Travelling with multiple passports

[yusuf]

Hi all, this is my first post.

I was after the experience of anyone that has travelled with multiple passports. My children who are Australian citizens travel on a foreign passport through aid of an ADV, however the passport office seem to be pressuring me for them to obtain Australian passports. The reason we travel on their foreign passport is because their country of birth does not accept dual citizenship, and we would like to maintain it for them until they are old enough to decide which way they want to go (once lost, it would be almost impossible to gain back their foreign citizenship again).

Personally I would rather just maintain their current ADV's, at least until they expire in a few years (we plan to travel soon).

Anyway to cut a long story short, my main question is, are my children able to use their foreign passport to leave Australia, enter the other country, leave the other country, and finally enter Australia using the Australian passport; or does immigration in Australia require that they leave using their Australian passport also.

THanks in advance.

 

[NYCguy]

If I remember correctly, multiple-passport holders have to re-enter Australia on the same passport that they departed on.

As for the ADV business, I found this at www.immi.gov.au:

ADVs are issued in limited circumstances to Australian citizens who hold dual nationality. They are administrative documents that resemble a visa.
ADVs are issued only if the applicant is a dual national under the age of 18 or in an emergency or other situation preventing travel on an Australian passport.
An ADV is valid for five years from the date of issue, unless the holder ceases to be an Australian citizen, whereupon the holder will need a visa to travel to Australia.

So it looks like five years is the limit!

 

[Anna]

5 years may not be the limit. It might be possible to renew an expired ADV or to get a new one after the old one has expired, assuming the holder is still qualified. What you have quoted does not mention whether that is possible or not.

 

[Travel Guru]

NYCGuy is correct, they'll need to re-enter on the same passport they departed on.

When you think about it, you can understand why, and the implications for border control on people departing and returning on different passports.

TG

 

[Ric]

Yusuf,

Welcome to AFF.

I think I have which country you are talking about.....

I remember reading somewhere (could be here) that you need to use the passport of that country you are in, in this case, Australia, to leave Australia. On arrival of the country of which you hold the other passport, you need to enter using that country's passport. And vice versa.

I stand to be corrected.

Ric

 

[DTM1]

There might be an easier way around your problem.

If your kids already have foreign passports, then their "home" country is not likely to know whether or not they apply for Australian passports. As Australia doesn't care any more, then it should not be a problem to obtain both - simply exit Australia on the Aussie one and enter other countries on the other passports.

The only problem may arise if you have to renew the other passports and then make some form a declaration re 2nd passports. That's what happened to me a long time ago, when Australia only allowed 1 passport and I already had an English passport. I simply stuck with Aussie visas until they changed the rules and allowed dual citizenship.

hope that helps.

 

[sr81]

I left AU on my Australian passport but had this stolen whilst on a train in Hungary. I then entered Aust. on my French passport.

I was honest in my situation and spent about 2 hours with immigration sorting out the details. I did report my passport stolen whilst away so they were aware of the issue.

I would not recommend trying to enter and exit on different passports. I have done this to some countries in Europe owing to visas etc. but not here and certainly not with the USA.

 

[Ric]

If your kids already have foreign passports, then their "home" country is not likely to know whether or not they apply for Australian passports. As Australia doesn't care any more, then it should not be a problem to obtain both - simply exit Australia on the Aussie one and enter other countries on the other passports.

If I am not mistaken, and this is for the Commonwealth countries, once you apply for an Australian Passport, the Australian Government is obligated to inform of your other home country of this. Now if your home country does not allow dual citizenship, they will ask you to hand in your existing passports.

Again, stand to be corrected.

 

[oz_mark]

If I am not mistaken, and this is for the Commonwealth countries, once you apply for an Australian Passport, the Australian Government is obligated to inform of your other home country of this. Now if your home country does not allow dual citizenship, they will ask you to hand in your existing passports.

I thought this occured when you applied for citizenship, as distinct from applying for a passport.

 

[Ric]

I thought this occured when you applied for citizenship, as distinct from applying for a passport.

Yes oz_mark, indeed you are right. I have been corrected!

 

[yusuf]

Thanks for all the replies!

In the end we decided to just stick with one passport, i.e. the foreign one, and travel using that alone with the ADV.

The reason we used ADV's from the start was through advice from the Australian embassy overseas, and we renewed it a few years back here in Australia (although they they tried to talk me out of it as well back then). So yes, it can extend past the stated five years. They probably wont tell you this though, in fact talking on the phone the other day they tried hard to dissuade me from using it altogether and to take out Australian passports instead.

