Australian Dual Citizens Entering UK after February

[kelvedon]

Irish citizens do not need a passport to travel to the UK, a valid photo ID or driving licence is sufficient.
Following independence, a Common Travel Area was established to facilitate easier movement for the (former) citizens of the UK. It’s reciprocated and UK citizens do not need a passport to travel to Ireland.

 

[Tuppy]

I just applied and got approved for my UK ETA even though i stated i was dual citizen....

I too applied and was approved for my UK ETA after stating I am a dual Cutizen

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Apparently still possible to apply for an ETA in your other passport until February 25, and you’ll potentially be able to travel on that.

If you stated you are a British citizen already, I’m not sure of the status of your ETA after 25 Feb. It might be cancelled?

 

[Pug1]

I too applied and was approved for my UK ETA after stating I am a dual Cutizen

are you a UK or Irish dual citizen

 

[Pug1]

It seems to me that if you as an Australian dual citizen, arrive in the UK after 25th February you will need to do so on your UK or Irish passport. If you can't produce that passport on departure you will most likely not be allowed to board your flight. This is the UK Government link I used.
"Electronic travel authorisation (ETA): guide for dual citizens".
The confusion my friends and family have is they are thinking that because they have not renewed their UK passports for many years or decades, they can use an ETA after 25 February. They can't and will have to renew the UK passport to travel.

 

[aplmac]

I think the bottom line is "renew or renounce"...

 

[aplmac]

The bigger issue as I see it is for those who have “automatically” inherited British citizenship through their parents etc, and are thus dual citizens not by personal choice. So to comply in a legal sense they’d have to either get a UK passport or renounce their acquired citizenship , both of which require time, effort and money.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It seems to me that if you as an Australian dual citizen, arrive in the UK after 25th February you will need to do so on your UK or Irish passport. If you can't produce that passport on departure you will most likely not be allowed to board your flight. This is the UK Government link I used.
"Electronic travel authorisation (ETA): guide for dual citizens".
The confusion my friends and family have is they are thinking that because they have not renewed their UK passports for many years or decades, they can use an ETA after 25 February. They can't and will have to renew the UK passport to travel.

You can produce both passports on departure in Australia… your UK one to satisfy entry to the UK, and your Aussie one to give you clearance to depart Australia. Border Force have been linking passports for years now. In some cases, showing your foreign passport at check-in now means you use that passport in the e-gates (see it happen every time I’m leaving).

What’s not clear is if the UK govt has some way to track if you are a dual citizen.

 

[FlyingFiona]

In some cases, showing your foreign passport at check-in now means you use that passport in the e-gates (see it happen every time I’m leaving).

Glad you mentioned this. Last time I flew O/S I was asked at check-in to produce my foreign passport to prove I had a right to enter my destination, and was then told that I needed to use that to exit Australia. Previously I had been told by border officials that I had to enter and exit Australia on my Australian passport only. Now, the check-in staff member was new and stuffed other things up for me, so I wasn't overly confident of her action, but cleared departure on my Irish passport and re-entry (on my Australian passport) without issue. I have remained doubtful of her information though.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Glad you mentioned this. Last time I flew O/S I was asked at check-in to produce my foreign passport to prove I had a right to enter my destination, and was then told that I needed to use that to exit Australia. Previously I had been told by border officials that I had to enter and exit Australia on my Australian passport only. Now, the check-in staff member was new and stuffed other things up for me, so I wasn't overly confident of her action, but cleared departure on my Irish passport and re-entry (on my Australian passport) without issue. I have remained doubtful of her information though.

Every time I fly international from Australia I see someone ‘rejected’ at the e-gates. The officer now just calls out ‘do you have another passport?’. Invariably the passenger does. They're told to use that one and they're on their way!

I think that’s what was behind the passport linking… even though it might have taken us a few years to get there. Because initially when they started doing the linking you still had to use your aussie passport at the e-gates.

 

[aplmac]

As a dual AusBrit, it was good having both passports as you got to beat the queues at both ends, plus you didn't need anything extra to go into Europe pre-Brexit. Nowadays the e-gate queue in the UK is often the longest (as they continue to include the EU people too, although that's not reciprocated in the EU), and regardless of passport I still have to get a e-Visa to get into Europe, and I have no intention of taking up permanent residency in the UK - so the shine is gone, sadly. I noted from the news article it costs around A$1000 to renounce UK citizenship, so it's still cheaper to renew the UK passport for the duration of my UK traveling lifetime!!

