Dual Passports AUS/UK

[MEL_Traveller]

Be careful here as a lot of times this can confuse checkin people. In the above scenario I would only show the checkin person your Australian Passport which proves you have the right to enter Australia. I don't believe checkin need to see when you entered the UK so unless they do I would keep the UK passport tucked safely away then take it out when you go through immigration to depart the UK.

The last thing you want happening is the checkin person swiping your UK passport because then they'll want to see your Australian Visa in it which you won't have & you don't want the Australian authorities thinking you're trying to enter the country without a visa.

As always apply the KISS principle - keep it simple stupid, with all due respect that is.

I think that is why the article was saying this is going to cause problems for dual passport holders - exactly because of the scenario you were saying. The UK passport will have no visa - but if you don't use that passport then technically you haven't entered the UK legally...

They need to swipe the UK passport for the advance passenger information. If I have got it right that is exactly the scenario robmn was outlining in the case of his wife, and exactly the reason why the article was saying that it is an issue for dual passport holders for the UK.

I frequently show two passports at many different airports around the world. Always presenting the initial passport I entered the country with, and telling the check-in agent that the passport with the appropriate visa is the other one I am now giving them. No problems so far.

 

[Reggie]

This is what I was hoping. I'm about to travel in and out of the EU several times in the next few weeks, and I'm a dual Aus/UK citizen but partner is Australian only. That we won't have to split up will be handy.

Don't get too excited. SWMBO and junior have UK passports, I an Australian. When entering through MAN the other day, we went through the UK/EU line as a group, and at the front of the queue was sent to the other's line as a group.

When taking the Chunnel from Brussels back to UK, I had to go through others whilst my family went through EU line and then had to wait for me.

 

[FiFi81]

There might be issues entering the UK without a UK passport so they would need to apply for a visa I would guess?

I'm pretty sure that as an Australian citizen (born in australia) you are apart of the commonwealth so therfore any Aussie by birth does not need a visa to enter uk.

so as dual citizens and being an Aussie that is part of the commonwealth, you just need you passports. If you are born in Oz you need an Oz passport to enter and exit uk and you can choose to use to enter uk on your aussie or uk passport. Remembering that if you check into uk with aussie passport to need to check out using the same (If you were to enter uk with uk passport you would have to leave with uk passport).

So if you are thinking about your kids getting a uk passport, i ask why? is it worth the expense? You have most rights as a UK citizen as an Aussie because we are part of the commonwealth - if for health reasons, emergency etc Australia would look after you in the uk and the uk would help as you are a commonwealth citezen plus you would hopefully have health cover anyway.

So there is no advantage of having one unless you plan to live in the uk or travel to europe extensively, therefore uk(eu) passport would come in handy but most western europe countries you can enter on a aussie passport, you just need a visa that's all. And for some eu countries uk citizen need a visa too.

So you have to way up the costs of getting the uk visa plus you have to send birth certificates off etc overseas plus pay over $251 each for children and $337 for adults (includes $50 handling and processing fee that Australia post charges as you go through them only now). For what to get a stamp in the book and present it, just the same as if you did using your Aussie one??? If you have two kids that is $500

The laws will change but won't effect the people born before the law changes. Ie if you were born and the law states that you can be a uk passport holder due to decent and 30 years later they change this law and now only married people to uk citezen get dual, it will aplly to the people ffrom that date, not 30 years earlier. Otherwise all people passports would not be valid then and have them revoked. Too much paper work and checking. Someone a year earlier might have got a 10 year uk passport - they aren't going to go sorry you cant' have it now or sorry you can't reply for a new one.

 

[FiFi81]

I have dual UK/Oz citizenship - born in UK and travelled the first ~18 years of my life on a UK passport. I have not held a valid UK passport since then (many years ago now) and have travelled solely on a Oz one, and have entered the UK since without problem on a number of occasions.

see my response earlier, this is what I am referring too - tuapekastar has never had to have a visa because he has an aussie passport

 

[TonyHancock]

So there is no advantage of having one unless you plan to live in the uk or travel to europe extensively.......

It's convenience for me. I can enter the UK through the EU immigration lanes so it can save me as much as half an hour of queuing. Doesn't sound a lot but it then ensures I don't have to wait for a shower in the AA lounge because I'm there early, and then I have a chance to avoid peak hour traffic.

