Australian with a dual passport

[Melanie78]

Hello everyone,
I'm Australian and am about to embark on my first overseas adventure with my boyfriend. I have an Italian Passport as well as my Australian one and will only use my Aussie passport to leave and enter Australia... then I'll use my Italian one in Europe. My boyfriend on the other hand only has an Austrlian passport.

I have contacted all of the embasseys and know all of the info about visa's and so on for him and for me but my question is - will we be seperated at the airport? (I've never been overseas before)
Are there different custom regulations for EU Citizens and other people, I'm worried we might be seperated and then may find it hard to find one another again. (We're flying into Rome.)

If any travellers could respond that would be great!

[Christina]

Havent been to Rome, but in most European cities there are seperate custom lines for EU and nonEU citizens. But it's no big deal - you just go through the line (EU lines are usually much faster not because there are different rules per se just because they ask less questions/less red tape) and then wait on the other side for your boyfriend. On the other hand, it might be a good idea to make a place to meet (by the baggage claim is probably a good idea) just in case you're asked to move along.
Have fun.

[Melanie78]

Thanks for that Christina

[me]

Um, wouldn't you go through customs *after* you claim your bags?

[Christina]

It depends. I dont know the Rome airport - but in most airports Ive been in you go through customs BEFORE you get your baggage. Sadly I havent been to every airport in the world yet to test this out but I'd be willing !

[me]

Christina, you might be confusing immigration with customs. Immigration might be w/o bags, but they'd want to have the option to check your bags at customs.

At least that's the way it's been done whenever i've done it

- d