Australian Dual Citizens Entering UK after February

[Pushka]

Original birth certificates for both grandparents (paternal and maternal (UK) side)

Then they asked for a handwritten letter stating the Maternal grandparents names, dob, country of birth, for Child 1

At this time I also wrote the same letter for Child 2, just in case..

Then then asked for passport details of the Maternal grandparents for Child 2...., so I had to send another letter.

How would anyone know passport details of a grandparent if deceased?

This Grandparent requirement is wild. Husband and I had to send in our Birth certificates (both Australian born) and wedding certificate (me change of name) for British DIL (born in UK to UK parents) to get her two children British citizenship and passports. We had nothing to do with any of that assessment.

 

[Aeryn]

I would be loathe to send original birth certificates, surely a certified copy should suffice. The UK government should easily be able to validate against their own birth records.

Really you'd think taking originals for sighting at a UK consulate here in Australia would also be good enough; rather than having to snail mail originals and risk them getting lost by AusPost/Royal Mail.

 

[Bugs]

Good luck everyone applying.
I’m UK born in 60’s with expired British pp (2002).
I have Aussie pp and ETA (Tis it valid?)
Aussie pp and ETA was sufficient for me to enter Feb 17th LHR.
I have now applied while on British soil, and I was indicated to send my expired British passport, my British birth certificate and a colour copy of EVERY page of Aussie pp.
The application asked for my parents (in their 90’s) passport numbers, dob, place of birth.
It will received today.
Will keep updated on response times.
Oh, I’m having it sent to my home address in W.A.

 

[lovestotravel]

I would be loathe to send original birth certificates, surely a certified copy should suffice. The UK government should easily be able to validate against their own birth records.

Really you'd think taking originals for sighting at a UK consulate here in Australia would also be good enough; rather than having to snail mail originals and risk them getting lost by AusPost/Royal Mail.

Nope they want originals, no exceptions!

They originally wanted originals of our kids Aussie passports, but then changed their mind.....

Everything has to be posted, no exceptions!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would be loathe to send original birth certificates, surely a certified copy should suffice. The UK government should easily be able to validate against their own birth records.

Really you'd think taking originals for sighting at a UK consulate here in Australia would also be good enough; rather than having to snail mail originals and risk them getting lost by AusPost/Royal Mail.

An ‘original birth certificate’ in this context means a certified copy directly issued by the General Registry Office. You aren’t required to find, or send, the original certificate issued at your birth!!

If the ‘original’ is lost you can easily apply for a second one, or more.

The UK passport office is quirky. As mentioned above it’s a requirement to send a copy of every page of your Australian passport. even if you write ‘do not return’ in capitals, they still send this back to you, by courier!! I mean, what for?

 

[MollyJones]

I would be loathe to send original birth certificates, surely a certified copy should suffice. The UK government should easily be able to validate against their own birth records.

Really you'd think taking originals for sighting at a UK consulate here in Australia would also be good enough; rather than having to snail mail originals and risk them getting lost by AusPost/Royal Mail.

And having to send Australian passport is also very worrying. MrJones has sent his Aus passport as required, and so currently can't travel anywhere else. It is also his primary identification document so we wait, nervously, for it all to be returned.

 

[kelvedon]

And having to send Australian passport is also very worrying. MrJones has sent his Aus passport as required, and so currently can't travel anywhere else. It is also his primary identification document so we wait, nervously, for it all to be returned.

You only have to send a photocopy, not the actual passport

 

[Bugs]

Colour copy for sure

 

[MollyJones]

You only have to send a photocopy, not the actual passport

The online application portal demanded the original. We did note that many people are saying they have sent photocopies, but that wasn't an available option.
It seems to differ based on when and where you and your parents were born, whether it is a first British passport or a a renewal and whether it is for an adult or child.

 

[Bugs]

This below is the documents I was requested

Applicant’s documents​

Send the following:​

• old passport
• full birth (civil and hospital) or adoption certificate showing both the child’s and parents’ details
• any current or expired passports from other countries that haven’t been cancelled - send either a colour photocopy of every page (including blank pages) or the physical passport

---

If any of the following apply, you need to send additional documents:

• apply for a British National Overseas (BNO) passport
• apply for a passport under treaty rights – this means the parents of the person applying for a passport are EU, EEA or Swiss nationals (or are the dependant family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss national) who exercised free movement rights in the UK as a worker, self-employed person, jobseeker, student or self-sufficient person
• change your gender on your passport
• get a first UK passport based on your parents’ Crown or Community service
• get a first UK passport if you were born abroad but adopted in the UK before 1 January 1983
• get a first UK passport if you were adopted abroad and you haven’t naturalised or registered
• get a first UK passport if you were born in the Philippines, or your parents are married or divorced and have links to the Philippines
• apply for a first UK passport if you were born through surrogacy
• apply for a British Protected Person passport

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This below is the documents I was requested

Applicant’s documents​

Send the following:​

• old passport
• full birth (civil and hospital) or adoption certificate showing both the child’s and parents’ details
• any current or expired passports from other countries that haven’t been cancelled - send either a colour photocopy of every page (including blank pages) or the physical passport

---

If any of the following apply, you need to send additional documents:

• apply for a British National Overseas (BNO) passport
• apply for a passport under treaty rights – this means the parents of the person applying for a passport are EU, EEA or Swiss nationals (or are the dependant family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss national) who exercised free movement rights in the UK as a worker, self-employed person, jobseeker, student or self-sufficient person
• change your gender on your passport
• get a first UK passport based on your parents’ Crown or Community service
• get a first UK passport if you were born abroad but adopted in the UK before 1 January 1983
• get a first UK passport if you were adopted abroad and you haven’t naturalised or registered
• get a first UK passport if you were born in the Philippines, or your parents are married or divorced and have links to the Philippines
• apply for a first UK passport if you were born through surrogacy
• apply for a British Protected Person passport

What you have posted says to send old British passport and colour photocopy of any current passport… unless you fell into the ‘additional documentation’ category?

