Passport control on trains?

[aikorob]

Hi Folks,
Wife is planning to visit her family for the first time in several years: and she is considering flying to Moscow, visiting cousins and the travelling by train on to Odessa. After visiting there, she would leave from Odessa to return here.
Does anyone know how the border crossing is handled?
I know that she would not need a Ukrainian visa if she travels under the US passport.....but---
she could show her still valid Ukrainian passport  with no trouble; but she is worried that her US passport would not show an Ukraine entry stamp, and she would get hauled off by DHS upon arrival here.

[JayH]

There are numerous threads that touch on this topic. Ukraine does not recognise dual citizenship. She should use Ukraine passport to enter and leave Ukraine--use US passport for airline check in etc where appropriate and needed.
Any opinions to the contrary-- I am interested to hear.

[LAman]

Brings up an interesting question, what passport is you wife using to get into Russia? Wouldn't she use same to leave Russia? And use US passport to enter Ukraine and leave also? Why is she considering using her Ukrainian passport at all?
 
Why is she using train to go from Moscow to Odessa?? Does she like traveling 24 hours on a train??
Flights midweek Moscow to Odessa o/w are under $150 and take all of 2 hours, just wondering.....

[SteveOR]

 
Using a US Passport to enter Russia requires a visa with all of its complexities and costs.  To the best of my knowledge no visa is required to enter Russia if a Ukrainian Passport is used.  Maybe that's why she wants to use her Ukrainian one?
 
 

[mendeleyev]

Steve is correct, if she has a valid Ukrainian passport then she doesn't need a visa to enter Russia as rules for CIS countries apply. She can stay for up to 90 days.

It seems as if it would be cleaner/easier/less complicated to use her Ukrainian passport all the way around. If she is traveling with a child however proof of the father's permission for the child to cross borders may be required.

[Wayne]

Unless you take the first class train compartment (that is larger with only two low beds), there would be two upper and two lower bunks in the compartment. Therefore, if you are one person traveling, you can purchase all the bunks in the compartment and have it to yourself. Otherwise, you are sharing a room with strangers!
When two or more people are traveling together, it might make sense to take a train, especially in the Summer when flights are full.
The first class compartment usually will have air conditioning and the car cleaner. You can also get room service.
 
It seems that taking a plane would be overal safer for a person alone.
 

[tfcrew]

... she is worried that her US passport would not show an Ukraine entry stamp.

Russian entry would not care that she has Ukrainian entry.
Eventually, that Ukraine passport will expire and then can only travel as a US citizen.

[Gylden]

There is something in the Ukrainian law (article 19 on citizenship of Ukraine) about the loss of citizenship when voluntarily acquiring citizenship of another country.
http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/44a280fa4.pdf
I would not encourage my wife to travel using her Ukrainian passport at all.
 

[mendeleyev]

If she used her Ukrainian passport for ALL points of travel I don't think that she'd encounter any issues. As Gylden says, Ukraine does not recognize dual citizenship although the US Supreme Court has ruled that US citizens can hold multiple passports.

This Spring a bill was introduced in the Ukrainian parliament to recognize dual citizenship. It has the backing of the majority party.
http://en.for-ua.com/comments/2013/02/22/124952.html

[aikorob]

Perhaps some further explanation:
Wife is planning to visit her family for the first time in several years: and she is considering flying to Moscow, If she leaves the US on her Ukrainan passport---correct, no visa needed for Russia; but what will DHS say when she returns here with no record on her US passport of having left the country?
 visiting cousins and the travelling by train on to Odessa. Visiting extended family to the south of Moscow--why would she spend 6 hours to go BACK to catch a flight, when she could simply continue on to Odessa After visiting there, she would leave from Odessa to return here.
 
Does anyone know how the border crossing is handled? [/size]Is there Ukrainian customs agents checking papers at the border?[/size]
I know that she would not need a Ukrainian visa if she travels under the US passport.....but---
she could show her still valid Ukrainian passport  with no trouble; but she is worried that her US passport would not show an Ukraine entry stamp, and she would get hauled off by DHS upon arrival here.

