[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]
Â
Border police and airlines do not handle travelers with multiple passports.
They expect each traveler to have ONE passport. Showing two (or more) passports at border checks led to bad results for many people I met in my experience as an immigration lawyer: border officers may easily delay you and let you miss a connecting flight.
What should you know to avoid any problem at European border checks?
(This article was updated on Feb 29, 2024)
#1. European countries have immigration checks on EXIT, too!
Most countries in the world have immigration checks only on their entrance. Not in Europe.
Most European States are tied to the Schengen Agreement. They share external borders and the area within, a common space uniting more European countries, is called the Schengen area. Each traveler is expected to show the passport to the immigration police upon arrival at any point of entry of the Schengen area and also at any point of exit.
Schengen states (27): Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden.
Additionally, the non-EU States Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein also have joined the Schengen Area.
# 2. You are supposed to show only ONE passport.Â
If you have more than one passport, which passport is it best to use?
If you are traveling to Italy and have an Italian passport or ID card, Italian law requires you to use that to identify yourself. Most states in the world have a similar policy.
– If you have an Italian passport
1. Always show your Italian passport (and only that) upon entering or leaving Italy, at any airport or another border crossing.
2. If you arrive at any point of entry in the Schengen area other than Italy (and you do not have a passport of that particular country), again show your Italian passport. That is because Italy has privileged relations with all European Union countries.
Italian citizens can enter the EU and EAA countries freely, together with their family members. Follow the signs for European citizens and show your Italian passport.
Â
– If you do not have an Italian passport
If you are traveling to Italy and do not have an Italian passport, the most convenient choice is to use the passport of the state with which Italy has special border policy agreements, such as one of the countries of the Schengen area (see list above). That allows you to enjoy free access without the limitations for non-EU citizens.
Other convenient passports are those of states for which Italy has no visa requirement, at least for short stays. The list varies from year to year. You can check whether you need a visa according to your passport and country of usual residence: official visa website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
How does the 90-days rule work with 2 passports?
Even if you are “visa-free”, a 90-days limit applies. The Schengen area policy is such that you can stay for a maximum of 90 days within the last 180-days period from your entry date (counting backwards). Check my article here for more details.
If you have more than one passport and none is of a Schengen state (listed above), the same rule applies. Each person has a 90 days stay limit within the 180-days period.
Â
#3. Ticket data = passport data
When bookign your flight, write your data carefully according to what is written on your passport when traveling to Italy and to Europe.
Border police checks start with matching your passport data (including the passport number) with your travel ticket, as well as an EU Passenger Locator Form and whatever other document they may request at any given time of the year.
If the border police notice any difference, a deeper and more time-consuming control will take place. The outcome depends on the law of the state in which you find yourself at the time of entry. Moreover, you can be denied boarding if your name on it differs in anything from that on the registered passport in your flight booking.
Not only the passport number on your travel ticket and forms can be an issue. In some cases, the same person’s name and last name may vary from one passport to the other. For example, a married woman’s last name may be registered differently from country to country. Whilst many states apply the husbands’ name to a wife, in Italy the maiden name usually applies to all ID documents. Moreover, the spelling of the name may vary, according to the law of the state that issued the passport. Italy applies the name(s) and spelling exactly as in the concerned person’s birth record. The name on the birth record match exactly the name on the passport.
Â
What if you already booked your trip with your other passport?
The risk is high that you will be denied boarding. So it is important to change your ID data on your travel ticket.
Most airlines allow you to change your data until checking in (for a fee). If you do not manage to obtain the change online or via the airline customer care before your departure date, you can obtain the changes at the check-in counter or at the airline office in the airport.
Â
RECAP!
Show your Italian passport BOTH at entry and exit points. Your hassle-free journey starts with your booking. Remember to write the data on your Italian passport.
Â
Would you like to know more? Download my free SPECIAL 2 PASSPORT TRAVEL KEY
Content:
Which checks are you meeting on your way IN and on your way OUT of Europe?
Which passport are you supposed to show at border checks outside of Europe, as an Italian dual citizen?
More details on how does the 90-days rule work with 2 passports
Â
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.15″ _module_preset=”default” global_module=”2289″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#e6012b” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://www.smartdualcitizenship.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cover-2-PASSPORTS-TRAVEL-KEY-2022-3D.png” title_text=”Cover 2 PASSPORTS TRAVEL KEY 2022 3D” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]
PASSPORTS TRAVEL KEY
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
Hi, I live in spain, I have an expired italian passport and a valid colombian passport. I have a travel planned with not enough time to renew my italian passport. I do have also my valid national ID. Can I leave the country with my ID or my Colombian Passport?