As a side-note, got a SmartTraveller email just now:

[td]

United Kingdom ​

Australian-British or Australian-Irish dual citizens must enter the UK on their British or Irish passports, or through a certificate of entitlement in another valid passport. These dual citizens are unable to obtain an ETA or visa to enter the UK. Dual citizens may not be able to board a flight to the UK without a valid document (see ‘Travel’). The UK government has advised these requirements will be strictly enforced from 25 February.[/td]

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The bigger issue as I see it is for those who have “automatically” inherited British citizenship through their parents etc, and are thus dual citizens not by personal choice. So to comply in a legal sense they’d have to either get a UK passport or renounce their acquired citizenship , both of which require time, effort and money.

Yeah, but the more I think about it… if you have never claimed that citizenship, it wouldn’t be for the UK to impose it on you. After all, they have to prove who your mother and father were… and you could always say you thought it was the milkman!

That is possibly different in other countries… where they could impose things like military service, and might have a vested interest in you showing you are *not* one of their citizens, even by default.

But the UK isnt one of those!

 

[aplmac]

Yeah, but the more I think about it… if you have never claimed that citizenship, it wouldn’t be for the UK to impose it on you. After all, they have to prove who your mother and father were… and you could always say you thought it was the milkman!

That is possibly different in other countries… where they could impose things like military service, and might have a vested interest in you showing you are *not* one of their citizens, even by default.

But the UK isnt one of those!

Regrettably in this case the British Nationality Act 1981 begs to differ: if you meet the legislated criteria it's automatically conferred until officially renounced. [British Nationality Act 1981]. Regardless if you've chosen to embrace it or not.
Although how they would actually be aware of, or enforce, it in real life I have no idea...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Regrettably in this case the British Nationality Act 1981 begs to differ: if you meet the legislated criteria it's automatically conferred until officially renounced. [British Nationality Act 1981]. Regardless if you've chosen to embrace it or not.
Although how they would actually be aware of, or enforce, it in real life I have no idea...

That’s the key point. If you’ve never laid claim to UK citizenship the UK can hardly ‘prove it’ or practically force it upon you. They’d need to have obtained birth certificates, and DNA tests to prove you’re actually the child of the parents listed on the birth certificate.

At the moment where they have no reason to do so.

If you’ve previously held a passport of other UK document, different story!

 

[VPS]

That’s the key point. If you’ve never laid claim to UK citizenship the UK can hardly ‘prove it’ or practically force it upon you. They’d need to have obtained birth certificates, and DNA tests to prove you’re actually the child of the parents listed on the birth certificate.

At the moment where they have no reason to do so.

If you’ve previously held a passport of other UK document, different story!

but isn't that what a heap of politicians in trouble a few years ago because they were considered dual citizens because they hadn't actually renounced their second one

 

[MEL_Traveller]

but isn't that what a heap of politicians in trouble a few years ago because they were considered dual citizens because they hadn't actually renounced their second one

Exactly… but there was a reason to do that. No doubt politically motivated. Until they found out both sides were affected!

Regarding an individual citizen, there’s no pressing reason for the UK to assert its citizenship laws.

Where the automatic granting could come in handy would be if there was a political crackdown in some country… it would be a means of escape if you happened to be a british citizen (think Hong Kong for example). It’s the UK using the law as a shield, rather than a sword to go proactively after people.

 

[KimB]

I suppose you could use an expired passport, but who knows how long the processing would take.

But the ETA application I understand asks if you are a UK citizen citizen, you’d need to provide false information in order to proceed.

The ramifications are that the ETA could be cancelled in the Aussie passport, which I wonder if that could then present problems of its own later on… like any time any other country asks if a visa or entry has been denied?

I have just applied for a ETA and ticked the box to say l was a UK dual citizen and was successful! It is valid until 2028 so I'm assuming l can now travel to the UK in May without having to apply for a British passport ?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have just applied for a ETA and ticked the box to say l was a UK dual citizen and was successful! It is valid until 2028 so I'm assuming l can now travel to the UK in May without having to apply for a British passport ?

The UK government says ‘no’. But then they allow you to apply anyway!

unless your ETA is cancelled, you’ll at least be allowed to board your flight.

And sort any issues out when you get there. But perhaps there won’t be any? At least you can’t be refused entry!

It’s possible they haven’t updated their website yet to reflect this workaround for dual citizens without a UK passport.

Who knows.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Reading some of the many online forums and bulletin boards, others too have been granted an ETA even though they disclosed their UK citizenship.

Apparently ETAs issued will be valid until 25 February only, regardless of the stated expiry date.

That’s because the UK is currently allowing dual citizens to apply for an ETA in their other passport.

From 25 Feb, the official line is that you need the passport or certificate of entitlement.

I don’t know if ETA will be auto cancelled/invalidated from 25 Feb, and if so, whether that is auto linked to your Aussie passport.

I guess people will report back on 25 Feb… but that could be too late for anyone needing to apply for a UK passport.