[GQBlues]

Aikorob-

This was discussed here not too long ago. I believe it may have been around September/October last year. I also wondered about what can happen if the person entered the US without any stamp showing departure, or any points of destination.

Based on my wife's travel to Russia late last year, apparently this doesn't matter. She used her Russian passport for all points except entry back to the US, where she used her US passport to show the custom agent at the POE.

Her flight ticket should show her name as it is written in the passport she uses to travel out, in your wife's case - her Ukrainian passport.

[Lily]

Of course they should have a passport control on the land border between Russia and Ukraine. There is no way around a stamp in the passport.

[JayH]

To the op----- use US passport to leave and re-enter US. Use Ukraine passport to enter and leave Russia and Ukraine.
Note-- that is presenting at immigration control. After that point( and at airline check-in where they will look for the  "right" to enter  destination country) show the passport that allows you 'in" to that country.
Going to the US-- airline sends passport details of passengers to US for examination prior to arrival -so important that you use "correct" passport for that.
In practice--it is not that hard to do( earlier threads where guys gave real life examples is worth reading).
EG-- on way out of US----- Step 1/arrive at exit international  airport-- go to check in-- the want to 1/identify you 2/ check that you are qualified to enter country of disembarkation ( ie  you have a visa if required or citizenship rights etc) -- the airline is responsible for the cost of returning you if they allow you to board and you are not qualified to enter-that is what that is all about.
Step 2/  Immigration control--- show US passport
Step3/  At gate--- the airline often check passport   again-- show Ukraine passport here
Step 4/ Use Ukraine passport from that point on--untill checking in for US bound flight
Step5/  Leaving Ukraine--- same procedure as leaving US except use the opposite passports !!
I think you will find that somewhere it says that if you hold a passport of "that" country-- you need to use it to come and go.
Ukraine does not recognise dual citizenship at this stage-- so in accepting US passport you have technically renounced Ukraine citizenship-- that is really the only potential hurdle in the system-- and for them to know that-- you are the only ones who can tell them !!

[Anotherkiwi]

Aikorob-

This was discussed here not too long ago. I believe it may have been around September/October last year. I also wondered about what can happen if the person entered the US without any stamp showing departure, or any points of destination.

Based on my wife's travel to Russia late last year, apparently this doesn't matter. She used her Russian passport for all points except entry back to the US, where she used her US passport to show the custom agent at the POE.

Her flight ticket should show her name as it is written in the passport she uses to travel out, in your wife's case - her Ukrainian passport.

I agree - I've answered this before as well, as I have dual citizenship (New Zealand and British).  I used my New Zealand passport everywhere on my trip (as it had my Russian visa) except for my entry to and exit from Ukraine at Boryspil airport - there I used my British one, and it still has only those two stamps.

[tfcrew]

  she would leave from Odessa to return here.
 
Does anyone know how the border crossing is handled? 

What is so terribly wrong with applying for a Russian visa and traveling on her US passport? 

[Faux Pas]

What is so terribly wrong with applying for a Russian visa and traveling on her US passport?

The hassle and expense. Cradle to grave on the Russian visa generally cost $200 bucks or more when her red passport doesn't cost anything.

Jay's explanation is a good one. Just use the the U.S. passport to leave and enter the U.S.. Use the red passport in-between

[tfcrew]

The hassle and expense. .. use the the U.S. passport to leave and enter the U.S.. Use the red passport in-between

Re-read what the org poster has stated they wish to do.

Perhaps some further explanation:
Wife is planning to visit her family for the first time in several years: and she is considering flying to Moscow

If she flies to Moscow on the US passport ..will she not need a visa? The Russian bound aircraft  cannot be boarded without one.

Plain and simple.

Now, you can be just so cheap on yourself and then it will really cost.

