Dual passport holder--which passport to use?

[Anonymous]

I'm an American who recently went through the process and received an EU passport also, based on family ancestry. Is there any advantage to using one passport over the other when traveling? Particularly when traveling to Europe? I know the wait times in customs are quicker in Europe if one uses an EU passport, but aside from that, are there any good reasons to prefer one over the other? Also, my husband doesn't have an EU passport, so if we were to travel together, does it matter if we use different passports? TIA for any advice.

[Anonymous]

DH and I primarily use our EU passports and have just found it easier in most places. If your husband doesn't have an EU passport then you will have to do separate areas so even if yours is faster, you'll still end up waiting for him.

[Anonymous]

Recently got my Canadian passport. When re-entering the US as a US citizen, use your US passport. I need to use my Canadian passport when entering Canada. I would assume the same for EU countries - use EU when entering EU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recently got my Canadian passport. When re-entering the US as a US citizen, use your US passport. I need to use my Canadian passport when entering Canada. I would assume the same for EU countries - use EU when entering EU.

To be clear, the bolded is US law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Recently got my Canadian passport. When re-entering the US as a US citizen, use your US passport. I need to use my Canadian passport when entering Canada. I would assume the same for EU countries - use EU when entering EU.

To be clear, the bolded is US law.

Don't they ever look to see the entry visa from the country you just left?

[Anonymous]

It depends. I arrived in Rome during high season with a US passport, and we got through the automated turnstiles really quickly. What I can’t remember is if they let the US passports go through the easy lane too - there was someplace I was recently where they did that - they let local/EU and any passports for which visas were not required enter in the same place. In some places the wait can be huge if you are not local.

That being said, sometime in 2024 US citizens will be required to fill out some special forms in order to enter the EU. It’s payback for the US ESTA visa waiver program. You still don’t need a visa, but you will have to pre-register to enter an EU country. Then it will likely be faster to enter on an EU passport.

[Anonymous]

I thought that US insists on citizens using US passport. They want to see where we have traveled way more than EU.
I insisted that EU boarder control stamp my passport but they did scold me for not using the entrance with face-recognition. They could see I had EU passport also. Then they asked me to see the EU passport too.

[Anonymous]

We have multiple passports in our family (but we don't all have citizenship of the same countries). No US ones though.

You probably have to leave/enter the US on your US passport so you may need to take both. When you do online check-in, enter the details of the passport you will use to enter the destination country. The airline needs that to check there are no entry requirements (eg checking expiry date of your passport, visa, etc). Similarly, when you return, you should enter US passport details.

If you enter the EU on your EU passport then he may be able to go through the 'locals' line with you. We used to do this when we went to my DH's home country and I had a different passport. Similarly, he accompanied me into the 'locals' line when we went to my country.

If you go to a non-EU country, the visa/entry requirements may differ depending on which passport you use. Depends on what bilateral agreements are in place.

Also, generally travelers entering Schengen zone countries must have at least 3 months (from the date of departing the zone) left until their passport expires. Imagine this applies to your US passport but obviously wouldn't expect it to apply if you enter on your EU passport.

Does EU citizenship entitle you to cheaper or free medical care? Might be worth having that passport if you need medical care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Recently got my Canadian passport. When re-entering the US as a US citizen, use your US passport. I need to use my Canadian passport when entering Canada. I would assume the same for EU countries - use EU when entering EU.

To be clear, the bolded is US law.

Don't they ever look to see the entry visa from the country you just left?

No, they don’t care about that. They have your itinerary in the manifest that gets sent beforehand.

[Anonymous]

The biggest obvious reason to use your EU passport is so you aren’t restricted by the 90 in 180 day stay rule that applies to Americans in the Schengen zone. As an EU citizen, you can stay as long as you want. If your husband is traveling with you, then the same applies to him as an accompanying family member, even if he is using his US passport, although he would have to register if staying longer than 90 days in any single EU country (which you also would have to do in lost EU countries other than your country of citizenship). And some EU countries require you to enter using your home country passport, same as the IS does.

[Anonymous]

I use the most beneficial passport at the point of entry. EU passport into Europe, US passport home.

The tricky part is remembering which one you use at an interim port of call (e.g. Ireland), and using the same one on the return leg.

[Anonymous]

We always enter the US with our US passport. We always enter EU with our EU passport (Ireland is EU).

Some countries or agents allow a spouse traveling with a US passport in along with an EU carrying spouse but that is usually an exception so don’t expect it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We always enter the US with our US passport. We always enter EU with our EU passport (Ireland is EU).

Some countries or agents allow a spouse traveling with a US passport in along with an EU carrying spouse but that is usually an exception so don’t expect it.

Which passport # do you enter when you book your plane tickets from US to EU? US because that’s where you’re departing from?

And for online check in, which passport’s info do you enter?

When you come back to the US and show your US passport at customs, it’s not an issue that there are no EU entry/exit stamps?

I’m chock full of rookie questions today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We always enter the US with our US passport. We always enter EU with our EU passport (Ireland is EU).

Some countries or agents allow a spouse traveling with a US passport in along with an EU carrying spouse but that is usually an exception so don’t expect it.

Which passport # do you enter when you book your plane tickets from US to EU? US because that’s where you’re departing from?

And for online check in, which passport’s info do you enter?

When you come back to the US and show your US passport at customs, it’s not an issue that there are no EU entry/exit stamps?

I’m chock full of rookie questions today.

You don't enter passport info when buying a ticket. Only when checking in (can also add it your reservation before checking in, to make the check -in process smoother, but don't have to).

As stated earlier, the passenger manifest system tells CBP where you are coming from,and obviously you had to exit that system to get on the plane (if they have exit controls like Schengen countries do). The second the agent scans your passport or the global entry machine scans your face, all that flight info comes up in their system. They can also see previous international trips, etc. Whatever stamps are or are not in the passport are basically meaningless. Many countries don't usually stamp anymore anyways- like the UK,which most Americans enter via e-gates which just do a passport scan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We always enter the US with our US passport. We always enter EU with our EU passport (Ireland is EU).

Some countries or agents allow a spouse traveling with a US passport in along with an EU carrying spouse but that is usually an exception so don’t expect it.

Which passport # do you enter when you book your plane tickets from US to EU? US because that’s where you’re departing from?

And for online check in, which passport’s info do you enter?

When you come back to the US and show your US passport at customs, it’s not an issue that there are no EU entry/exit stamps?

I’m chock full of rookie questions today.

You don't enter passport info when buying a ticket. Only when checking in (can also add it your reservation before checking in, to make the check -in process smoother, but don't have to).

As stated earlier, the passenger manifest system tells CBP where you are coming from,and obviously you had to exit that system to get on the plane (if they have exit controls like Schengen countries do). The second the agent scans your passport or the global entry machine scans your face, all that flight info comes up in their system. They can also see previous international trips, etc. Whatever stamps are or are not in the passport are basically meaningless. Many countries don't usually stamp anymore anyways- like the UK,which most Americans enter via e-gates which just do a passport scan.

This is the passenger manifest system, FYI. It consolidates all the passport info you entered at check-in and submits it for all passengers to CBP before the plane is allowed to depart for the US.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/travel-industry-personnel/advance-passenger-information-system