Our daughter has two passports. British and Korean. She was born in Japan, and when registering her information for her 在留カード we registered her as ‘British’.
We are traveling to Korea and want to leave and enter under her Korean passport. So that she can stay for longer.
What’s the correct way to do this?
As her 在留カード is ‘linked’ to her British nationality does that mean we have to use that passport when leaving and entering Japan?
Both myself and wife don’t have dual nationality so this is a first for us.
Our understanding is that while Japan doesn’t allow someone to register dual nationalities, they allow foreign nationals to hold two passports (though not if your a Japanese National). So I am thinking it might just be best to present both passports to the immigration officers in Japan and Korea.
Appreciate the support and help!!
10 comments
Japan couldn’t care less about foreigners dual status. But if you want to avoid any potential headache, you show only the British passport at the Japanese immigration counter and only the Korean one in Korea.
I would carry both passports. You enter Korea with the Korean passport. You return to Japan and provide the passport connected with the Zairyu card to immigration.
I have dual nationality and, as with your daughter, only one of them is officially registered on my zairyu card. Nevertheless, for the past few years I only showed my other passport when exiting and entering Japan, mentioning that I have dual citizenship. 9 times out of 10 this was ok, but that 10th time it wasn’t, I needed to present my other passport as well. To avoid this, I attempted to register both nationalities on the zairyu card, the result being that now on the back of the card I have mentioned my other nationality as well. (Handwritten only, no stamp or anything) Not sure how officially acceptable this is, so I always carry both passports just in case I need to show them.
I have a similar situation and show one at the foreign country’s immigration , then show another in Japan.
Basically been fine but once the officer said that it would be a good idea to go to the immigration office and get a stamp listing my second nationality
Korea could have a law that citizens must use Koreans passports. This is common. So make sure to present Korean passport on entry.
I was told by an immigration officer to always show the passport of the country you are entering. Might not be relevant to South Korea, but some European countries can fine you if you do not enter with a passport they issued.
It’s much faster to enter a country if you are a citizen. Just use both passport but don’t show both at the same time.
You need to enter and exit Japan on the same passport. Ideally the British one.
Airlines entirely understand the concept of multiple passports and where they are required to send API, can enter different passenger information to the booking (such as if you will enter the next country in a different name). South Korea does require API before arrival, usually collected at check-in, so you should
1. register Korean passport data at check in Japan for API.
2. then do exit immigration on British passport.
3. Enter korea on the Korean passport
4. Do the online entry/customs process for Japan with the British passport
5. use the British passport at check in on departure from Korea.
6. Then re-enter japan on the British passport.
>We are traveling to Korea and want to leave and enter under her Korean passport. So that she can stay for longer.
You don’t have to leave and enter with the same passport. You should leave Japan with her British passport because that’s what her residence card shows, and then enter Korea with her Korean passport as a national.
I’ve done traveling with two passport countless times.
You can even show one passport for boarding and another for border control. Those are separate issues.
A bit late to the party but I have dual citizenship and have been living in Japan on a long term visa for the past 8 years so I know how it works.
It’s really simple. You enter and leave Japan with the passport you used for registration at immigration and the Korean one in Korea. They might ask for departure and entry stamps at both passport controls so you just whip out the other passport and show them the stamps. Carry both passports at all times and you’ll be fine.
I also have a small note that declares my dual citizenship on the back of my zairyuu card just to make things easier. I’d recommend you doing it just to be on the safe side. Take both passports and the zairyuu card to immigration and ask them to add the Korean nationality on the back. It only takes 5 minutes or so.