Using two passports and the obligations that come with them

Key rules

• Inside Spain: Spain treats you only as Spanish, so your second nationality gives you no rights there.
• Consular help: Spain normally cannot protect you in the country of your other nationality.
• Military service: Spain has no compulsory service, but your other country may require it and penalise you on entry.
• Third countries: Apply for visas and ETAs with the passport you will actually travel on, and use only that one.

In Spain, you are Spanish and nothing else

Inside Spain, the law treats you only as a Spanish national. Your second nationality has no legal effect there. You cannot use it for immigration rights, and you cannot use it for consular matters in Spain.

You enter and leave Spain with your Spanish DNI or Spanish passport. The documents list below shows what to carry.

Entering your other country

The other country decides which passport you use there, and many insist on their own passport for entry and exit. Check its rules before you book. Some countries also expect their own citizens to use their national passport. The US is one example. The UK requires British dual nationals to prove their right to enter.

Getting help if something goes wrong

Spain normally cannot protect you inside the territory of your other nationality. That country treats you as its own citizen. Spain may offer limited humanitarian help, but it cannot insist on seeing you or getting access to you. How much help you get depends on the other country's cooperation and on any agreements between the two states.

If you have a problem there, ask that country's authorities what help is available. Do not assume the Spanish consulate can step in.

Military service

Spain has had no compulsory military service since 2001, when it was suspended. As a Spanish dual national you have no conscription duty in Spain. In an extreme national emergency, the law could allow citizens to be called up.

Your other nationality is a different matter. Countries such as Turkey, Israel, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Austria, Greece and Singapore require service from male nationals, even those living abroad. If you owe service there, you can face penalties when you enter. Check the rules and any exemptions with that country's authorities before you travel.

Travelling to a third country

Apply for any visa, ETA or similar authorisation using the passport you will travel on. The authorisation is tied to that passport's number. Then use that same passport for the whole trip. Show it at check-in and at the border. The airline checks the authorisation against the passport.

Spanish and other EU passports often allow visa-free entry to more places, so they are often the easier choice. Each country has its own rules, so confirm with the destination's authorities.

The checklist and questions below cover the same points in short form.

Documents you need

• Spanish DNI or Spanish passport, to enter and leave Spain

• Your other country's passport, if that country requires its own passport for entry and exit

• The passport you will travel on, matching any visa, ETA or similar authorisation for a third country

Checklist

• Check whether your other country requires its own passport for entry and exit before you travel there.

• Check whether your other country requires military service from its nationals, and whether you have an exemption.

• Apply for any third-country visa or ETA using the passport you will travel on.

• Show that same passport at check-in and at the border.

• Ask the other country's authorities what help is available if you have a problem there, as Spain normally cannot protect you.

Frequently asked questions

Can Spain help me if I get into trouble in my other country?

Normally no, Spain cannot protect you as a Spanish national inside the territory of your other nationality, because that country treats you as its own citizen.

Do I have to do military service because of my second nationality?

Possibly, if your other country requires service from its nationals. Spain suspended compulsory service in 2001, so Spain asks nothing of you, but countries such as Turkey, Israel, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Austria, Greece and Singapore require it from men, even those living abroad. You can face penalties on entering them, so check exemptions first.

Which passport should I use to get a visa or ETA for a third country?

Use the passport you will actually travel on, because the authorisation is tied to that passport's number.