Hi David! Just show your Italian national id card to the Spanish (or other EU border police) upon leaving the EU. That will suffice to prove your Italian/EU citizenship. Only if requested to show how you want to enter the next country, you may show your other passport (Colombian).
I am dual national. Pakistani passport and British passport. I have a 5 year
US Visa stamped on Pakistani passport. British Passport does allow me to travel on ETSA but unfortunately it is not allowed to me as I travelled Iran in 2018 so as per rule I have to get a US visa regardless of any nationality. The Question I have that my current US visa on Pakistani passport was issued after Iran travel and it is still valid until May 2023. So can I travel to US on Pakistani passport an then return UK on British passport.
I have to travel urgently and I have no time to apply US visa for British passport- so as I am dual national and both passports are still valid so can I enter US on Pakistani passport showing my US visa and then travel back to UK using my British passport. I don’t want to buy tickets and then denied boarding etc
The answer is yes. It is important that you show your UK passport to the right authority, that is to the UK border police upon entering and leaving the UK. They do not care for your other passport. You will show your US passport only to the airline and to the US border police upon returning to the US, because they have to check that you are authorized entry to the US. I hope this clarifies the matter. For personal advice please contact me.
Hi,
So I’ve been wondering, if I have a UK and a US passport, can I spend 90 days in Schengen on one, leave, and then turn right around and renter on the other? Does the system used by border control cross reference passports?
Hello, Sarah. Border police do cross-reference passports in the Schengen area. The consequences for violating the visa policy vary across EU member states, between fines and re-entry bans.
Hi Lara, is the cross-reference automatically done by the system or is it manually done if they suspect something is not right?
In most cross border points it is automatically done
We are a family living in the UK, as well – as all holding UK passports we all hold European passports.
When traveling from UK to Europe – for example via Eurostar what is the most efficient way to use passports?
We’re thinking it’s best to provide advanced passenger information with European passports and to enter France and exit France with European passports, is this correct?
But what about the UK border patrol on entry and exit? Is it smoother if you show them UK passports each way? Or would this complicate matters?
In the future when there will be an electronic European visa payment will having two passports allow avoidance of this payment?
The European visa should be presented always to the European border police at every entry and exit. That avoids any issues and future payments. The UK passports should be shown to the UK Border police upon leaving the UK and at re-entry. It is important that you recognize which authority is asking for your passport and behave accordingly. I hope this helps. For personal advice, please contact me.
If one were to make the mistake of entering on an Italian passport and leaving on the US passport, what complications would ensue?
Hello, Adam. If you show the Schengen border police upon exiting the Schengen area a different passport than the one you used upon entry, namely a non-Schengen state passport, they will not find your entry record in the border checks database. You would have no evidence of having entered Europe (Schengen area) legally. They may well assume that you find yourself in the Schengen area illegally. The penalties for that vary widely among EU member states, from high fines, to imprisonment and re-entry bans. Of course, you may avoid such penalties by eventually showing them your Italian passport. But the police does not appreciate these passport games. They may regard your behavior as malicious, like wilfully obstructing their service. The consequences of such behavior vary, depending on the laws of the state you find yourself at that moment. So I recommend showing the right passport from the start and being cooperative with Schengen border checks.
Hi Lara,
Thanks for the useful information you have provided. My situation is as described below;
I live in Montenegro under residence permit via my Turkish passaport and have entered Montenegro with Turkish passaport . I also have a Greek passaport. I have two issues I want to get advice for;
1. When I want to go to the EU with land transportation the most reasonable is for me to exit Montenegro with Turkish pasaport then enter EU with my Greek pasaport, and vise versa when returning to Montenegro, if required by Montenegrian authorities how I am going to enter EU because Turkish passaport needs visa for entering EU then I can just show my Greek passaport
2. The same scenario when using airlines,but in the airline part which passaport details do I have to book my ticket, my name is the same on both passaports but of course the passaport numbers are different.
For example if I want to fly to Italy from Montenegro I need to enter Italy with my Greek passaport,but as I have said I have residenency permit via my Turkish passaport in Montenegro
I would like to hear your suggestions please and thankyou in advance
Hello, Levent. As for question #1, I confirm your plan. Regarding question # 2, I see no impediment in booking your flight ticket from Montenegro to Italy on your Greek passport (a different passport than that you use for Montenegro residency). If you will be asked by the border police whether you are authorized entry and residence in Montenegro, typically at re-entry point to Montenegro, you will show them your permit and Turkish passport. Those checks do not concern your traveling to other countries and on which passport. Does this help?