[GQBlues]

This is why I said what I did above. This doesn't have to be complicated.

Only use the US passport upon entry back to the US. There should be no other time to be flashing that PP around. His wife's Ukrainian passport is good for departure from the US, entry to Russia (no visa), exit from Russian, entry to Ukraine, departure to the US (now they may ask for documents enabling her entry to the US, at which time she can then show her US passport for proof, if asked).

The key is, the name on her airline ticket should be the same as her Ukrainian passport.

If Aikorob need more validation of this, his wife can certainly ask FSUWs (US citizens) in RWs forums what they've done with their trips and he'll find what I'm saying here is the same.

This is no different than if I flew over to Mexico. I don't show my passport upon departure (just DL to make sure of name for the ticket) but would be checked upon re-entry.

[tfcrew]

This is no different than if I flew over to Mexico. I don't show my passport upon departure  ...

But you must.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative has made passports mandatory for air travel between the United States and Mexico, but for travel by land and sea there are a few different travel documents which are acceptable. Find out what identification and travel documents are valid for travel to Mexico for U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, Canadians, and citizens of other countries.

http://gomexico.about.com/od/entryrequirements/qt/travel_documents.htm

I understand what Faux [his wife is a dual citizenship?] and everybody is trying to
say but the US passport was neither cheap nor hassle free to obtain..and is the best way to travel for various other reasons.

[GQBlues]

tfcrew-

If so, I stand corrected. We recently took a weekend to Cabo and only asked us (ticket counter) for our DLs for departure to verify tickets, and passports for/during re-entry. Walking back through the border checkpoints, we've only used our passport IDs (not booklet) as no stamping is required so far. No passport checks at all (SoCal) on US exit.

I just read the Federal initiative you presented and it appears it only pertains to the 'Western hemisphere' region...

"The WHTI, or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, is part of the US government's response to 9/11. The goal of the WHTI is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry for US citizens and legitimate international visitors to the United States.  For many years, US and Canadian citizens were not required to present a passport to enter the United States. With the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, all citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda will be required to present a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality in order to enter or depart the United States from within the Western Hemisphere.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is being rolled out in phases."


Silly if you ask me considering the millions who crossed the southern border illegally everyday.

[LAman]

If so, I stand corrected. We recently took a weekend to Cabo and only asked us (ticket counter) for our DLs for departure to verify tickets, and passports for/during re-entry. Walking back through the border checkpoints, we've only used our passport IDs (not booklet) as no stamping is required so far. No passport checks at all (SoCal) on US exit.
 

You know GQ, being sexy does have its advantages, huh? 

[Faux Pas]

Re-read what the org poster has stated they wish to do.If she flies to Moscow on the US passport ..will she not need a visa? The Russian bound aircraft  cannot be boarded without one.

Plain and simple.

Now, you can be just so cheap on yourself and then it will really cost.

Ukrainian passport holders do not need a visa to enter Russia. If she is to use her U.S. passport she would need a visa at least a transit visa. I was answering your question, not his

[tfcrew]

When we went to Canada  [Niagara Falls] back whenever.. I had to have my passport and wife [then] her Ukrainian  passport & US resident card. Nothing is stamped.

[GQBlues]

You know GQ, being sexy does have its advantages, huh? 

Well, truth of the matter is...last I carried a passport was about 20 years ago. That was when I was last asked to see my passport, and that was when I took a step back, and did my "Strike-a-Fonz" pose and utterred "Eaayyy!".

She excused herself, of course. She then have me take a seat in the 5-seater aisle section with 2 gorgeous females on the both sides of me to make up for that silly error.

It was all green light on every border I've gone to since. Including Russia.

 

[aikorob]

Thanks, GQ --- unfortunatly, she can't use that because she changed her name completly upon naturalization. The name on her Ukraine passport is not even close now.
 
 
BTW---I had searched before posting---but apparently my phrasing was totally wrong; because I got no results. I will go back and search during the time suggested.