International travel for dual citizens with different names in passports

[jxn 86]

I've read posts here about traveling internationally when a green card holder has name differences (maiden versus married, for example), and the rule is to always book flights in the passport name, since CBP at the border just scans your green card and lets you in.

 

What about in the case of dual citizens? If one wants to do a multi-country trip where Americans require a visa but the other nationality doesn't, can you book tickets under one name and just choose which passport to show at arrival? Are there situations where the name on the ticket must match the name shown on the passport in order to gain entry into a country? What about on the return leg, returning back to the U.S., where travel is booked in the maiden name on the foreign passport. Even if U.S. immigration doesn't care about the name difference, will all airlines let you check in if you have a name difference? In the past it hasn't mattered since my wife would put her foreign passport name in when checking in online for a flight back to the U.S., and then enter her green card USCIS/A-number at the part that asks if you are a citizen, resident, VWP/ESTA traveler, or visa holder, but what about post-naturalization?

 

I ask both for situations where she'll want to choose which passport to enter other countries on based on visa requirements, as well as right now when she is undergoing the N-400 process but we want to book travel for later this year not knowing when she'll become a citizen. My plan is for us to buy tickets as we always have, in her maiden / foreign passport name, but if she becomes a citizen before we leave, we would fly every leg on the foreign passport and just show her U.S. passport upon re-entry back to the United States, but I'm wondering about the flight check-in procedures for dual citizens.

[Lemonslice 4,798]

At check in, airlines are also verifying that their passengers will be granted entry at destination.  I have presented two passports in the past.  

[jxn 86]

17 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

At check in, airlines are also verifying that their passengers will be granted entry at destination.  I have presented two passports in the past.  

Do you have different names in your two passports? And does the online check-in section allow you to use a different name when proving citizenship/residency?

[Lemonslice 4,798]

2 minutes ago, jxn said:

Do you have different names in your two passports? 

Yes

2 minutes ago, jxn said:

Anddoes the online check-in section allow you to use a different name when proving citizenship/residency?

No. 

 

I prefer to travel on one passport (easier, much shorter name), but when the second one grants me visa free entry, I show it at check in, and at destination. 

 

[TBoneTX 45,063]

Thread is moved from the US Citizenship main forum to the Working & Traveling forum.

[jxn 86]

Updating this thread with a practical question that we will face soon. My wife's Salvadoran passport is in her maiden name, and her green card is in her married name. It is not possible to update her Salvadoran passport with her married name, and it's been unnecessary since people travel with a different name on their green card and foreign passport frequently.

 

My wife has been in line for N-400 interview for a while now and cases a little before hers are getting interview dates. We are planning international travel in July, and it's quite possible that she will receive an interview notice soon, and then have a naturalization ceremony before July. The thing is, it's also completely possible that her interview and/or oath ceremony occur after the July trip.

 

We want to book travel before prices start getting too high. Can we book it in her Salvadoran passport name (as we always have)? If she naturalizes as a U.S. citizen beforehand, I know we can get an expedited U.S. passport, but it would be in her U.S./married name. She doesn't need visas for where we're traveling on her Salvadoran passport, but will she have trouble checking in for her flight or gaining entry at the U.S. border when the name on the ticket (Salvadoran passport name) isn't the name on her U.S. passport? I don't want to be too verbose, but I should emphasize that traveling in this manner is exactly how we've always done it with her green card and we've never had any issues, but I'm not sure if dual citizens have any different rules to play by. Thanks!

[jxn 86]

Just wanted to summarize my question: can my wife who is in line for a naturalization interview book international travel now, in her foreign passport (maiden) name, since we don't know if she'll be a U.S. citizen by the time we travel in a few months? If she hasn't yet naturalized then, then there is no problem.

If she has naturalized by then, and she gets a U.S. passport (in her married / green card name), can she still travel using her foreign passport, but upon check-in for our flight back to the U.S. present her U.S. passport as proof of citizenship / ability to enter the United States? Could this be done despite the ticket being in her foreign passport / maiden name?

 

I need to buy the flights before prices go up, but I want to make sure the airline and CBP would allow for the latter scenario.

[jxn 86]

Wondering if anyone knows the answer or has experiences that can shed light on the question.