Travel Information for Dual Nationals
June 13th, 2008 by
travel
Probably, one of the reasons why you are reading this article is because you got curious about the term “Dual Nationals”. It is a very intriguing term I must say, one that isn’t easy to come by.
WHAT IS DUAL NATIONALITY ANYWAY?
The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a citizen of two countries at the same time. Each country has its own citizenship laws based on its own policy. Persons may have dual nationality by automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice. For example, a child born in a foreign country to Australian parents may be both an Australian citizen and a citizen of the country of birth.
The thing with Dual Nationality is that you may not even know that you are a dual national. In addition, being a dual national means that there may have implications for you if you travel to the country of your other nationality such as:
- you might be liable for military service
- you might be liable for prosecution for offences under the laws of that country, even if they were committed outside it,if the government of that country does not recognise dual nationality, the ability of Australian officials to provide you with consular assistance may be limited.
The next thing you’d probably ask is how do people become dual nationals? There are six conditions that will be able to determine if you are a dual national, one of which is the place of your birth, second is by descent, whether your parents are citizens of another country, next is by marriage to a citizen of another country, also through naturalization, or by grant citizenship and lastly by state succession which can occur when sovereignty over a state changes. Whether you are a dual national depends on the laws of the country involved. You could be considered and treated as one of its nationals by another country even if you don’t accept that nationality.
In some countries, a woman may automatically acquire her husband’s nationality on marriage while many countries have laws that prevent citizens giving up their nationality under any circumstances. A number of countries have laws that prevent citizens giving up their nationality except by a formal act of renunciation.
AVOID DELAYS IN ENTERING AUSTRALIA
To avoid delays at airline check-in and again at the border entry point, Australian citizens who are dual nationals are advised to leave and return to Australia on their Australian passport. An Australian citizen cannot be granted a visa for Australia.
When entering Australia, all Australians, including those who hold dual nationality, must be able to prove that they are an Australian citizen. An Australian passport is conclusive evidence of a person’s identity and citizenship, and provides the holder with unfettered right of entry to Australia.
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 person holding a foreign passport 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 inquiries.
International airlines have an obligation to ensure that they only carry appropriately documented passengers to Australia. In the absence of an Australian passport, airlines are unable to assess an Australian citizen’s claimed citizenship at the time of check-in and may decline to carry the traveller. Or, they may have to make inquiries with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs in Australia to seek approval to carry the passenger, which takes time and may cause inconvenience to the passenger.
Dual nationals may often find it easier to enter the country of their other nationality on that country’s passport, but leaving can sometimes be more difficult. You may need an exit visa if you entered on a passport of that country.
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