Used "wrong" passport to exit U.S.

[madmaxsf]

I am a german with dual-citizenship. When I left the U.S. last time to travel to my country of birth I accidentally used my german passport to check in with the airline at SFO. I only remembered later that I am required to leave the U.S. with the U.S. passport. Will this mistake come to haunt me in the future? What about re-entering the U.S. when I come back, should I expect problems? Thanks.

 

[BigJoe5]

I am a german with dual-citizenship. When I left the U.S. last time to travel to my country of birth I accidentally used my german passport to check in with the airline at SFO. I only remembered later that I am required to leave the U.S. with the U.S. passport. Will this mistake come to haunt me in the future? What about re-entering the U.S. when I come back, should I expect problems? Thanks.

Please see the FAQs from CBP at: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/clearing/pnr/ as a place to start trying to find the answer.

 

[madmaxsf]

Thanks BigJoe5, that is an interesting document that I did not know about before. Unfortunately it does not answer my original question about wether I should expect problems because of the mistake I made.

 

[cafeconleche]

madmaxsf, my dual national friends have done this and have never run into problems. For example, CBP has no proof you didn't show the airline BOTH your German and US passports, and that the airline employee just scanned your German one. Just make sure that you always give CBP your US passport when you enter the country.

 

[madmaxsf]

Thanks. I became a little paranoid from everything I read elsewhere about dual-citizenship, e.g. that the US tolerates it but that one should not wave around his/her two passports if possible.