PANIC MODE! New US Citizen

[Toastbear 149]

15 hours ago, MmmBlondie said:

Hi all, 

 

I became a US Citizen on Thursday but now I'm in panic mode. 

Dont mind me asking, but did you get all the papers to keep your UK citizenship? Because I know that if i dont get all the papers and the allowance, then i would automatically lose my german citizenship with getting the american one.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

5 minutes ago, Toastbear said:

Dont mind me asking, but did you get all the papers to keep your UK citizenship? Because I know that if i dont get all the papers and the allowance, then i would automatically lose my german citizenship with getting the american one.

 

The UK is different than Germany. They never remove you, even if you gain American citizenship.

The OP would have to file forms and pay money to NOT have British citizenship. 

[Toastbear 149]

Just now, Wuozopo said:

 

The UK is different than Germany. They never remove you, even if you gain American citizenship.

The OP would have to file forms and pay money to NOT have British citizenship. 

wow im jealous

[accumbyte 149]

17 hours ago, JFH said:

(although I will be losing one to gain US citizenship later this year/early next year)

Do you qualify for Bei­be­hal­tung? https://www.bva.bund.de/DE/Services/Buerger/Ausweis-Dokumente-Recht/Staatsangehoerigkeit/Beibehaltung/Beibehaltung_node.html

[Liam2021 583]

Apply for US passport. Exit/Enter US with US passport. Do the same when you enter/exit UK.Simple and easy.

[NYCruiser 423]

18 hours ago, JFH said:

Use your US one to check in and show TSA here. The one you check in with has to match the one you show TSA - when they scan your boarding pass they see the passport number you checked in with and it must match. 

 

Use whichever when when you arrive at Heathrow and pass through border control. 

The issue we found is using two passports is the airline: When you click Manage Your booking on the airline site, they ask you Passport Details, Country of citizenship, etc...which one would you use? Will it cause an issue when they swipe the UK Passport at the US airline desk? While not an issue here, if you are a Dual national from a country that requires a Visa when what passport do you use?

[accumbyte 149]

3 minutes ago, NYCruiser said:

The issue we found is using two passports is the airline: When you click Manage Your booking on the airline site, they ask you Passport Details, Country of citizenship, etc...which one would you use? Will it cause an issue when they swipe the UK Passport at the US airline desk?

https://foxnomad.com/2016/08/02/book-tickets-check-airport-youre-dual-citizen/

[accumbyte 149]

5 minutes ago, NYCruiser said:

While not an issue here, if you are a Dual national from a country that requires a Visa when what passport do you use?

https://www.theworldwasherefirst.com/travelling-with-two-passports/

[Wuozopo 4,293]

57 minutes ago, NYCruiser said:

The issue we found is using two passports is the airline: When you click Manage Your booking on the airline site, they ask you Passport Details, Country of citizenship, etc...which one would you use? Will it cause an issue when they swipe the UK Passport at the US airline desk? While not an issue here, if you are a Dual national from a country that requires a Visa when what passport do you use?

I use US passport to make reservations and at all airline counter check ins and security lines. The only time I get out the British passport is to be allowed in the short line at Heathrow to go through UK immigration faster. 

[JFH 12,190]

2 hours ago, accumbyte said:

Do you qualify for Bei­be­hal­tung? https://www.bva.bund.de/DE/Services/Buerger/Ausweis-Dokumente-Recht/Staatsangehoerigkeit/Beibehaltung/Beibehaltung_node.html

Unfortunately not... no connections yo Germany anymore. No family, no property or financial interests except a small pension fund that I can access in the distant future. I only visit from time to time.  

[JFH 12,190]

1 hour ago, NYCruiser said:

The issue we found is using two passports is the airline: When you click Manage Your booking on the airline site, they ask you Passport Details, Country of citizenship, etc...which one would you use? Will it cause an issue when they swipe the UK Passport at the US airline desk? While not an issue here, if you are a Dual national from a country that requires a Visa when what passport do you use?

