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Original poster

Anyone have any idea on passport rules for dual citizens?

22 replies

TALLULAHBELLE · 09/03/2016 04:23

I am from Scotland but I am currently living in Oz. I have dual-citizenship and had previously had current UK & Australian passports so the last time I was home I left & returned Australia on Australian passport & entered UK on British one. All good.

Now my passports have expired & I want to make a trip home. Australian rules state that if you are a citizen you must enter as such therefore I know I must use my Australian passport to be allowed to return. I can't find any such rule on the UK passport website so am thinking that I could just renew the Australian passport & use that. Is there anyone here in similar circumstances that has done so i.e. entered the UK on another country's passport despite still being a UK citizen.

I did try to clarify with the UK passport office but got a very unhelpful person who told me rudely that she could not advise me on using another country's passport and couldn't tell me if a UK citizen was obliged to use their UK passport as that was advising about another country.

OP posts:
SquadGoals · 09/03/2016 04:31

From what I can remember from the same issue with a friend, there is no law stating that you must enter the UK on a UK passport.

It comes down more to technicalities - ie if you have to go to hospital or you end up having to stay for longer for some reason. My friend was told that she may have to demonstrate proof of her British citizenship at immigration but this didn't happen for her in the end.

After this, she kept both her passports up to date!

GrinAndTonic · 09/03/2016 04:55

I have both Australian and UK passports. As long as you leave and enter the one country on one passport it doesn't matter which one you use. I have entered and left the UK on my Oz one just because the UK line was too long.

Out2pasture · 09/03/2016 04:58

when my daughter's Canadian passport expired (and ran out of pages) she had to return to Canada (lawyers recommended she stay for a minimum of 3 weeks) and return to the UK as a visitor (she is in the process of getting ilr).
I am dual Canadian US and the only thing I was told was to NOT travel with both passports, my Canadian passport has my dual info imbedded into it anyway (in some fabulous fashion that isn't visible to the naked eye).

DropYourSword · 09/03/2016 05:04

Ah, I thought if you left Australia on your Australian passport you needed to use the same passport at your final destination end too. I have both as well but entered UK on Australian one because I left Australia on it.
Don't actually think it matters that much for short trips, but if you were planning on going back to UK longer term I'd fly out of Australia on the UK one to enter UK on it, as I was advised by passport control. Otherwise there's visa issues etc. Admittedly I could have been advised incorrectly though!

MaitlandGirl · 09/03/2016 05:13

I'm pretty certain you can still stay in the UK for up to 6 months on an Australian passport without needing a visa so you can enter on your AU passport.

GrinAndTonic · 09/03/2016 05:24

When I moved to the UK I left Australia on my Australian passport and entered the UK on my UK one. When I would return to Oz I would leave the UK one my UK one and enter Australia on my Australian one. It is also a way for a country to keep track of who is going in and out too hence using the same one for one country.

Mondrian · 09/03/2016 05:33

You should be fine but for future get a "right of abode" stamp in your Australian passport from UK embassy, this enables you to enter UK as a British citizen on a foreign passport. More info here

www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-of-abode-roa/right-of-abode-roa

Original poster
TALLULAHBELLE · 09/03/2016 12:20

Thank you all for your replies. I will look into the right of abode thing, thanks Mondrian.

OP posts:
lifeisunjust · 09/03/2016 17:54

How would Border Force in the UK know you have left Australia using an Oz passport and know what your final destination is? They'll know I suppose if you tell them.

There is no rule for entering UK but if you enter on your Oz passport you are treated as and Australian and require leave to enter normally! So you instead present your British citizen passport, even if expired and explaining you're back for a renewal ( to avoid confiscation).

lifeisunjust · 09/03/2016 17:55

Right of abode is NOT for British citizens, it's not the same thing. It is for those entitled to right of abode.

lifeisunjust · 09/03/2016 17:58

But if you happen to be one of those people for whom you are ROA and also British citizen (some are some aren't), I think current cost is £222 so you might not want to do that due to cost.

lifeisunjust · 09/03/2016 17:59

PS there is No British embassy in Australia or any other Commonwealth country.

Mondrian · 09/03/2016 18:06

DW has dual nationality (she was born in UK). When she got her 2nd nationality (passport) British embassy stamped "right of abode" in her foreign passport which I am looking at right now! This is what it says;

"Certificate of entitlement to the right of Abode"

Valid for presentation at a United Kingdom port within the validity of this passport

lifeisunjust · 09/03/2016 19:29

You now have to pay for that stamp though, very lucky for those who got it for free. At the moment, the ROAs in passports which are 20 and 30 years old are still accepted but there will come a time when Border Force HQ will decided that they must be updated every 10 years with the passport due to the misuse of these vignettes and lack of security.

GrinAndTonic · 10/03/2016 05:53

There are High Commissions and Consulates though. The HC is in Canberra and there are Consulates in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Farandole · 10/03/2016 14:11

I have Canadian and British citizenship. I have entered the UK on my Canadian passport, no problem. Longer queues though :)

Mondrian · 10/03/2016 14:28

If you have a ROA stamp or accompanied by a family member who holds a British passport you can go through the "UK citizen" line at their discretion.

Natsku · 10/03/2016 17:34

I lost my UK passport years ago so always enter on my Finnish passport instead. No issues.

Scotinoz · 13/03/2016 09:25

We're dual UK/AU citizens, but have been really slack at getting our children's UK passports. They have to have their AU ones so just enter the UK on those. Husband forgot to bring his UK one last trip home. They all just got a 6 month "no work, no benefits, no nothing" stamp. It's no problem 😀

tomatoIzzy · 19/03/2016 03:15

My son recently went to UK and back on his Brazilian passport and expired UK one. No problem. Some countries you need to have a valid passport but the uk isn't one of them. Haven't RTT so not sure if this has already been mentioned. But just thought I'd let you know.

tomatoIzzy · 19/03/2016 03:18

But you shouldn't enter UK on a foreign passport if you are also a uk citizen because that is illegal misrepresentation I was told. My son just showed his expired passport, we thought they would stamp the Brazilian one but someone on another thread said they can't do that.

JLPTN1 · 01/09/2016 14:44

For someone whose second nationality is not Australia but a country where they are not allowed dual nationality, they would pay even 1000 pounds to keep it. For Australians or Canadians, who are dual with the UK it makes no sense as you may as just show both passports at the boarder and simply show everything. It is designed for those who would lose their other citizenship if they were caught being British, and thus need their right of abode sticker.

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