Dual Citizenship - Vietnam & USA

[titiung 4]

This is confusing to me in term of traveling. I know for a fact that Vietnam allows dual citizenship. However, from my understanding, the US does NOT allow dual citizenship, please correct me if I'm wrong. I am citizens of both Vietnam and USA.

 

I have both US and Vietnamese passports. If I travel to Vietnam, assuming I don't want to pay visa fee, do I need Vietnamese officer to stamp both passports? Because if I just show Vietnamese passport, then when I return to the US and show my US passport, the US officer would not see any stamp and he might question.

 

How do I avoid visa fee? In other words, how do I travel using both passports correctly?

[DELETEME1234 208]

The US doesn’t acknowledge that dual citizenship exists legally speaking. However this has no effect on you. 
 

In your case you enter Vietnam with your Vietnamese passport and you enter the US with your US passport. 
 

CBP doesn’t care. If they ask about it you could explain but it’s not something they haven’t seen before. 

[WandY 430]

No dual citizenship, but can travel with two valid passports to avoid visa fees. Departing the U.S., you will need to show the airlines that you have a valid VN passport. American border agents don't care about outbound passengers. Use your VN passport entering VN. Leaving VN, show the airline your American passport because they need proof that you can get into the U.S. When arriving U.S., they will want to know where you have been. Show them VN passport and American passport. They won't deny an American citizen entry. For what's it worth, I don't want my wife to use her VN passport because she is now a U.S. citizen. Be an American. Buy the inexpensive visa. Using two passports to save a few bucks cheapens the whole notion of being a U.S. citizen. Be one or the other. Or don't get an American passport.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

The US has no problem with you being a dual national. All it requires is that you enter or leave the US with your US passport. Some but not all other countries have similar rules about having to use their passports to enter/leave if you are a national. 
 

Here is the official US page on dual nationality and passport usage:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/Advice-about-Possible-Loss-of-US-Nationality-Dual-Nationality/Dual-Nationality.html

Some extracts:

- U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality or another.

- Dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries, and either country has the right to enforce its laws.

- 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

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by SusieQQQ

[N400NYC 380]

27 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

The US has no problem with you being a dual national. All it requires is that you enter or leave the US with your US passport. Some but not all other countries have similar rules about having to use their passports to enter/leave if you are a national. 
 

Here is the official US page on dual nationality and passport usage:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/Advice-about-Possible-Loss-of-US-Nationality-Dual-Nationality/Dual-Nationality.html

Some extracts:

- U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality or another.

- Dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries, and either country has the right to enforce its laws.

- 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

 

 

 

Sounds logical and reasonable. Thanks for the info. 

[titiung 4]

On 2/27/2020 at 1:50 PM, WandY said:

No dual citizenship, but can travel with two valid passports to avoid visa fees. Departing the U.S., you will need to show the airlines that you have a valid VN passport. American border agents don't care about outbound passengers. Use your VN passport entering VN. Leaving VN, show the airline your American passport because they need proof that you can get into the U.S. When arriving U.S., they will want to know where you have been. Show them VN passport and American passport. They won't deny an American citizen entry. For what's it worth, I don't want my wife to use her VN passport because she is now a U.S. citizen. Be an American. Buy the inexpensive visa. Using two passports to save a few bucks cheapens the whole notion of being a U.S. citizen. Be one or the other. Or don't get an American passport.

Thanks for the reply, but I do NOT agree with your assumption that "Using two passports to save a few bucks cheapens the whole notion of being a U.S. citizen." 

There's nothing wrong with being dual citizen. I'm proud to be both Vietnamese and American. Unless you buy me the inexpensive visa, I'm going to save that money for something else, like doing charitable things. The visa maybe inexpensive for you, doesn't mean it's inexpensive for others like I am.

Edited March 2, 2020 by titiung