Dual Citizen Traveling to Brazil & Argentina - Any Issues?
 

Hi:

I am traveling to Brazil and Argentina in February. I also happen to have dual U.S. and Polish citizenship and possess passports from both countries. It appears Polish citizens traveling to Brazil and Argentina do not need visas, so I'm thinking of using my Polish passport for entry there, and using my U.S. passport on my return... Anyone see any issues with this? I'm a planner and hate surprises, so would like to get this ironed out now. Thanks!

Your problem should not be with the border officials, but might be with airline staff (to whom you may have to explain why you are legal in the US--your passport-- which doesn't have a visa for Brazil--and on the return, if you enter Brazil on the non-US passport, and show your entry stamp on leaving, how you are legal to get into the US). The airline is obligated to return you to point of origin if refused entry, at their expense, so they get conservative. Passport control should not have an issue, but you should enter and leave on the same passport.

People enter and leave countries all the time on different passports when they have dual citizenship. In you case, show the airline to SA the Polish passport, then enter and leave the SA countries on the Polish passport and when you get back to the states simply use the US passport. Works like a charm.

It is as NoFlyZone says. Make sure the Polish passport is good for at least 6 months before expiry date for entry to both countries.

Many thanks. Yes, I should have been a little clearer - will use my Polish passport for the entire trip, save for my re-entry into the U.S. Thanks!

Not exactly. You make it sound as if the US passport can stay completely out of sight until you get off the return flight in the US.
If you use your Polish passport to enter Brazil, you also use it to leave, but you still have to use the US passport to board your flight, to reassure the airline you are legal to enter the US at the end of the flight.
They may also ask to see the US passport before boarding in the US, since your Polish passport probably doesn't indicate how you came to be legally in the US.

Speaking as a dual (triple actually, but who is counting) citizen, the passenger shows the US passport to show he can legally enter the USA or both at original check-in. It is perfectly legal to have both passports, so there is no need to hide anything. A lot of dual citizens use one passport to exit and enter their country of residence but a different passport when outside that area.

Right. I have dual UK and US citizenship. When I went to SA I showed both passports at checkin and the agent spent some time checking that I really didn't need a visa with the UK passport. Probably showed both when I eventually flew home but don't actually remember. Flying to Europe this time the agent wasn't interested in my UK passport, but she was generally a pain. She should have been interested as my return flight is on a different PNR and more than 90 days out.