When a traveler has multiple nationalities, many questions naturally arise… Do I have to apply for a visa depending on which passport I present at the airport? Which of the two passports should I present, one requires a visa and the other does not… what a mess!

But the truth is that dual nationality is very common among many travelers. And since the new Schengen entry requirement came into force, these cases are going to occur more often. What would happen if you are a citizen of a European country that requires an ETIAS or Ireland, but at the same time you are a citizen of another country that requires a visa or ETIAS? The answer is NO, you should not apply for an ETIAS, as you are a citizen of a country within the Schengen area, but you must travel with your European passport and present it to the airline before boarding. If your passport is no longer valid or you cannot use it, you must contact the authorities of the country that issued it, otherwise you will not be able to travel.

The issue of nationality can sometimes be complicated, but you just need to know the rules and apply them. It is always very important to present the passport of the destination country before boarding the plane, not the passport of the country you are leaving at that moment. Airlines are responsible for checking documentation for entry into the destination country. If there are passengers who cannot enter the country where the plane is headed due to lack of documentation and have to be deported, the airline may be fined considerable sums of money.

As a general recommendation, we must first ensure that our travel document is valid and has not expired, and secondly, what visas/authorizations we need to enter the country we wish to visit. And all this should always be done before buying the plane ticket or paying anything. We don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where we have paid for the entire trip, but we don’t have the necessary authorization or visa to travel. We could lose a lot of money.