I guess for those thinking about getting a UK passport for their children it will give them the opportunity to work and live in the UK without the need for work visas etc.

 

[nickykim]

And live and work in the EU without the need for work visas etc

It was way easier for my daughters gap year stint as an au pair in Germany for her to be on an EU passport.

 

[FiFi81]

I have a trikky question that I can't find the answer to.

My father was born in the uk and became an oz citizen in 1985. He never signed or did anything regarding his british citizenship (ie revoking it), so i am assuming in 1985 he became a dual citizen. Or did he automatically loose his british citizenship rights in 1985? If it was the case today, it would be no, but not sure back then because i wonder if this plays a role in if i can get a uk passport. I was born in 1981, so yes i can but not sure if him getting in aussie citizenship changed my rights. He became an aussie by attending a cermony.

thanks\
fi

 

[FiFi81]

It's convenience for me. I can enter the UK through the EU immigration lanes so it can save me as much as half an hour of queuing. Doesn't sound a lot but it then ensures I don't have to wait for a shower in the AA lounge because I'm there early, and then I have a chance to avoid peak hour traffic.

this is very true if you're a frequent visitor

I guess for those thinking about getting a UK passport for their children it will give them the opportunity to work and live in the UK without the need for work visas etc.

Yes but they can get it then when they can actually work - right now they are children and the passport is only valid for 5 years... so $500 now as kids seems a waste of money. in 15 years time they can apply, the laws won't change for them, just people who are born after the proposed laws date (if they ever do change). They won't change for people born today and in the past because otherwise if it did effect people born 2013 and earlier, every single person who has a dual would have their passport revoked. If the law changed it would be from then onwards. Imagine how many people that would effect!!!

But if it is a concern, then get it, but considerring how many Aussies live in the UK on passports due to parents being born in the UK, they just wouldn't change it - so they would be right in 15 yrs time to get it then

You would save (for two kids) $1500 min but a lot more as prices will go up in 15 years to keep renewing them

 

[TonyHancock]

Yes but they can get it then when they can actually work - right now they are children and the passport is only valid for 5 years... so $500 now as kids seems a waste of money. in 15 years time they can apply, the laws won't change for them, just people who are born after the proposed laws date (if they ever do change). They won't change for people born today and in the past because otherwise if it did effect people born 2013 and earlier, every single person who has a dual would have their passport revoked. If the law changed it would be from then onwards. Imagine how many people that would effect!!!

But if it is a concern, then get it, but considerring how many Aussies live in the UK on passports due to parents being born in the UK, they just wouldn't change it - so they would be right in 15 yrs time to get it then

You would save (for two kids) $1500 min but a lot more as prices will go up in 15 years to keep renewing them

My assumption was that the parents would fund such an exercise close to the time the passport was needed rather than "at birth". Mind you by the time the offspring want to make their "journey of discovery" through Europe they should be paying for it themselves!!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I was born in Australia but travelled on a UK passport from 1987-1997 during which time I had an Australian re-entry permit visa to get back into the country as I did not have a valid Australian Passport at the time.

It was sometime after that when the federal Government stipulated that Australian Citizens must depart and arrive Australia on their Australian Passport.

I read somewhere that a person was able to import a BMW to Australia as he'd been 'living overseas for 12 months' & wanted to bring it back home. What he actually did was (for example) depart Australia 01 Jan on his Aussie passport return 15 Jan on his British one, then about 12 months later do the reverse & depart Australia on the British Passport then a couple of weeks later return on the Aussie one.

The stamps in the passport 'proved' that he'd been living in Europe for 12 months so wall eligible to import his BMW to Australia thus avoiding any duty or sales tax.

 

[FiFi81]

My assumption was that the parents would fund such an exercise close to the time the passport was needed rather than "at birth". Mind you by the time the offspring want to make their "journey of discovery" through Europe they should be paying for it themselves!!

The original poster spoke about her kids so lets say their kids are 8 & 12 yo - 2 children passports that last 5 years up until they are 18. That expence isn't worth it as once they are 18 they have to apply for an adult passport anyway, even if on a child they have 2 years left, they have to renew... They need to re- do it for photos etc. i think for the purpose of them traveling as adults, get an adult passport when they turn 18 and can actually work or support themselves over there. Unless they are frequent flyers with mum and dad visiting over there all the time and into europe, it's pointless to spend the money for a holiday.

