Passport Issues

[CPA288]

Hi,

I'll be flying EGKR (UK) -> LFAC (FR) with a friend next year. Issue is, I have 2 citizenships, British and German and also have a German ID card. However, on my medical it states only the British details. Can I bring my German ID card even though on my medical it only states my British details?

Thank you and Merry Christmas to you all!

CPA288

[BackPacker]

What do you mean with "my medical states only the British details"?

Your medical is issued, linked against your license. Not against your passport or other certificate of citizenship. The only (weak) link between license and ID is that your medical and license do not have your picture on it, so you need to be able to show some sort of official picture ID if anybody ever ramp checks you and wants to verify that the license really belongs to you. But that picture ID does not need to be of the country that issued you your license.

Here's what you need:
- A license/medical combination that allows you to fly the aircraft you intend to fly. For an EASA-registered aircraft (G-reg, D-reg, PH-reg, whatever) this means the old-style JAR-FCL license or an EASA license. For an N-reg you'd need an FAA license, and so forth, although there are exceptions to this.
- Your license needs to be at least at the ICAO PPL level to fly internationally (otherwise the Chicago treaty does not apply, or something along those lines). For flights within the EU, you need at least an EASA LAPL. The old, national NPPL, RPL and similar licenses in principle do not allow for international flight, although countries have set up waivers for that in the past.
- You need to have the proper passport/identity card/visa to leave the UK and enter the Schengen area, and vice versa. As you hold both German and British citizenships, and presumably the means (passport or citizenship card) to prove that, it's not going to be a problem at all.

Do remember that entering or leaving the Schengen area can only be done at a designated customs/immigration airport. You cannot just enter or leave the Schengen area at any airfield you fancy - and note that some airfields no not have customs/immigration 24/7, or require prior notice. At the UK side things are slightly easier, because of the GAR form and surrounding procedures.

[piperboy84]

Don't know about LFAC but every time I've crossed the channel and landed at Cherbourg, the guy at the terminal with the uniform (not sure if he was a cop, customs or airport security) couldn't have cared less about licenses, medicals, aircraft registrations, passports etc, the only paperwork he wanted to see were the euro notes for the landing fee and off ya go ! Easy Peazy

Added: I'm a dual national also (triple if the SNP get their way) and both passports never left my flightbag.

[welkyboy]

French customs are much more vigilant after the Paris problem, expect to be met and passports checked, even at Cherbourg.....

[piperboy84]

French customs are much more vigilant after the Paris problem, expect to be met and passports checked, even at Cherbourg.....

Makes sense, the bad guys seemed to have bollocked it up for everyone, gone are the days of VFR touring round the continent when the biggest grilling you were going to get was where your hi viz vests were upon parking up at Oban on the return leg.

[CPA288]

(To piperboy84) You wrote you hold dual nationalities. On your medical, does it state the 2 nationalities that you hold or just 1 nationality? And also, which class medical do you currently hold?

CPA288

[alex90]

It really does not matter...

Never have I been checked or heard of people being checked to that extent. Even when doing a spot check. I am sure however that if they did - it would be as simple as explaining that you are a dual national. I assume that your name(s) are the same on both parchments... So I seriously doubt you'll ever get any issues.

[S-Works]

You couldn't make this **** up at times..

Your pilot licence and your passport are nothing to do with each other. Just use which ever passport you get a kick out of.

[piperboy84]

(To piperboy84) You wrote you hold dual nationalities. On your medical, does it state the 2 nationalities that you hold or just 1 nationality? And also, which class medical do you currently hold?

Cap, US&Uk citizen flying a N Reg on a FAA CPL ticket based in Scotland, FAA medical starts out at the highest class then drops down to the next class and I renew it every 2 years, can't remember the class designations but that's all really irrelevant. The only issue I have ever had flying on the continent was getting ramp checked to verify I had paid taxes (sales/import/customs etc) when bringing the plane over from the US, I had a waiver on the tax which the French customs cops at the airfield accepted after a bit back and forth.

To be honest I think you are way overthinking this thing, the sole deciding factor of which passport I use when entering the locals of foreigners line at an immigration check after getting of a commercial flight is whichever line is shortest and will allow me to get a Marlboro kindled up the quickest. As far as arriving on a GA flight my experience is nobody cares or checks your medical or even your license for that matter, as long as you have a current passport you're good to go ( I suppose a passport issued by North Korea or ISIS would raise eyebrows but from anywhere else is fine ) If you get ramp checked they seem to focus in on what country of registerey your aircraft has compared to what country address is on that registration and then cross reference that to the address listed on the insurance docs, again this is all about tax and not trying to see if your license or medical is current.

[S-Works]

You are going to need an EASA licence soon to fly in the UK and need one now in many places outside the UK.

[worldpilot]

What sense does it make to leave your British citizenship credentiais behind and take your German ID card with you?


WP