How to declare dual nationality in your ESTA application

Do you hold two nationalities? When filling out your ESTA form, you must declare all your nationalities. Here's how to do it correctly.

Do I need to declare dual nationality?

If you hold two or more nationalities, you must declare all of them in your ESTA application, the electronic travel authorization form. US authorities take this requirement seriously, so there’s no room for doubt.
You must declare your dual nationality even if you don’t have a passport for your second nationality, or if that passport has expired. Many people contact us saying they’ve lost their second passport or it’s no longer valid. Your dual nationality remains regardless of what happens to your documents, so you must declare it.

Questions about other nationalities appear on page 2 of the ESTA form, just below your passport information. You’ll see a section labeled “Other Citizenship/Nationality”. If you hold another nationality, select “yes”.
Next, choose the country corresponding to your second nationality from the dropdown menu.
Then indicate how you acquired this nationality. The form lists the common ways: by birth, through parents, or by naturalization. If you acquired it differently, select “other” and explain.
If you have a third nationality, click “Add a line” to declare it.

One ESTA question confuses many applicants because its wording is unclear: “Have you ever been a citizen or national of any other country?”
What does this mean? It asks you to declare a nationality you held in the past but no longer have. This applies if you renounced a nationality after acquiring citizenship elsewhere. US authorities want to know about any previous nationalities you’ve held.