Post by Trevor Eischen on Jan 30, 2015 13:20:06 GMT -5
Hey, guys — I just received some more useful information from Boris at the Luxembourg embassy in Washington that might provide a better understanding of the passport process and what being a dual-citizen actually entails from a legal standpoint. This is important for people who intend on using the passport for travel purposes. This is U.S.-centric information and might not pertain to those of you from other nations who are working on or have received citizenship.
Considering that you are primarily a US national, I am also willing to attract your attention on the following, and that information is rarely if never passed to the persons who are reclaiming their Luxembourg nationality.
Preliminary:
1) The USA does not formally accept the dual citizenship in its laws
2) The USA and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg have no bilateral agreement regarding the dual citizenship of their citizens.
Here is the advice of the US State Department:
When you leave and enter the US territory, use your US passport. For the USA you are primarily a US citizen, your double nationality with Luxembourg is simply tolerated – there is no bilateral agreement and there is no formal acceptance of dual citizenship that is written anywhere in the US law – it is tolerated, not actually recognized.
Use your Luxembourg passport when entering or leaving the Schengen area only.
Having said that, you might still be concerned when getting back to the US if you run into a nasty customs agent who will ask you, not seeing any stamps in your US passport, where have you been.
A friend has just told me the hassle she always have when getting back to the US, because the customs agent sees no entry and exit stamps from a foreign country in the US passport. And on the top of it, because she is a woman, on her Luxembourg document she goes by her maiden name. So her Luxembourg passport is on her maiden name, while her US passport is on her married name…. big complications there too to prove that she is the one and same person to a US customs agent who, 9 chances on 10 was himself born in India J
So, by precaution, you might carry with you the information published on the US State Department website.
The U.S. Government recognizes that dual nationality exists, but does not encourage it as a matter of policy. U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another
Travel with a U.S. Passport
You must use your U.S. passport to enter or leave the United States. Use the other country's passport to enter or leave it.
answers.usa.gov/system/templates/selfservice/USAGov/#!portal/1012/article/3399/Citizenship-Dual
travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/citizenship-and-dual-nationality/dual-nationality.html
My advice upon recent feedbacks: If you travel to the Schengen area for less than 90 days of 90 days max, use your US passport, ONLY, when leaving the US, entering and exiting the Schengen area, and re-entering the US. Feel otherwise free to use your Luxembourg passport once in the Schengen area when traveling through the EU.
Regards,
Boris Soudakoff
Agent Consulaire – Consular Officer
GRAND DUCHÉ DE LUXEMBOURG
Ambassade du Luxembourg aux Etats-Unis d’Amérique
THE GRAND DUCHY Of LUXEMBOURG
Embassy of Luxembourg to the United States of America
2200 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C., 20008
Tél. (+1) 202 265 4171 · Fax (+1) 202 328 8270
E-mail : boris.soudakoff@mae.etat.lu - washington.amb@mae.etat.lu ·
Website : washington.mae.lu/en - www.gouvernement.lu - www.luxembourg.lu
Preliminary:
1) The USA does not formally accept the dual citizenship in its laws
2) The USA and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg have no bilateral agreement regarding the dual citizenship of their citizens.
Here is the advice of the US State Department:
When you leave and enter the US territory, use your US passport. For the USA you are primarily a US citizen, your double nationality with Luxembourg is simply tolerated – there is no bilateral agreement and there is no formal acceptance of dual citizenship that is written anywhere in the US law – it is tolerated, not actually recognized.
Use your Luxembourg passport when entering or leaving the Schengen area only.
Having said that, you might still be concerned when getting back to the US if you run into a nasty customs agent who will ask you, not seeing any stamps in your US passport, where have you been.
A friend has just told me the hassle she always have when getting back to the US, because the customs agent sees no entry and exit stamps from a foreign country in the US passport. And on the top of it, because she is a woman, on her Luxembourg document she goes by her maiden name. So her Luxembourg passport is on her maiden name, while her US passport is on her married name…. big complications there too to prove that she is the one and same person to a US customs agent who, 9 chances on 10 was himself born in India J
So, by precaution, you might carry with you the information published on the US State Department website.
The U.S. Government recognizes that dual nationality exists, but does not encourage it as a matter of policy. U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another
Travel with a U.S. Passport
You must use your U.S. passport to enter or leave the United States. Use the other country's passport to enter or leave it.
answers.usa.gov/system/templates/selfservice/USAGov/#!portal/1012/article/3399/Citizenship-Dual
travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/citizenship-and-dual-nationality/dual-nationality.html
My advice upon recent feedbacks: If you travel to the Schengen area for less than 90 days of 90 days max, use your US passport, ONLY, when leaving the US, entering and exiting the Schengen area, and re-entering the US. Feel otherwise free to use your Luxembourg passport once in the Schengen area when traveling through the EU.
Regards,
Boris Soudakoff
Agent Consulaire – Consular Officer
GRAND DUCHÉ DE LUXEMBOURG
Ambassade du Luxembourg aux Etats-Unis d’Amérique
THE GRAND DUCHY Of LUXEMBOURG
Embassy of Luxembourg to the United States of America
2200 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C., 20008
Tél. (+1) 202 265 4171 · Fax (+1) 202 328 8270
E-mail : boris.soudakoff@mae.etat.lu - washington.amb@mae.etat.lu ·
Website : washington.mae.lu/en - www.gouvernement.lu - www.luxembourg.lu