Which Passport to choose for travelling to your country of Birth?

[christy198112]

Hello,

I have a question for those who has the canadian passport.

My country accept the dual citizenship and I am planning to visit it in a couple of months, but now I heard that I will be a turist when I am going to enter there? so what do you advice me. Should I use my 1st passport from my Birth place or the Canadian passport ? I know people that enter their country with the 1st one and to come to Canada they use the Canadian one. Is that possible?

 

[Swede]

I have a feeling that you'll get less grief in customs if you use the local passport. Also, I think some countries require you to use their passport if you have one.

 

[RussCan]

It depends on a country. if you don't need a visa to enter your home country on a Canadian passport you can choose to travel on it and be admitted into the country as a Canadian. For instance, Ukrainians travel on their Canadian passport because Ukraine lets Canadians in without an entry visa. Russia, on the contrary, requires an entry visa from Canadians and one will not be issued to a Russian passport holder on the premise that all Russians have to enter Russia only on Russian passport. If a dual Russian/Canadian citizen wants to travel to Russia, he would leave Canada on his Canadian passport, enter and leave Russia on his Russian one, and would show his Canadian passport to the airline clerk on check in to his flight back to Canada as a proof of visaless entry to Canada.

 

[farrous13]

It also depends how long you will be staying. Some countries allow tourists to stay no more than an 'X' amount of time. If you are staying more than X, then use your homeland passport.

Another point, if your country is dangerous (lots of kidnapping, possibility of future wars...etc.) I would use the Canadian. I believe (not sure) that would be a better choice.

What's your homeland country if you don't mind me asking?

BTW, I heard that we are not allowed to travel with two passports. Can anyone confirm?

 

[Msafiri]

1. Its usually best to enter the relevant country with their own passport i.e your birth country with birth country passport and Canada with Canadian passport. There may be benefits to include faster border clearance through dedicated citizen lines. In some countries eg the US its the law that US citizens enter with their US passport.

2. You will get limited or no consular help from Canada if you get into any issues in your birth country and vice versa. These include being drafted into the military if you are eligible as a citizen.

3. There may be issues if say you got your Canadian PR as a refugee yet travel back to your country of 'persecution'.

4. With increasing use of API/ Advanced provision of passenger data by airlines pre-flight to meet immigration/entry legislation using different passports can flag you up for extra scrutiny at the border. You may have to show both passports at check in to eliminate this as well as any visa issue concerns where one of the passports requires a visa to enter the other country.

 

[christy198112]

Hi farrous13

my homeland country is Peru.

 

[Dejaavu]

If dual citizenship is allowed then best to enter on your home country's passport.

 

[Dejaavu]

Some countries are strict when it comes to using another country's passport to enter your home country.

I know a former CBP officer who told me that when some American citizens tried to enter US on Canadian passport, he would treat them as Canadians and ask them questions such as purpose of visit, how long the visit is for and address and give them six months stay.

 

[farrous13]

officers usually ask most of the people entering the US questions. I think its common practice. Even Canadians who enter Canada are being asked questions. I think for security reasons.

Some countries are strict when it comes to using another country's passport to enter your home country.

I know a former CBP officer who told me that when some American citizens tried to enter US on Canadian passport, he would treat them as Canadians and ask them questions such as purpose of visit, how long the visit is for and address and give them six months stay.

 

[Dejaavu]

but that guy was American but using Canadian passport