Can you enter the US with a German passport as a US/German citizen?
I am a US/German dual citizen and my passport is stuck with the Department of state in renewal. Even expediting it doesn't get my passport here on time for traveling on December 19th. Has anyone tried to come back with a German passport to the US even though you are a US citizen? I know the National Passport Agency representative said to me I need to have a US passport to come back. Should I chance to come back on a German passport with an ESTA Visa? I would greatly appreciate to hear from folks who have done this.
@jcaron, thank you for the link. I am applying as we speak for the ESTA. The site is asking for the German passport information and where it was issued. My German Passport was issued by the German Consulate in San Franciso, but the web page doesn't let me pick US..only Germany...what now?
Best Answer
The US has two conflicting rules
- A US citizen must use their US to enter the country
- A US citizen cannot be denied entry into the US (passport or not).
In practice #2 trumps #1, so if you manage to get to the border and can prove that you are a US citizen, you will be admitted. They may hassle your for a while, but they will let you in.
The tricky part however is to get on a US bound plane. No airline will let you board unless you have the immigration credentials that the US CBP would like to see. CBP uses the airlines as "enforcer" for rule #1, since they can't enforce it themselves.
You could try an ESTA but chances are it will be denied since you are a US citizen and the ESTA application specifically asks about multiple citizenships. You could lie, but lying to immigration officials in generally a bad idea.
Another option would be to try to get to a land or sea border.
Pictures about "Can you enter the US with a German passport as a US/German citizen?"
Do I lose my German citizenship if I become a US citizen?
Can I automatically lose my German citizenship? Yes. Any German citizen who applies for and acquires foreign citizenship, whether in Germany or abroad, automatically loses his or her German citizenship. This occurs automatically by law; you do not have to make a special declaration or notify the German authorities.Does German allow dual citizenship?
In principle, Germany does not allow dual citizenship.Can a German citizen live in USA?
Germany is one of the 38 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, which allows German citizens to enter the U.S. without a formal U.S. visa. The Visa Waiver allows a foreign national to stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days for business (non-employment) or tourist purposes.This New German Regulation is a GAME CHANGER | Dual Citizenship in Germany and the United States
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Charles Parker, Ethan Wilkinson, Pixabay, Ketut Subiyanto