If a person enters his city after a travel, then he prays the complete prayer without joining or shortening it.

This is based on the practice of the Salaf and the understanding that a traveler is one who leaves the city limits. So once someone returns to his city and enters it, he is a resident and no longer a traveller.

Proof:

Ali bin Rab’eeah al-Asadi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “We went out with Ali (may Allah have mercy upon him) on a travel towards here, and he pointed his hand towards Shaam, and we prayed two rakats by two rakats until we returned and we saw Kufah. The prayer time came in and they said: ‘Leader of the Believers. This is Kufah, we will complete our prayer’. He (Ali) said: ‘No, until we enter it’” [Reported by Bayhaqi in his Sunan al-Kubrah (3/146) and Abdurrazzaq in his Mussannaf (no. 4321). Graded Saheeh by Hafidh Ibn Hajar in Taghleeq wat-Ta’leeq (2/421)]

Something similar was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and graded authentic by Shaikh Yahya al-Hajuri in Diyaa as-Salikeen (pg. 80)]

Hafidh Ibn Abdul Barr (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “This is the mathhab of the majority of the Scholars except the one took a strange view”. End translation. [al-Istithkaar (6/77)]

And this is also the view of Shaikh Bin Baz and Ibn ul-Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy upon them).

The understanding of these narrations from the Salaf is that once a traveler enters his city, he completes his prayer. If he is outside the city limit, then he shortens and combines them.

And Allah Knows Best

Faisal bin Abdul Qaadir bin Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan