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What passport to use traveling to USA with two citizenships? (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago by Grogon@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

67 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Can I use my german passport to travel to USA or do I use my US passport?

And if I lived and worked in germany my whole life and never in the USA and never filed taxes can I enter USA without problems?

I just found out I am us citizen a few years ago don't ask why but I'm 34 and recently traveled to US with my german passport and they were all like "wtf where is your passport" and I'm like: "Here.." and they "Yeah your american passport?!" and I'm "I'm german" and he is like: "Dude you are born on american ground you are american!"

Well they let me travel in to the states without american passport but told me to go to the embassy as soon as I arrive back in germany or else I won't be able to enter USA again.

That being said, I done that. Now I have my american passport. But do I show both passports or only US passport? And after doing my research I found out americans file taxes every year. I haven't done it the last 18 years of working. Should I just not file? I will never work in the USA and I will never live in the USA. Or will I get problems at the airport? Can they see I don't file?

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[–] ahto@feddit.de 33 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Always enter and exit the US with your US passport. Not doing so is illegal.

For anything else, use your German passport, especially in the EU. That's what I have been doing for years.

I don't know if it is an issue for immigration, but you absolutely are required to file taxes every year and can get in trouble if you don't. There's a "streamlined procedure" that you can do if you've never filed taxes to start filing without incurring any fines or penalties.

[–] Sheldybear@lemmy.world 6 points 8 months ago (3 children)

As a dual citizen, you are required to show your passport if citizenship for the receiving country - I have dual citizenship and it feels weird to show one passport to get on a plane and another to get off, but it's what a customs officer will ask of you when you arrive.

Since OP was never an American resident or paid taxes, he or she shouldn't need to file taxes or be flagged on a system for anything anyway.

[–] ahto@feddit.de 6 points 8 months ago

Since OP was never an American resident or paid taxes, he or she shouldn’t need to file taxes or be flagged on a system for anything anyway.

Unfortunately the US is one of two countries that requires all citizens, regardless of past or present residence or employment, to pay federal taxes.

[–] TheGalacticVoid@lemm.ee 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

A US citizenship, regardless of whether you have a passport or have lived in the US, requires filing a tax return to the IRS every year. It doesn't mean that you owe any money, but you still need to file.

[–] sunbeam60@lemmy.one 2 points 8 months ago

Myeah sort of. I never had any problem coming into the U.K. on my Danish passport until after Brexit. Then they suddenly started demanding that I show my U.K. passport to enter.