However, American travelers are being warned that a Republican Senator's newly proposed bill could strip away that freedom. Moreover, should the new ban rule be enforced, it would render some Americans' passports, along with their U.S. citizenship, null and void, either by choice or force.
According to the U.S. Department of State, Americans who were born in the U.S. but then raised in another country are allowed to keep both passports. Similarly, Americans who become naturalized somewhere new later in life can also keep both passports. In reverse, foreigners who acquire U.S. citizenship can, in most cases, continue to hold both passports as well.
"U.S. law does not require a U.S. citizen to choose between U.S. citizenship and another (foreign) nationality (or nationalities). A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to their U.S. citizenship," the State Department writes.
It's been this way for decades. But U.S. citizens' right to hold multiple passports (and citizenships) could soon be removed under a new proposal.
The Exclusive Citizenship Act Of 2025 Would End Americans' Right To Hold Multiple Passports And Citizenships
Republican Senator Bernie Moreno from Ohio proposed the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 in late 2025. His new bill would effectively end dual citizenship for Americans—that includes Americans who hold and travel with their U.S. passport and any others.
Currently, the State Department emphasizes that "U.S. dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country (or countries, if they are nationals of more than one)." However, if mandated, the law would require U.S. citizens to owe "sole and exclusive allegiance" to the United States.
In other words, Americans with dual citizenship must choose one passport to keep, and be forced to give up all others—if they want to keep their American passport and citizenship, that is. There are two possible outcomes.
Americans would have to formally renounce any foreign citizenship to keep their U.S. passport and citizenship. Alternatively, if they choose to keep their other non-American passport and citizenship instead, they'd have to forfeit their U.S. passport and citizenship.
If the bill becomes law, Americans who already hold U.S. citizenship and another nationality would have one year to decide which one to keep. Its enactment would start a 180-day timer until the new rules apply.
Additionally, any U.S. citizens who later acquire foreign citizenship in another nation would automatically be considered to have relinquished their American citizenship—meaning they're stripped of their U.S. status and American passport.
Senator Moreno's reasoning for the proposed legislation comes down to loyalty to the U.S. He also argues that banning dual nationality is essential to maintaining national identity and preventing divided allegiances and conflicts of interest.
"One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so," Senator Moreno said. "It was an honor to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and ONLY to the United States of America!" he added. But while reminiscing, he made his "all or nothing" stance clear.
This switch is a stark difference from how the U.S. has approached dual nationality in the past. Current U.S. law doesn’t force Americans to choose between passports, even if they naturalize in another country (one of the various ways to acquire citizenship). Millions of people have U.S. citizenship alongside another, most commonly because they were born and/or raised elsewhere, or due to where their parents came from. Plus, many have simply built lives in more than one country—some citizenships are far easier than others to obtain, after all.
Dual citizens also typically have legal obligations to both the U.S. and the other nations where they hold citizenship. These include taxes, travel requirements, and even military service. They also have to use their U.S. passport when entering or leaving the United States, and, in some cases, they may need their other passport when traveling internationally. All of this is and has been legal—until now, if Moreno's bill is enacted.
Would Senator Moreno's Exclusive Citizenship Act Force Native Americans To Choose Between Tribal Affiliations And U.S. Citizenship?
Additionally, there remain questions regarding the bill's impact on Native American tribes. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 granted U.S. citizenship for Native Americans and allowed birthright citizenship for all indigenous people born within U.S. territory. But this legislation also lets them preserve their tribal affiliations in a special kind of dual status.
However, Senator Moreno's bill, in all likelihood, wouldn't affect Native Americans who hold this unique type of dual status because federally recognized tribes aren't considered foreign nations; they're viewed as domestic dependent nations within the U.S. As Forbes reported, the U.S. Supreme Court in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 30 U.S. 1 (1831) established this distinction.
Still, the bill could create consequences for others, though, beyond just Americans who use their U.S. passport for travel.
The Exclusive Citizenship Act Could Affect Other Americans (Beyond Just Travelers Who Use A U.S. Passport)
Those who lose their U.S. citizenship may face harsh exit taxes, plus the potential loss of social security benefits and the right to vote. Transfer taxes may also be imposed on U.S. citizens receiving gifts or bequests from certain expats who no longer have American citizenship. One demographic, however, faces a particularly less-talked-about risk: U.S. military retirees with dual citizenship.