Example the 8 yo has to have applied for uk passport twice before age 18 and then the adult to travel so total according to todays prices $637
- 12 yo is the same - twice because the first expires when they are 17 so still needs to apply for child which only gets used for a year and then apply for adult $637

$1274 cost for some stamps in a book on a holiday - like i said worth it if they travel a lot, but not for one or two uses in that time.

It would cost a lot more than this as it doesnt take into account price rises and I don't know the exact age of her kids and they could be younger. Remembering this is just UK passports, everytime they renew their Uk they need to do the same with oz passport and they have to do aussie if they want to travel. Cost to keep the up keep until they are age 18 for passports over $3000 at least... Pros & Cons?

 

[callum_eliot]

reading through this thread i understand about entering Aus on an Aus passport and same for the UK, and i understand giving the airline the APIS info for the passport that you are using in the country of arrival, however has anyone come into problems with a return ticket for a stay of over 6 months?

my situation being, i have Aus/UK passports and have just booked a one way ticket from MEL-LHR for the end of the year with the aim of working over there for a while, however there is the possibility that i will have to complete another semester at uni next year which will mean i will book a ticket LHR-MEL-LHR departing sometime in feb and returning 7-8 months later in time for a trip with friends and then continuing to work on afterwards, so with the details of my trip my question is, what passport number should i give for the LHR-MEL-LHR trip given that it involves entering both countries on a different passport and that i cant simply put down my Aus passport as when i return to the UK the APIS info would need to show my UK passport No. to be let onto a flight to the UK?

i know it ages away but my paranoia at not being let onto a flight is getting the better of me! Any advice you could give would be much appreciated!

 

[Coverpoint]

I may have not understood all the nuances of your question but to me the matter seems clear. You could use your Australian passport throughout your trips. Alternatively, you could enter and exit the UK on your UK passport and then enter and leave Australia on your Aus passport. I don't think it matters how long you are away- though obviously easier if you use your UK passport to enter if you plan an extended stay.

 

[clifford]

I may have not understood all the nuances of your question but to me the matter seems clear. You could use your Australian passport throughout your trips. Alternatively, you could enter and exit the UK on your UK passport and then enter and leave Australia on your Aus passport. I don't think it matters how long you are away- though obviously easier if you use your UK passport to enter if you plan an extended stay.

Very interesting, but it is illegal to enter the UK on a different country's passport if you are a citizen of the UK (as I am).

Never get caught, eh?

 

[callum_eliot]

im planning to live and work indefinitely so i need to enter on my UK passport, the main thing being that i need to enter Aus on my Aus passport but i also need to return to the UK on my UK passport so which passport do i enter in the APIS information as i will be using two passports for the trip and from what ive read on here there can be problems entering the UK/AUS on one passport if its not entered in the APIS information for the flight so as i can only enter one passport in the APIS information for the return flight, but will be using two passports does that present any problems?

 

[simongr]

I have exited Oz to the UK on my Oz passport with appropriate information re the Oz passport entered. At check in they asked if I was elligible to enter the UK and I flashed my UK passport with no concerns.

The only people who really care about whether you can enter a country are the airlines as they are fined and responsible for taking you home if you are not elligible to enter the country. Obviously at the entry points immigration can turn you away but they don't really care either way.

 

[callum_eliot]

excellent thanks for the info, ill assume as long as i have both passports with me ill be alright.

 

[Coverpoint]

OK. I have no legal qualification. I can only tell you what I do with my dual passports and what I have done for several years. When I leave Australia, I use my Australian passport and I fill in my APIS form, which is taken at the airport, using my Australian passport details. When I enter the UK, I show my UK passport at Customs LHR but I don't have to hand in an APIS. Neither does my wife who uses an Australian passport with Riight of Abode. As far as I know, an APIS is only needed if a non EU passport is being used. When I return home, I use my Australian passport and I fill in the APIS to show that I am an Australian Resident returning to Australia. As far as I know, this is perfectly legal if you hold dual passports.

 

[callum_eliot]

thanks coverpoint that sets my mind at ease! wouldn't have thought there would be any major problems as it must be something that comes up fairly often but it will be the first time travelling with both passports so wanted to make sure!

 

[Sequel]

Does anyone have any recent experience entering the UK on a British passport with family in tow who only have AU passports? Do we all get to use the EU line, all have to use the "Other" line or split up?

Thanks.