I am a UK citizen and have applied for my US citizenship. I know that dual citizenship is frowned upon but allowed. My question is what, if anything, do I need to do to maintain my UK citizenship. I know that I have to basically "renounce and abjure" all allegiance to the UK during the Oath but I'm assuming that this doesn't mean that I have to truly give up my UK citizenship...
Dual citizenship
- Thread starter citihorn
- Start date
First thing, you may not hold any formal titles or nobility in foreign country.
Renunciation of allegiance is verbal and no documentation is asked for. What that means (as I interpret is), when you are in US you have to claim yourself as USCitizen (enter and exit as USCitizen). When you are outside the US, you can choose claim to be any one of the valid Citizenships. Bottomline is, you dont have to give up UK citizenship (or any other) unless that other country has laws preventing holding multiple citizenships. At the same time, you cannot tell a U.S Consular officer abroad that you are NOT a USCitizen at any time as it may be construed as renunciation of USCitizenship.
cafeconleche
Registered Users (C)
The UK requires you to do nothing to retain your citizenship, and once you become an American, you will be both, as long as you want to. Congratulations.
When a dual citizen US / Italy travels to a country such as China. Now in case he needs diplomatic assistance will only the country of which passport he used to enter China be ellegible? So what I mean is if he used his US passport to enter he can only approach the US embassy and vice versa if he used his Italian passport ..... or can he ask for assistance from both?
Thanks
Thanks
cafeconleche
Registered Users (C)
You're entitled to both. Even if you're in a country illegally, the country of your citizenship is supposed to help you.
It actually depends on the country. If you have a British passport but entered a third country on another passport, the British government will "normally" refer you to the country whose passport you used. (This is on their website).
Triple Citizen
Registered Users (C)
Interesting. What if a dual British/Irish citizen enters a third country where neither passport needs a visa and it is not stamped either, say Greece. How do the British determine whether to extend consular services or not? 
Can you link a source for that?
Triple Citizen
Registered Users (C)
My Canadian passport advises me to contact a British Embassy/consulate if I get into trouble in a country where there is no Canadian mission. Gulp!!!
See for example
ukinjapan.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/when-things-go-wrong/dual-nationals
Jackolantern
Registered Users (C)
They would probably ask the country's immigration authorities to check their records to determine which passport was used to enter the country. If the passport used is unknown by the authorities (or the country is a rogue or failed state that cannot be trusted), I would hope and expect the British would take their own citizen's word for it regarding which passport was used.Interesting. What if a dual British/Irish citizen enters a third country where neither passport needs a visa and it is not stamped either, say Greece. How do the British determine whether to extend consular services or not?
Mr Vertigo
Registered Users (C)
Yet, if you enter those countries on non-US passports, you may not ask for help from the local US Embassy or Consulate. Now, that's frowned upon.
Mr Vertigo
Registered Users (C)
No, you are not.
Are you telling me that if I enter, say, South Africa on my italian passport and I go to the US Embassy showing a US passport they'll refuse assistance because I don't have a stamp on it?
I don't think so.
Also, what kind of help are you guys referring to? If somebody gets in trouble because he/she broke the local laws, then there's pretty much nothing that US or Italian or whatever embassies could do.
But if I need basic consular services (like replacing a lost passport et similia) then they must do it.
I found this:-
Dual Nationals
If you are a dual national travelling on your British Passport in a third state (that is a country of which you are not a national) we will offer you our full support. If you are travelling on the passport of your other nationality, we will normally direct you to that state's local Embassy, High Commission, or Consulate. If you are a dual national travelling in the state of your other nationality we would not normally offer you support or get involved in dealings between you and the authorities of that state. We may make an exception if, having looked at the circumstances of the case, we consider that there is a special humanitarian reason to do so.
Here http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/things-go-wrong/arrest
Which is more general, that's interesting! If you got arrrested in the boonies would you rather be able to contact US or UK officials for help?
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This applies more to things like arrests rather than consular services like replacing a lost passport. Breaking local laws is one thing, but in some dodgier countries you can be arrested for anything (eg they decide to accuse you of spying).
And I am sure different countries have different policies about dual nationals who travelled on another country's passport. The UK is the only country that I know of that has an explicit policy on its website.