visa.

Is this correct?

 

Thanks!

[Ray&Ash 271]

Having 2 valid passports is having dual citizenship which is usually only for diplomats and exceptional circumstances. I do not think US citizenship would work like that. They might take his previous passport/s and render it void/invalid as soon as his US passport is approved and he receives it at naturalization. Not sure how it will work in your country.

Another point - when he goes out through immigration counter in a country, they stamp the passport with the incoming date. 

When he enters USA again through the immigration (because he will be coming back after international travel) and he shows his US passport , there will NOT be any other stamp. So they will question him about his travel and he might end up in big trouble. 

 

Someone else with similar experience can answer better on this though. 

Good luck!

[Ray&Ash 271]

More info - 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/citizenship-and-dual-nationality/dual-nationality.html

 

http://immigration.findlaw.com/citizenship/dual-citizenship.html

 

Please speak to some lawyer about this. Its better to be sure and safe than sorry  

 

[neoblast 138]

8 minutes ago, Ray&Ash said:

Having 2 valid passports is having dual citizenship which is usually only for diplomats and exceptional circumstances. I do not think US citizenship would work like that. They might take his previous passport/s and render it void/invalid as soon as his US passport is approved and he receives it at naturalization. Not sure how it will work in your country.

Another point - when he goes out through immigration counter in a country, they stamp the passport with the incoming date. 

When he enters USA again through the immigration (because he will be coming back after international travel) and he shows his US passport , there will NOT be any other stamp. So they will question him about his travel and he might end up in big trouble. 

 

Someone else with similar experience can answer better on this though. 

Good luck!

That is incorrect. You can have as many passports as you can legally have and use them for travel to and from the US. 

The only time you cannot own and use another passport like your country of birth is you require a security clearance from the US Government. 

US law does not prohibit the use of a second passport.

"U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport to travel to or from a country other than the United States is not inconsistent with U.S. law. " https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/citizenship-and-dual-nationality/dual-nationality.html

[geowrian 22,337]

Yeah, that's the typical process. I don't know Brazil's policy, but the US (as well as many other countries) require that if you are a citizen of that country then you need to enter on that passport. So a USC must enter the US on a US passport.

[NikLR 13,230]

He would show his US passport to get through TSA, CR passport to board the plane and enter Brazil, US passport to exit brazil and to re enter the USA. 

[Ray&Ash 271]

2 hours ago, NikLR said:

He would show his US passport to get through TSA, CR passport to board the plane and enter Brazil, US passport to exit brazil and to re enter the USA. 

Exactly the point. So he cannot travel using two passports as it wont work. 

I read about it and the case of dual citizenship in usa is debatable and there seems to be no clear stand on that. Each country has a different process and I know of many countries which need their original passports to be surrendered or invalidated once the person gets the citizenship of another country. 

So the OP here needs to finds the process in their own country as well. 

[Ray&Ash 271]

http://www.ticotimes.net/2007/09/21/does-costa-rica-recognize-dual-citizenship

The above is an old article but might prove helpful.  

[NikLR 13,230]

7 hours ago, Ray&Ash said:

Exactly the point. So he cannot travel using two passports as it wont work. 

I read about it and the case of dual citizenship in usa is debatable and there seems to be no clear stand on that. Each country has a different process and I know of many countries which need their original passports to be surrendered or invalidated once the person gets the citizenship of another country. 

So the OP here needs to finds the process in their own country as well. 

Actually you can totally travel with two passports.  Costa Rica and the US both allow for dual citizenship. 

The US recognizes that people may have citizenship with other countries.  They only require that USC enter and leave with their US passport.  Which is exactly that I suggested.  

Regardless if you think it's okay, it just happens to be okay. 

Also very few countries do not allow multiple citizenships. 

Edited November 2, 2017 by NikLR

[NikLR 13,230]

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/citizenship-and-dual-nationality/dual-nationality.html

[NikLR 13,230]

http://www.multiplecitizenship.com/wscl/ws_COSTA_RICA.html

 

https://cr.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/traveling-us-citizen-children-born-costa-rica/

Edited November 2, 2017 by NikLR

[lucybelle 453]

Thanks for all the replies!

 

I was already aware that he can maintain his Costa Rican citizenship, and he would only need to use his US passport to enter/leave the US.   Technically the US does not recognize his CR citizenship, and will treat him only as a US citizen.  But he is not required to relinquish his CR citizenship.

 

I wanted to clarify that entering/leaving a country (Brazil) where US passports need visas, and his other passport does not, would be okay.

 

Thanks!

[NikLR 13,230]

Enjoy the trip lucybelle!