Travelling as a US/UK citizen

[TravellingParent]

Flying to America with my DD soon, who is a dual UK/US citizen. I'm trying to work out which passport to show when, I'm sure it's simple, but baby brain fog is taking over this morning. If any dual citizens could check this for me it would be really helpful!

• pre flight info - US
• check in - US
• passport control - UK
• US border control - US

Then returning...

• check in - as I recall check in is also passport control in America, so US? (But may need UK too to prove right to enter)
• UK border control - UK

All I know is this: by virtue of her US passport, you can ALL of you go through the US passport channel, saving hours.

Ah yes, get that with DH already - US lines there and UK ones here, it's very useful!

*Then returning...

• check in - as I recall check in is also passport control in America, so US? (But may need UK too to prove right to enter)*

Unless you've booked separate outbound/return flights, wouldn't you have to use the passport (US) that the flight has been linked to anyway? US citizens don't need a visa to enter the UK so you don't need to prove right to enter the UK seperately.

I'm a dual citizen, I show my US passport pretty much only when I'm at US immigration. I think I've done it at pre-flight as well, as otherwise I get rejected for not having an associated ESTA.

I think this year I just threw both down in front of everyone as I was so flustered!

We HAVE to use the US ones when we are in the USA
the rest of the time use the UK one

the US one is ever so useful for bypassing queues at US immigration

Leave/enter each country using that country’s passport.

Only only only only ever use the US one. Every US citizen must use their US passport to enter and leave, and you can run into trouble if you've got another passport that shows you leaving or entering one country, but that doesn't show you having been anywhere else.

Hatcher, that wouldn't work though when re entering the UK.

Assuming the OP lives in the UK.

If they showed their US passport to enter the UK and said they lived here, they wouldn't have the right documentation. A US citizen can't just come to live in the UK without a visa, they can only come as a visitor. To enter the UK they would need to show their UK passport.

As long as you're carrying both passports and have them handy, you can easily answer any questions posed by officials on either side of the pond. I would use US passport to leave the UK, to enter the US and leave the US, then use the Brit passport to enter the UK.

The last few times we have travelled, the check-in kiosks in the US have required British passports. No problem with TSA and British passports.

Only only only only ever use the US one. Every US citizen must use their US passport to enter and leave, and you can run into trouble if you've got another passport that shows you leaving or entering one country, but that doesn't show you having been anywhere else.

in practice, this is no longer the case