Passport and Citizenship Services
Dual Nationality
While American law does not specifically recognize dual nationality, neither does it explicitly prohibit it. Accordingly, many American citizens hold passports issued by other countries.
Although Estonian law generally does not permit dual nationality, Estonian law also provides that a person who has the right to Estonian citizenship from birth cannot have his/her citizenship taken away. Accordingly, a number of individuals who have claims to Estonian citizenship from birth carry both Estonian and U.S. passports (such as Estonians who move to the United States and naturalize as American citizens). Any other American citizen who does not have a claim to Estonian citizenship from birth, but who wishes to naturalize as an Estonian citizen, could risk losing his/her U.S. citizenship. Any American citizen who is considering pursuing this process is encouraged to speak to a Consul in order to understand the full consequences of such action. Please note that become a resident of Estonia (obtaining an “elamisluba”) has no effect on one’s U.S. citizenship.
American citizens who hold multiple passports must present a U.S. passport to enter the United States. Thus, for example, it is prohibited for a traveler carrying both U.S. and Estonian passports to enter the United States using the Estonian passport via the Visa Waiver Program.
Please read the Department of State’s general discussion of dual nationality.