The Department of Defense generally works on the consensus that military retirees' entitlement to retirement pay is incompatible with U.S. citizenship loss. The reason is that citizenship is viewed as a key factor for U.S. armed forces membership. Retired pay requires retired military status, which could disappear along with a military retiree's U.S. citizenship if they lost or relinquished it under Senator Moreno's bill.
The Exclusive Citizenship Act Would Add The U.S. To The List Of Countries Where Dual Citizenship And Multiple Passports Are Prohibited
The Exclusive Citizenship Act is only a proposal right now; Congress would need to pass it first, not to mention there would probably be waves of legal challenges to overcome before it ever becomes a reality. Even so, if it did manage to slide through lawmakers, the U.S. would join a long list of around 51 or so countries where dual citizenship and multiple passports aren't recognized.
Countries That Don't Recognize Dual Citizenship In 2026 (Listed Alphabetically)
Rank
Country
1 Andorra
2 Azerbaijan
3 Bahamas
4 Bahrain
5 Belarus
6 Botswana
7 Bhutan
8 China
9 Cuba
10 Congo
11 Djibouti
12 Ethiopia
13 Haiti
14 India
15 Indonesia
16 Iran
17 Japan
18 Kazakhstan
19 Kuwait
20 Kyrgyzstan
21 Laos
22 Macau
23 Malaysia
24 Marshall Islands
25 Micronesia
26 Monaco
27 Mongolia
28 Mozambique
29 Myanmar
30 Nepal
31 North Korea
32 Oman
33 Papua New Guinea
34 Qatar
35 San Marino
36 Saudi Arabia
37 Singapore
38 Slovakia
39 Solomon Islands
40 Swaziland
41 Tajikistan
42 Thailand
43 Tonga
44 Turkmenistan
45 Ukraine
46 Uzbekistan
47 United Arab Emirates
48 Venezuela
49 Vietnam
50 Yemen
51 Zimbabwe
Some of these countries do have indirect workarounds; for instance, India's OCI status and China's use of long-term permits allow limited benefits without needing to accept a second passport.
Furthermore, while the U.S. considers removing dual nationality and multiple passport-holding rights, other countries on the above list are debating reforms to their laws. Two of those are Ukraine and Ecuador, which are reviewing restrictions for 2025–2026.
Enforcement of dual citizenship bans in a number of these countries is often uneven. Many authorities don't actively search for people with more than one nationality. However, if the U.S. joins them under Senator Moreno's new bill proposal, federal agencies would apparently track compliance and alter/remove citizenship from anyone who doesn't choose by the deadline.
Naturally, Americans' reactions to the possibility of passports and citizenship revocations have, so far, been very mixed.
How Some Americans Have Responded To The Potential Ban On Dual Citizenship And Passports
Many Americans have reacted since it was revealed that Senator Moreno's Exclusive Citizenship Act could strip away the right to hold dual citizenship and passports. Responses have been fairly divided, however.
Over on Facebook, some people both supported and condemned the bill. A number of those who like the idea of relinquishing their U.S. passport and citizenship cited freedom from taxation (all American citizens must complete tax returns and pay any owed taxes to the IRS, regardless of whether they live and work in the U.S.).
Although some did agree with the proposal, plenty of Americans (and non-Americans) chimed in with opposition. Some people accused politicians of hypocrisy. "Congress is rife with conflicts of interest. What a crock this bill is," one person wrote on Facebook. Some TheTravel users similarly agreed with the hypocritical standpoint and challenged Senator Moreno's claims about loyalty to the U.S.
Meanwhile, others speculated that U.S. international politics has played a role in the bill: "They want to do this cause they are making enemies of our allies and neighboring countries," someone wrote on Facebook. Others said they believe the act could hurt the integrity of global diplomacy in the U.S.
Granted, America's potential dual citizenship and passport ban rule may only be in the proposal stage for the time being, but its emergence is already a conversation-starter that's drawing both positive and negative reactions.
As more people than ever before hold multiple passports in their pockets, notably in a nation as diverse and multicultural as the U.S., would Senator Moreno's Exclusive Citizenship Act garner more loyalty to the USA? Or would it deter people and force a slew of American passport renunciations? U.S. citizens will undeniably find out the answer should they cross that bridge.
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