Traveling between the US and EU without a passport
I am a dual US-Italian citizen with passports from both countries, as well as a US passport card, a US birth certificate, a US NEXUS card, a US drivers license, and an Italian national ID card. I currently live in the US and travel around the US.
If an emergency arises and I need to travel to the Schengen Area without my passports (but with my DL, Birth Certificate, Nexus card, and Italian ID card, which I carry with me), would I practically be able to travel from the US to say, Germany, and back to the US without a passport?
So far, I've found this from research on Timatic:
- Getting from the US to Europe would be a matter of convincing airline officials that my Italian ID card is authentic, as Timatic says that I should be allowed to board with an Italian ID card. I have passed TSA with a drivers license on international flights, so this should not be a problem.
- Getting back to the US would be another matter. From my understanding, the only route which fully works with Timatic is to enter Canada with a US birth certificate (Although Timatic's notation is confusing). I could then take a flight (booked separately) into the US using my NEXUS card.
- I could also enter Ireland with my Italian ID card, then go through US preclearence at DUB, getting some extra scrutiny for lack of a passport. This may become less ridiculous as KEF is considered for preclearence. Although I don't think it is Timatic clean, the airline may be more lax since they won't be on the hook if I am not allowed into the US due to lack of documents.
Has anyone attempted one of these methods, or have other relevant experience?
Best Answer
Having either passport with you is sufficient both ways, I have done that.
No passport lead to problems as the airline personnel didn't even care to look in Timatic or discuss with me, they said 'passport or bye'. [even the German employee of the German airline Lufthansa, who certainly knows how a German ID looks, didn't accept it]
Landing in Europe, local country ID is perfectly sufficient.
Landing in the US, NEXUS or Global Entry is also sufficient (or Birth certfifcate, but I wouldn't want to carry that around).
So the remaining issue is getting on board, as airline personnel often doesn't know the rules and can't be bothered to look them up. You can always start a discussion and they might call a collegue or a manager and it might work, but you could as well be out of luck.
Pictures about "Traveling between the US and EU without a passport"
Can you cross European border without passport?
Even if you don't need a passport for border checks within the Schengen area , it is still always highly recommended to take a passport or ID card with you, so you can prove your identity if needed (if stopped by police, boarding a plane, etc.).Can you fly anywhere in the EU without a passport?
If you are an EU national, or are visiting a Schengen country, you can travel anywhere within the Schengen Area without a passport, just by showing ID with your photo on it. However, you must always carry your passport with you when you travel around the Schengen Area.Do US citizens need passport for Europe?
What Do Americans Need to Go to Europe? To obtain the Europe visa waiver for Americans, U.S. citizens will need to have a valid passport, a credit or debit card to pay the ETIAS fee, and an email account. These are the main ETIAS requirements for U.S. citizens which each applicant must have on hand when applying.Can US citizens travel to EU without visa?
American citizens are currently granted entry into Europe without a visa. For this reason, they do not need to check visa requirements. This only applies to short-term trips, so if US nationals decide to move to Europe permanently, they need to obtain the relevant visa first.What's the Furthest You Could Travel Without a Passport?
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