They expect each traveler to have ONE passport. Showing two (or more) passports at border checks led to bad results for many people I met in my experience as an immigration lawyer: border officers may easily delay you and let you miss a connecting flight.
What should you know to avoid any problem at European border checks?
1. European countries have immigration checks on EXIT, too!
Most countries in the world have immigration checks only on their entrance. Not in Europe.
Most European States are tied to the Schengen Agreement. They share external borders and the area within, a common space uniting more European countries, is called the Schengen area. Each traveler is expected to show the passport to the immigration police upon arrival at any point of entry of the Schengen area and also at any point of exit.
Schengen states (26): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden.
2. You are supposed to show only ONE passport.
If you have more than one passport, which passport is it best to use?
International law requires a person to use the passport with the best connection with the country you want to access.
If you are traveling to Italy and have an Italian passport or ID card, Italian law requires you to use that to identify yourself. Most states in the world have a similar policy.
3. If you have an Italian passport
1. If you have an Italian passport, you MUST show that (and only that) upon entering or leaving Italy, at any airport or another border crossing.
2. If you arrive at any other point of entry in the Schengen area (and you do not have a passport of that particular country), again show your Italian passport. That is because Italy has privileged relations with all European Union countries.
Italian citizens can enter the EU countries freely, together with their family members. Follow the signs for European citizens and show your Italian passport.
4. If you do not have an Italian passport
If you are traveling to Italy and do not have an Italian passport, the most convenient choice is to use the passport of the state with which Italy has special border policy agreements, such as one of the countries of the Schengen area (see list above). That allows you to enjoy free access without the limitations for non-EU citizens.
Other convenient passports are those of states for which Italy has no visa requirement, at least for short stays. The list varies from year to year. You can check whether you need a visa according to your passport and country of usual residence: official visa website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
5. How does the 90-days rule work with 2 passports?
Even if you are “visa-free”, a 90-days limit applies. The Schengen area policy is such that you can stay for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-days period.
If you have more than one passport and none is of a Schengen state (listed above), the same rule applies. Each person has a 90 days stay limit within the 180-days period.
6. Ticket data = passport data
Write your data carefully according to what is written on your passport when traveling to Italy and to Europe.
Border police checks start with matching your passport data (including the passport number) with your travel ticket, as well as an EU Passenger Locator Form and whatever other document they may request at any giver time of the year.
If the border police notice is any difference, a deeper and more time-consuming control will take place. The outcome depends on the law of the state in which you find yourself at the time of entry. Moreover, You can be denied boarding if your name on it differs in anything from that on the registered passport in your flight booking.
Not only the passport number on your travel ticket and forms can be an issue. In some cases, the same person’s name and last name may vary from your Italian passport to the passport of another country. For example, a married woman’s last name may be registered differently from country to country. Whilst many states apply the husbands’ name to a wife, in Italy the maiden name usually applies to all ID documents. Moreover, the spelling of the name spelling may vary, according to the law of each state. Italy applies the name(s) and spelling exactly as in the concerned person’s birth record. depending on whether the law
7. What if you already booked your trip with your other passport?
The risk is high that you will be denied boarding. So it is important to change your ID data on your travel ticket.
Most airlines allow you to change your data until checking in (for a fee). If you do not manage to obtain the change online or via the airline customer care before your departure date, you can obtain the changes at the check-in counter or at the airline office in the airport.
RECAP
Show your Italian passport BOTH at entry and exit points. Your hassle-free journey starts with your booking. Remember to write the data on your Italian passport.
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Content:
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Which checks are you meeting on your way IN and on your way OUT of Europe?
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Which passport are you supposed to show at border checks outside of Europe, as an Italian dual citizen?
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More details on how does the 90-days rule work with 2 passports
PASSPORTS TRAVEL KEY
Hi! I have 2 passports with very slightly different names, one from South America which has both my last names (ex: John Smith Adams) and one from Italy which only has one last name (ex: John Smith). I am flying out of the United States (where I am currently here on a visa with my South American passport) and going to Thailand. I need to show my South American passport in the US given that’s what I used to enter but I want to show my Italian passport in Thailand given no visa required. However, I booked my flight with my full name (like the South American passport). Will this be an issue when I check in at the airport? Or can I give the counter both passports – my South American passport that matches my ticket AND my Italian passport that will allow entry into Thailand? Or does the passport that I will use to enter Thailand also have to match the name of my ticket?