 

[Bugs]

What you have posted says to send old British passport and colour photocopy of any current passport… unless you fell into the ‘additional documentation’ category?

Yes correct. Expired British passport sent . I don’t fit the other catergory, born British in UK. Just wait n see now if they want additional paperwork.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes correct. Expired British passport sent . I don’t fit the other catergory, born British in UK. Just wait n see now if they want additional paperwork.

Sorry… I got confused between posters! I was wondering why Molly Jones had to send the original Aussie passport! Thankfully it’s uncommon to have to send the Aussie one.

 

[Zero]

An ‘original birth certificate’ in this context means a certified copy directly issued by the General Registry Office. You aren’t required to find, or send, the original certificate issued at your birth!!

If the ‘original’ is lost you can easily apply for a second one, or more.

The UK passport office is quirky. As mentioned above it’s a requirement to send a copy of every page of your Australian passport. even if you write ‘do not return’ in capitals, they still send this back to you, by courier!! I mean, what for?

All UK birth certificates are certified copies. The "original" is handwritten in a large book by the birth registrar when you go to register the birth.

You don't necessarily need to get more copies from the GRO, if you know which council the person was born in you can go directly to them. It may even be cheaper as they have less searching to do.

Births are public information so anyone can buy the UK birth certificate of anyone else, and you can view the full records at some public libraries.


In 2023 I wanted to renew my British passport, but the option to send photocopies of each page of your Aus passport did not exist. As I didn't want to post my Aus passport to HMPO, I booked a premium in-person renewal when I was in the UK for a month.

The staff member said they ask for all foreign passports because HMPO has a policy that the name on a British passport must exactly match the name in all other countries' passports. She looked at every page of my Aus passport then took a black and white photocopy of the photo page only.

My new British passport was sent the next day by secure delivery. 1 week later my old British passport arrived by normal post, loose in an envelope. 2 weeks later the b&w photocopy of my Aus passport photo page arrived by normal post.

During the appointment I had asked why they needed to look at all my travel stamps on every page, and she said she wasn't looking at the stamps but only for anything that might indicate that I changed my name. On the HMPO website you can find a long flowchart they must follow to decide whether different names are acceptable, when people claim it is impossible to change the name in the non-UK passport.

 

[Bugs]

I feel like people in this thread are going to be better informed than the UKGov channels.
Wonder if any jobs are going?
What benefits does holding and using a British pp give the us?
I know being Aussie I am well looked after (legally blind).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

All UK birth certificates are certified copies. The "original" is handwritten in a large book by the birth registrar when you go to register the birth.

You don't necessarily need to get more copies from the GRO, if you know which council the person was born in you can go directly to them. It may even be cheaper as they have less searching to do.

Births are public information so anyone can buy the UK birth certificate of anyone else, and you can view the full records at some public libraries.


In 2023 I wanted to renew my British passport, but the option to send photocopies of each page of your Aus passport did not exist. As I didn't want to post my Aus passport to HMPO, I booked a premium in-person renewal when I was in the UK for a month.

The staff member said they ask for all foreign passports because HMPO has a policy that the name on a British passport must exactly match the name in all other countries' passports. She looked at every page of my Aus passport then took a black and white photocopy of the photo page only.

My new British passport was sent the next day by secure delivery. 1 week later my old British passport arrived by normal post, loose in an envelope. 2 weeks later the b&w photocopy of my Aus passport photo page arrived by normal post.

During the appointment I had asked why they needed to look at all my travel stamps on every page, and she said she wasn't looking at the stamps but only for anything that might indicate that I changed my name. On the HMPO website you can find a long flowchart they must follow to decide whether different names are acceptable, when people claim it is impossible to change the name in the non-UK passport.

Yes, get your point about original birth certificate, but this was responding to an earlier post which seemed to indicate ‘original’ meant ‘the’ original (issued at birth).

That’s not the case. The ‘original’ you send can be ordered and re-ordered.

I renewed my passport in 2022 and again in 2024 after my passport was stolen. Both times all i needed to send was a photocopy of my Aussie passport. Boring, but better than being without a passport at all.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I feel like people in this thread are going to be better informed than the UKGov channels.
Wonder if any jobs are going?
What benefits does holding and using a British pp give the us?
I know being Aussie I am well looked after (legally blind).

I think it’s more a case that the UK govt can’t deviate from the law.

Even if they know they have no way to enforce the law, they can’t - and won’t - ever be able to say that.

Same with travel agents… they can’t say otherwise just ‘in case’ one of their clients gets caught. They have to follow the official line.

What appears to be lacking is common sense in the wider community. Simple questions like ‘how will they know [Im British]’ or ‘how will they enforce this’ don’t seem to be getting air time.

But we’ll see in 24 hours hiw this pans out!