Dual British and Australian passports

[TonyHancock]

My UK passport expires in January 2014, but I'm toying with applying for a new one now. (I have a a couple of 8 week gaps coming up between international travel.)

Having followed the link to Australia post and then on to the UK High Commission I noticed that things have changed a bit. It looks like an application from Australia is processed in Wellington and the passport issued from the UK. Gone are the days of the passport being issued and printed in Australia.

I've looked at this recently and yes if you do it here in Australia you must 'prove' you are eligible again, despite having had a valid passport for ten years...

The following quote is from The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website: (The bolding is mine)

If you are renewing a passport you will need to send in your old passport.

Supporting documentation is not required for renewal of valid or recently expired passports. The exception is where you have naturalised or registered as a British Citizen; in this case we require a copy of your certificate of naturalisation or registration.

If your passport expired over 10 years ago your application will be treated as a first time application, otherwise it will be classed as "recently" expired and dealt with as a renewal.

So for those of us who were born in the UK the process looks relatively simple.

 

[boylero]

My UK passport expires in January 2014, but I'm toying with applying for a new one now. (I have a a couple of 8 week gaps coming up between international travel.)

Having followed the link to Australia post and then on to the UK High Commission I noticed that things have changed a bit. It looks like an application from Australia is processed in Wellington and the passport issued from the UK. Gone are the days of the passport being issued and printed in Australia.



The following quote is from The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website: (The bolding is mine)



So for those of us who were born in the UK the process looks relatively simple.

I was never naturalised so it applies to me also

 

[aplmac]

When I arrived at LHR the other day I was asked if I had a 'new' (within 5 years I believe) British passport; if I did I could have used the self-check-in system similar to the one at SYD. I didn't, so I was #3 in the UK passport queue instead.

 

[greenfrog86]

When I arrived at LHR the other day I was asked if I had a 'new' (within 5 years I believe) British passport; if I did I could have used the self-check-in system similar to the one at SYD. I didn't, so I was #3 in the UK passport queue instead.

Unfortunately I'm in this situation too for both my Aussie and UK passports - I got mine just before they started with the chips and I REALLY want to be able to use the automated gates *sigh*

 

[Rono]

Folks,

I don't have dual passports but post the following comment from one of my colleagues who holds dual Sth African and Oz passports and he used to travel an obscene amount. He made the comment that if he used his Sth African passport and say a natural disaster or civil war broke out in Sth Africa, then technically the Australian Govt was not really obliged to help extract him....thought this might be of interest

 

[greenfrog86]

Folks,

I don't have dual passports but post the following comment from one of my colleagues who holds dual Sth African and Oz passports and he used to travel an obscene amount. He made the comment that if he used his Sth African passport and say a natural disaster or civil war broke out in Sth Africa, then technically the Australian Govt was not really obliged to help extract him....thought this might be of interest

yep, that's usually true.

Thus using my UK passport in Europe means I get any benefits in that region that are extended to citizens so I'm not particularly concerned...

 

[opusman]

He made the comment that if he used his Sth African passport and say a natural disaster or civil war broke out in Sth Africa, then technically the Australian Govt was not really obliged to help extract him....thought this might be of interest

I'm no expert but I'd say that would apply no matter what passport he used to enter/leave the country. He's still a Sth African citizen even if travelling on his Aus passport.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My UK passport expires in January 2014, but I'm toying with applying for a new one now. (I have a a couple of 8 week gaps coming up between international travel.)

Having followed the link to Australia post and then on to the UK High Commission I noticed that things have changed a bit. It looks like an application from Australia is processed in Wellington and the passport issued from the UK. Gone are the days of the passport being issued and printed in Australia.



The following quote is from The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website: (The bolding is mine)



So for those of us who were born in the UK the process looks relatively simple.

Edited - I had written that I couldn't see the requirement to submit a naturalisation certificate for renewals via Wellington - but it is there buried in the notes for passport renewal.

 

[JMH237]

I always use Australian PP to leave the country. I use the EU PP to enter the UK and to enter/travel to any other country on my itinerary and then, when leaving show both to the officials, if travelling straight back to Australia. It's always worked well for me!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I always use Australian PP to leave the country. I use the EU PP to enter the UK and to enter/travel to any other country on my itinerary and then, when leaving show both to the officials, if travelling straight back to Australia. It's always worked well for me!

When leaving the UK I would keep it simple & just show my Aussie passport to the airline checkin agent as all they want to see is the passport you will present to customs on arrival in Oz.

What passport you leave the UK on is between yourself & UK customs & immigration so I would only show the EU passport to them.

Some countries might get a bit suss if you start flashing two documents around & think you're up to no good.

 

[beardoc]

The challenging thing for me is often which passport in a round the world tour I should record in the itinerary. I assume the airlines pass these details on to governments - if that's the case and I have my Australian passport in my booking, and the UK doesn't actually record my UK passport directly when I enter the EU (they just look at it and hand it back), how have they recorded that a citizen of theirs has returned to the EU?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The challenging thing for me is often which passport in a round the world tour I should record in the itinerary. I assume the airlines pass these details on to governments - if that's the case and I have my Australian passport in my booking, and the UK doesn't actually record my UK passport directly when I enter the EU (they just look at it and hand it back), how have they recorded that a citizen of theirs has returned to the EU?

airlines pass on passport information to specific agencies to check against a no fly list for example. I'm not sure how much more it is used for. I use my AU passport to leave Australia (and i presume those are the details handed over), but then I use my British passport to enter the USA. Never had a problem or been questioned about it. When I leave the UK for the USA then it's travel on the UK passport the whole way. No a problem with that either (same person arriving on two different passports).

As for recording if a citizen has arrived back in the country... perhaps the UK (like most of europe) doesn't really care. If you think about it, why do they really need to know? If you want to avail yourself of any services like voting, or NHS or anything else then you have to prove that at the time you want to use those services. Recording entry to the country is not really all that important. I'm not entirely sure why Australian needs to keep a record of it??

UK didn't have exit controls for a long time either. Again - why do they care who leaves? (And why should Australia??)

 

[simongr]

airlines pass on passport information to specific agencies to check against a no fly list for example. I'm not sure how much more it is used for. I use my AU passport to leave Australia (and i presume those are the details handed over), but then I use my British passport to enter the USA. Never had a problem or been questioned about it. When I leave the UK for the USA then it's travel on the UK passport the whole way. No a problem with that either (same person arriving on two different passports).

I personally would put my UK passport in the itinerary - that way the passport matches the ESTA visa and makes things easier - I would just show my UK passport at checkin.

As for recording if a citizen has arrived back in the country... perhaps the UK (like most of europe) doesn't really care. If you think about it, why do they really need to know? If you want to avail yourself of any services like voting, or NHS or anything else then you have to prove that at the time you want to use those services. Recording entry to the country is not really all that important. I'm not entirely sure why Australian needs to keep a record of it??

UK didn't have exit controls for a long time either. Again - why do they care who leaves? (And why should Australia??)

I guess if they record who has left then they know hasnt left that should have...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I guess if they record who has left then they know hasnt left that should have...

agree - but in terms of AU citizens why should they care? (same as for EU citizens entering the EU - they don't record or care. But foreigners are subject to EU passport controls)

 

[elbarto]

Slightly OT, does anyone know a way one can get British citizenship through their grandparent? I already hold an ancestry visa.

 

[opusman]

Live in the UK for 5 years - see UK Border Agency | How to apply for settlement from inside the UK