If you use a UK passport to check in with an airline for a flight departing the USA you would need to present same passport at the TSA control point as the boarding pass bar code will reveal the number from the UK passport. 

 

You can have a visa in one passport and show another for TSA purposes. TSA are not interested in whether you have permission to travel to xyz. They are only concerned that you are not abc who is on the terror watch list. TSA have no authority to check visas.

[coloradoman 32]

On 1/20/2019 at 5:20 PM, JFH said:

If you use a UK passport to check in with an airline for a flight departing the USA you would need to present same passport at the TSA control point as the boarding pass bar code will reveal the number from the UK passport. 

 

You can have a visa in one passport and show another for TSA purposes. TSA are not interested in whether you have permission to travel to xyz. They are only concerned that you are not abc who is on the terror watch list. TSA have no authority to check visas.

That is NOT entirely correct. I just went through that procedure last week.

 

When leaving the U.S., you always check in with the airline using your passport that you're showing upon arrival at your destination (i.e., your British one). You need to do that because the airline submits API data to your destination for entry requirements check. While Germany and the U.K. are visa waiver countries, and one could hypothetically enter on a U.S. passport, other countries are not, and a dual citizen checking in with a U.S. passport to fly home would all the sudden require a visa or not be able to board the plane.  

 

Coming back, you check in with your U.S. passport. Same thing, other way around. You won't get on the plane if you were to use your U.K. passport, because you would need ESTA, a visa or a green card. It doesn't make sense any other way.

 

NB, not sure how it is with the U.K., but in Germany, you HAVE to enter the country on a German passport, or else you're breaking the law. And TSA has no record of the passport number in your reservation. I checked in with my German passport last week and showed the U.S. one at TSA, zero problems. Done it many times, even passed TSA with my Colorado DL.

 

 

Edited January 22, 2019 by coloradoman

[Wuozopo 4,293]

19 minutes ago, coloradoman said:

NB, not sure how it is with the U.K., but in Germany, you HAVE to enter the country on a German passport

I have entered the UK multiple times since having 2 passports. As stated before:

• I use the US passport for booking, airline counter, TSA line when leaving US.
• I go to UK immigration counter with British passport.
• When leaving UK, I use US passort at airline counter and TSA line
• I use US passport at US immigration kiosk/counter.

 

It works. Germany is stricter about dual citizens and may have different procedures. The OP is British and American.

[JFH 12,190]

1 hour ago, coloradoman said:

That is NOT entirely correct. I just went through that procedure last week.

 

When leaving the U.S., you always check in with the airline using your passport that you're showing upon arrival at your destination (i.e., your British one). You need to do that because the airline submits API data to your destination for entry requirements check. While Germany and the U.K. are visa waiver countries, and one could hypothetically enter on a U.S. passport, other countries are not, and a dual citizen checking in with a U.S. passport to fly home would all the sudden require a visa or not be able to board the plane.  

 

Coming back, you check in with your U.S. passport. Same thing, other way around. You won't get on the plane if you were to use your U.K. passport, because you would need ESTA, a visa or a green card. It doesn't make sense any other way.

 

NB, not sure how it is with the U.K., but in Germany, you HAVE to enter the country on a German passport, or else you're breaking the law. And TSA has no record of the passport number in your reservation. I checked in with my German passport last week and showed the U.S. one at TSA, zero problems. Done it many times, even passed TSA with my Colorado DL.

 

 

That’s why I specifically said UK passport. Sure if you’re going to one of the few countries that required a visa then that’s a different matter. 

 

Butvwfat di i know? I’ve onky been working for an airline for almost 20 years. By the way, you are not breaking the law entering the UK with a non-UK passport if you are a dual national. That may be the case elsewhere but that’s irrelevant to the OP.

 

TSA does have your passport or ID number. Whether they checked yours or not is different. But they could see it. Here at the airline we can see what the TSA can see for the passengers. This is not the same as API for the receiving country. 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

1 hour ago, JFH said:

By the way, you are not breaking the law entering the UK with a non-UK passport if you are a dual national.

Yep, I did that last summer when my UK passort had expired. I entered as an American.