In principle, the ticket data has to match the passport data. To avoid complicating things from the start, I recommend showing your Italian passport to the Thai border control, so you will be cleared entry visa-free. Only in case they object to the difference of last names on your ticket, you may show the South American passport.
Hi Lara,
My friend’s daughter has both US and Irish citizenship but she didn’t get her Irish passport before going to Italy for a 3 month study abroad program. She has just received her Irish passport and her 90 days is up soon. Can she stay longer than 90 days in the EU now that she has her EU passport or does she need to travel to somewhere like the UK on her US passport then come back in on her EU passport?
Thanks for your advice on this!
She may stay. In order to avoid difficulties, she should explain the situation to the immigration office as soon as possible. They may check with the Irish Embassy. As an Irish citizen, she has a right to stay for the length of her study course and even longer, if she has means for maintaining herself.
Hi Lara,
I have a question. I recently went to germany and Italy on my uk passport for 43 days in total out of my 90 days post brexit. Next week I am going to France and Spain. I have a kiwi passport… can I enter France and Spain on that ans get a fresh 90 days? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
If you currently are outside of the Schengen area (in the UK?), you may re-enter the area and stay in France or Spain with your UK passport and use your remaining days up to 90. or you may start afresh a new 90-days period on your kiwi passport.
Ok! Curious if I have this correct as I will be traveling to Italy next week from the US. I am a dual citizen (US and Italy). I will be departing from San Francisco, layover in Frankfurt, then on to Venice.
At check-in at SFO I provide my Italian passport and use it in Frankfurt and Venice.
When I check in for my flight home, I provide my American passport in Venice, Frankfurt and of course back at SFO.
Is this correct? I keep seeing different comments as to I need to use my US passport at check-in at SFO and then use the Italian one when I get to Frankfurt.
Thanks!
It is easier done than to explain, actually. It is important that you show your Italian passport to the Italian/EU authorities and, conversely, your American passport to those in charge to check for the American authorities. In your case, you will show it a) to the airline in SF (they have to check your right to enter the EU and Italy); b) to the border police at the airport in Frankfurt (your point of entry in the Schengen area) and c) at the airport in Venice, in case the border police checks it (the may not since your flight comes from a state within the Schengen area).
On your way back to the USA, you will show a) your American passport to the airline (they have to check your right to enter the USA); b) your Italian passport in Frankfurt to the German border police (point of exit from the Schengen area); c) still in Frankfurt, you will show your American passport to the border check in order to take the connecting flight to the USA (they will check your right to enter the USA on behalf of the US authorities; d) you will show your American passport to the American authorities at your arrival in the USA. I hope this clarifies the matter.
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Hi Lara
I am a dual citizen of Australia and Serbia. I am living in serbia and have entered Austria with my Australian passport. My question is after my 90days have expired can i enter with my serbian passoort for another 90 days?
Thanks
You cannot. The rule is that each non-EU national may stay in the Schengen area (including Italy) for 90 days every 180, no matter if the person holds multiple passports. The border police usually identify a person by the one passport that the person gives them. However, the police may see from their check system that a person with the same data has already stayed in the Schengen area under another passport. They can apply a penalty for overstaying in the Schengen area. That can be time-consuming at border check and expose your partner to penalties for breaking the law. There is no common policy for penalties for overstayers, so they vary across the EU-member states (re-entry ban, fines, etc…).
Thank you lara but it suddenly occured to me that during these times things might not work as they used to..Passenger locator form back to uk requests passport info, if he is traveling back with his italian passport info because his flight is booked with that then when he enters uk with british passport is it possible that there will be problems at boarder control? Locator form with italian passport info but enters with british passport..
That depends on which countries you are entering during your trip. The Passenger locator should contain the passport information of the country that requests it. You may fill in more than one DPLF, if more than one country requests a Passenger locator during your trip.