ESTA or not?

Archergirl

I have a friend coming to visit from the USA she is a citizen and has a passport.
She was born here but left when she was nine so also has a GB passport and will use that to enter the country.
If when she is here we book a cruise that goes to some USA places will she need to get an ESTA on her UK passport or use her USA passport to book the cruise and not need one?

I'm wondering if its easier to just pay for an ESTA and stick to one passport but wondering if anything would flag up when she applied for it..............

la531983

Not sure why the over complication here, if she is a US citizen and has a valid US passport then use that, would be bonkers to use the British one, unless you were going to Cuba on this cruise.

Caz3121

She needs to use her US passport for entry/exit from US
"You must enter and exit the U.S. with a U.S. passport, regardless of any other nationalities you may hold"

Archergirl

Caz3121 said:

She needs to use her US passport for entry/exit from US
"You must enter and exit the U.S. with a U.S. passport, regardless of any other nationalities you may hold"

la531983 said:

Not sure why the over complication here, if she is a US citizen and has a valid US passport then use that, would be bonkers to use the British one, unless you were going to Cuba on this cruise.

So would she have to book the cruise using her USA passport even though she entered the UK on her British one?
We won't be going to Cuba.

TadleyBaggie

Archergirl said:
So would she have to book the cruise using her USA passport even though she entered the UK on her British one?

Why would the cruise company care?

DullGreyGuy

Booking is separate to entry into the country. 

Wife has a similar requirement of having to use her other nationality for entry into/ exit from her country of birth. There is the added complication that her non-UK passport is in a different name to her UK one. Still when she travels home she books using her UK passport/name but at the border there she uses her local passport but at the gate etc its back to the UK one. It's a common thing there and everyone knows how it works.

The US border was traditionally more of a pain, possibly in part because there were financial consequences for agents that make mistakes, but with more e-clearing etc it's not as bad as it once was. I'd be tempted to provide the US passport details for travel including the US just to avoid getting a grumpy agent

vacheron

The ETSA determines if you are eligible to travel to the US.

Her US passport automatically confirms this eligibility, so they wouldn't need it as they know everything they need to know about her. 

@DullGreyGuy My wife is in the samen situation, but as you mentioned, passport swapping and booking the right flights under the right names soon becomes second nature.

It's the destination you are planning on entering that determines what you need. The cruise company won't care as you could always elect to stay on the ship when others go ashore, just as you could stay airside in the airport of a country you are not permitted to enter in order to meet a flight connection.

jimi_man

Archergirl said:

Caz3121 said:

She needs to use her US passport for entry/exit from US
"You must enter and exit the U.S. with a U.S. passport, regardless of any other nationalities you may hold"

la531983 said:

Not sure why the over complication here, if she is a US citizen and has a valid US passport then use that, would be bonkers to use the British one, unless you were going to Cuba on this cruise.

So would she have to book the cruise using her USA passport even though she entered the UK on her British one?
We won't be going to Cuba.

The UK is not like the USA, there is no rule that says that she has to enter the UK on her UK passport - she can use either one. She'd almost certainly use the eGates anyway so it won't make any difference. Personally I'd just do the whole thing on the USA passport - no chance of messing up then. 

Voyager2002

Archergirl said:

Caz3121 said:

She needs to use her US passport for entry/exit from US
"You must enter and exit the U.S. with a U.S. passport, regardless of any other nationalities you may hold"

la531983 said:

Not sure why the over complication here, if she is a US citizen and has a valid US passport then use that, would be bonkers to use the British one, unless you were going to Cuba on this cruise.

So would she have to book the cruise using her USA passport even though she entered the UK on her British one?
We won't be going to Cuba.

That would be a terrible mistake.

I suggest you make sure that you get a cruise that calls at Cuba.

heatherw_01

Us passport - used to enter - no esta
UK passport - used to enter - esta

DullGreyGuy

heatherw_01 said:

Us passport - used to enter - no esta
UK passport - used to enter - esta

As has been pointed out earlier @heatherw_01 a US citizen is not allowed to enter the country on any other passport