My experience is that it really depends on who you speak to - for example, I once had the issue of my childs still-valid ADV existing in an expired passport, and when I was at the immigration counter, the officer was extremely helpful and even offered to transfer it to the new passport for me for free!

Either way, I think its getting to the stage where it will be easier to just get Australian passports (and probably cheaper as well), I will probably do that the next time we travel. Your responses have been extremely helpful though, and if anyone has any questions regarding the ADVs then I'm happy to share my experiences.

 

[Mal]

I'm curious what other nationality is involved.

I realise quite a few countries have no "Dual Citizenship" regulations, and that pretty much is their right. But wondering how getting an Australian passport affects their right to later regain their birth right citizenship.

If in the EU, then there are many advantages to being an EU citizen (assuming army service is not applicable). Likewise, having an Australian Passport is pretty good in certain respects.

The real issue I see is that a teen won't normally know by 18 what they really want. They might decide mid 20's that they really wanted the other citizenship (for work/relationship/living type reasons). As an example, a friend of mine only realised when he was about 24 that he wanted to work in the EU, so decided to go for his Italian Passport.

Surely there is a way to deal with this?

 

[sadlier]

I have had both an Oz and Brit passports for years and it does make sense to come and go from each country using the same passport that you used to enter to exit.

Only on rare occasions do I have to show both - such as coming from New Caledonia to OZ where they search the Brit doc for a visa and don't find.

Before I got my APEC card I would often get VN visas in my Brit Passport via an agent in Singapore. I then had to use the Oz doc to leave Singapore and show them the Brit for going into VN.

 

[vance]

After reading through this thread I fear I've put myself in a tight spot. I am a holder of both a US and Aussie passport, due to both my parents being from Australia, but have lived in the US all my life. My Aussie passport has been expired for over 10 years. I have been travelling for the last seven months in Europe and Asia and I'm heading to Australia in a few days. I was planning on entering Australia on my US passport and then applying for an Aussie one so that I can stay and work as long as I want. Now it seems like that will be very difficult, if even possible, to do. Anybody know that if I talk with immigration about my situation if they will be nice to me and let me use my Aussie passport once I get it?

My situation sounds a little like the guy that had his passport stolen in Hungary, except mine is not due to theft but it would have been really difficult to renew my passport while travelling and I had no idea at the beginning of my trip that I would be going to Australia.

 

[farstar]

If you are an Australian citizen then you have the legal right to enter Australia, Passport or not. But it is much easier if you have a valid Australian Passport to prove it.

 

[vance]

That's really encouraging to hear. I don't mind if I have to go through hoops to get everything sorted out. I'll have my citizenship papers soon enough proving that I am a citizen and then I suppose I would go to an Immigration office to talk with them? I just don't want to have to leave the country to enter again on my Aussie passport, that would be way too expensive.

But you are right about visiting a consulate or embassy, I need to do that. Unfortunately for me it's Sunday so I'll have to wait until tomorrow. Here's to hoping they have good news for me.

 

[Dave Noble]

I would really recommend visiting a local Consulate and speaking to them about this.

As an Australian Citizen, you are ineligable to apply for a visa to enter Australia and without a visa, you will likely not be allowed to travel by the airline without an Australian passport. If the airline will not transport you to Australia, the question of whether you can enter the country on arrival is moot


Dave

 

[vance]

I have been using my US passport to enter Australia for the last 10 years. Is this law about not being able to apply for a visa new? Just two years ago I went to Australia on my US passport and had zero problems obtaining a visa.

But you are right about talking with an embassy or consulate, I need to do that. Tomorrow I will go, seeing as how today is Sunday. Here's to hoping they have good news for me.

 

[Dave Noble]

I have been using my US passport to enter Australia for the last 10 years. Is this law about not being able to apply for a visa new? Just two years ago I went to Australia on my US passport and had zero problems obtaining a visa.

From Dual Nationality - Travel information - Consular services - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

An Australian citizen cannot be granted a visa for Australia.

If you are an Australian citizen, then you are ineligable to apply for the visa

Dave

 

[vance]

Is this new?

This sounds good, from that website you linked:

An Australian citizen who arrives without an Australian passport may be delayed until their identity and claims to enter Australia have been checked. If a foreign passport holder claims to be an Australian citizen, immigration officers must confirm and verify this through official databases. This will invariably cause some delays to the person while the authorities undertake the necessary enquiries.

But then the problem with the airport still exists...Hopefully the consulate can provide some papers for me or something like that. I don't have time to get my citizenship documents sent to me. I really hope I can work this out, I don't want to be refused entry or refused to board the plane.