- U.S. dual citizens must use American passports for all U.S. entries and departures regardless of other nationalities.
- Travelers are strictly prohibited from using ESTA with foreign passports if they hold U.S. citizenship.
- The U.S. Mission warns that children and minors are subject to the same mandatory passport requirements.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria warned dual citizens on July 26, 2026 that they must enter and leave the United States with a valid passport from that side of their citizenship. No foreign passport qualifies.
The notice said the rule covers children too, including minors who hold another nationality. It also said dual national U.S. citizens may not use a foreign passport to apply for ESTA. That shortcut is shut.
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The mission put the point bluntly.
U.S. citizens are REQUIRED to enter and depart the United States on a U.S. passport. This requirement applies equally to U.S. citizens, including children, who are dual nationals. Dual national U.S. citizens may NOT use their foreign passport to apply for an electronic travel authorization (ESTA). The Department of Homeland Security routinely denies or cancels ESTAs for dual national U.S. citizens.
U.S. citizens living abroad were told to check passport validity before travel and to renew before the last minute. Many countries want six months left on the document. That margin disappears fast.
The rule is old, the warning is not
The advisory did not create a new legal duty. It restated a long-running U.S. requirement for entry and exit. Nigeria’s travel advisory, updated July 7, 2026, says dual nationals also need a valid Nigerian passport to leave Nigeria. Two passports, two checkpoints.
Visa limits already narrowed the room
The warning came after Presidential Proclamation 10998, signed on December 16, 2025, by President Donald Trump, put Nigeria among 19 countries facing a partial suspension of visa issuance from January 1, 2026. The pause covers nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visas and F, M, J visas for Nigerian nationals who did not already hold valid visas. Dual nationals remain exempt only when they apply with a passport from a nationality not subject to the suspension. The list is not abstract.
The mission’s own ranks shifted too
The mission is under interim leadership. Keith Heffern is Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, and JoEllen Gorg served as acting Consul General during July events. Rick Swart retired and departed Nigeria on July 28, 2026. Lateef Kayode Are was appointed Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States on May 7, 2026. Fast turnover.
The wider travel warning stays in force
The State Department’s Nigeria Travel Advisory remained at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, on July 7, 2026. It says dual nationals are often seen as wealthy and are singled out for kidnapping and crime. The risk stays close.
