Australian Dual Citizens Entering UK after February

[skittle]

On that British Nationality Act website, for UK citizens living abroad there are repeated mentions about registering a minor. Therefore, if a UK citizen living in Australia does not register their child for dual citizenship, there is no need for that child (or subsequent adult) to tick the dual citizen box on the ETA application. Their Australian passport, after all, clearly shows their birth place being a city in Australia.

I think this could still be a problem. My son is 19, technically a dual citizen due to me but has never had a uk passport and was born here. He travelled to the UK last year with an ETA fine but without me.
If we travelled together it would be clear that he is a uk citizen because my passport shows my birth place too, and could be refused.

I also wonder if there could be other repercussions if he subsequently applies for a British passport or wants to move there with records of using an ETA. Especially after Feb where you would effectively have to lie on the application.
I struggle to understand the benefit that the UK is receiving by forcing British citizens not to use the ETA. Sell a few more passports? Harvesting info on British citizens overseas?

 

[Port Power]

The obtaining of new passports will probably blow out like it did when travel recommenced after COVID. There will be a plethora of applications, which will take far longer than usual to process. Which means more anxiety and complaints.

 

[Dalescott]

Going back in June, will need to renew the UK passport as they are expired. I hope the queue isn't too long.

 

[jastel]

My mother is a twin, born in UK during WW2.
Came to Australia as a baby with her mum a UK war bride.

She applied for Aussie passport in the 80's after living and paying taxes here for 40 odd years, NO you are a POM she was told. She got a UK passport.
Her twin sister applied around the same time but in a different Australian city.
They did not live in the same state....and here's your Aussie passport.
Same parents and situation but different results...

I wanted a UK passport when I was a teenager, NO cant have one, but you CAN get Right of Abode in the Aussie passport, so got that. (Allows UK/EU live and work)
Nobody at any airport had ever heard of it, kept getting refused in UK lines. Stood my ground get supervisor etc yes thats fine and allowed in..

By the next renewal rules have changed and I must get UK passport, and NOT allowed to travel on ROA anymore...so do that. Two passports things are good with EU entry etc easy.
Then NO more EU after Brexit so UK passport not as useful anymore.
THIS is the main reason people let the UK Passport lapse I think.
NO advantage in EU now, same as Aussie.

My siblings both have Aussie passports only.
My cousins (from mums twin) one has dual like me the rest only Aussie.
Even though we are all UK entitled.

Point is even IF you are entitled to UK citizenship you do not GET it until you apply for it.
You DONT get forced to be a UK citizen.

I doubt that will change after Feb no matter how many times the rules do.

 

[Salsa]

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

Ye I did the same 3 weeks ago and now I’ve been scrambling to get my British Passport renewed! Very stressful as we fly 25th Feb….why didn’t I book a day earlier!!!

 

[FlyingFiona]

Point is even IF you are entitled to UK citizenship you do not GET it until you apply for it.
You DONT get forced to be a UK citizen.

Check if you're a British citizen says otherwise (in a lot of circumstances).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Check if you're a British citizen says otherwise (in a lot of circumstances).

That’s true, but the question is, if you have never ‘entered the system’, never applied for a passport, never registered, never worked in the UK in a job that requires you to be a citizen, never applied for a visa that requires ties to the UK… how would the UK government know you are British?

Reading the citizenship pages the onus is on the applicant to prove they are british in order to get a passport. That includes birth certificates, and showing parental lineage/eligibility, etc. That applies even if you are born in the UK.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Think everyone is overthinking this.
I seriously doubt border farce in the UK can remotely keep up with who is/ was/ maybe a UK citizen.
I suspect everything will be business as usual come February.
Have an Aussie passport, get ETA enter the UK *

*not to be taken as immigration advice just my ramblings

 

[burneracc]

There is ostensibly no downside to having a British passport other than £108 it costs, minus the £16 that would have otherwise been spent on an ETA, potentially £16 * 5 depending on frequency of visits as it needs renewing every 2 years across the 10 years that the passport itself would be valid for.

On the other hand there are a plethora of benefits to holding one in conjunction with an Australian passport such as:

• Faster processing at EU and other various borders where UK gets to use egates and AU doesn’t
• Longer stays in various countries such as HK (180 days > 90 in this case)
• Until very very recently, US global entry
• Better soft power in the case of an emergency including a far stronger embassy support network in places like the Middle East
• Enter and exit the UK no questions asked (obviously)

Plus all the other associated benefits of always having a second passport in your back pocket.

I honestly don’t get the outrage over this. It’s a given that American citizens enter the states on their US passports - why is it such a huge deal that the UK requires the same?

I’d be very interested to hear a single downside that isn’t “extra admin” or “it costs money”.

 

[Aeryn]

I honestly don’t get the outrage over this.

Exactly. It is a privilege to have dual citizenship and all the benefits, some people need to check their privilege.

If you can afford to travel to the UK you can pay for a passport every 10 years (or less often if you go there less often).

 

[LondonAussie]

UK passport also gets visa free entry to Vietnam, Turkey, Chile, Brunei, and several African countries and island nations.

With an Australian passport you need to get for visas for those countries.

You can also spend up to 8 months a year in the Bahamas on a UK passport; just 3 on the Aussie.

 

[kelvedon]

UK passport also gets visa free entry to Vietnam, Turkey, Chile, Brunei, and several African countries and island nations.

With an Australian passport you need to get for visas for those countries.

Ireland too
Though the Australian passport gets you into New Zealand, Iran and Honduras visa free or VOA.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

UK passport also gets visa free entry to Vietnam, Turkey, Chile, Brunei, and several African countries and island nations.

With an Australian passport you need to get for visas for those countries.

You can also spend up to 8 months a year in the Bahamas on a UK passport; just 3 on the Aussie.

Chile is now visa free for aussies!