Transit through the US with two different passports [duplicate]

I am travelling from Chile to Hong Kong, with a short lay over in USA. I do not have USA visa but hold a Spanish Passport, that I can use to enter the US. However, my visa for entering China, where I will go to after Hong Kong, is on my Chilean passport. Will I have trouble when entering and exiting USA using my Spanish passport?

usa transit

Best Answer

Nationals of both Spain and Chile can enter and stay in Hong Kong for up to 90 days without a visa. Flying directly to China should be possible as well but in this case, it's not even relevant, you can just present your Spanish passport everywhere in the US (airline counter, border check on entry) and not worry about it. Your visa for China (and therefore your Chilean passport) will only become relevant later when entering Hong Kong and/or China proper.

Another option is to use your Chilean passport for everything, as it is also eligible for the Visa Waiver Program. Only drawback is that you might have to pay a few dollars to get a new ESTA for that passport (if you already have a valid one for your Spanish passport). I don't know whether that's actually mandatory in Chile but it's definitely a good idea to show that passport for the exit immigration check (if there is one in Chile, which I don't know either).

In any case, whatever passport you use for the US part of the trip, the airline has no reason to deny you boarding on a Hong Kong-bound flight, even if you did not have a Chinese visa (which you can however always show them, even as you are using your other passport, see Travelling with two different passports).

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Can you enter the US with one passport and leave with another?

Most U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport does not endanger U.S. citizenship.

Can you travel with one passport and come back with another?

You can use whichever passport is more convenient for leaving country A, and whichever passport is more convenient for arriving in country B. They do not have to be the same passport. But you must enter and leave a country on the same passport.

Can I travel on two different passports?

Can You Have Two Passports from Different Countries? Yes, many countries allow their citizens to hold more than one nationality. This means travelers can potentially hold a passport for each country they are a citizen of. Some people are automatically considered dual citizens from birth.

When you have two passports which one do you use?

The general rule of thumb for dual nationals going to one of their countries is enter and exit on that country's passport. Dual national US citizens must use their US passport when entering and leaving the United States, which after all makes sense: You're an American leaving, or returning to, America.

HOW TO TRAVEL WITH 2 PASSPORTS | Tips From a Dual Citizen

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