Dual Passports AUS/UK

[scottie132]

Hi I was wondering if anyone can help? My children are Australian Citizens but their father is English thus are eligible to apply for a UK passport. They currently have Aussie Passports which are due to expire and I was wanting to know can I just get them a UK passport to travel on or will they not be allowed back into Aus as their UK passport will not have a visa or do they not need a visa as they are Australian Citizens and will it show this in their UK passport on the picture page saying their nationality is Australian??

I know this may seem very confusing but I ask because I don't want to have the expense of two passports and as Australians they will always be eligible for an Aussie Passport but the rules for a UK passport may change as they get older thus wanting to get one now. Thanks to all that can help.

 

[NM]

An Australian Citizen MUST use an Australian passport for entering and departing Australia (there are a few noted exceptions, but unlikely to be relevant in your case).

I expect the UK has similar laws about using a UK passport for entry and departure from the UK for UK citizens. Most countries follow that policy for citizens.

 

[simongr]

I have dual passports as does my son (23 months). Travelling to the UK with him I ensured he had a UK passport and an Oz passport.

You actually wont be allowed to board the aircraft coming back to Oz without an Oz passport and without a valid visa in the UK passport.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I have dual passports as does my son (23 months). Travelling to the UK with him I ensured he had a UK passport and an Oz passport.

You actually wont be allowed to board the aircraft coming back to Oz without an Oz passport and without a valid visa in the UK passport.

I take it you mean " or a valid visa in UK passport"
The entire Shrek family has dual UK/Oz passports and travel with them both. It's a bit of a pain until you see the queue for non-eu passport holders at LHR

 

[simongr]

I meant and. They wont ever have an Oz visa in their UK passport as Oz will never issue one.

 

[Nigelinoz]

simongr and NM are absolutely correct,as a UK born Australian citizen I carry both passports but I depart and enter Australia using my Australian passport and the Immigration department require this for all Australian citizens,I don't know whether there is any actual legislation requiring it but the IMMI website says

As an Australian citizen you must always leave and enter Australia on an Australian passport. If you also have a passport from another country you can use that for travel once you have left Australia.

If your children are eligible for a UK passport then it's your choice whether you obtain one for them but if they are aussies they must use an aussie passport when leaving from,and returning to the country.
Cheers
N'oz

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Having dual passports is great if you can get it (I'm going for a 3rd passport, so that will be 1 Oz and 2 EU if l can pull it off, my mum is nagging my no end, so l have no choice ).

As mentioned already, going through the EU lines saves heaps of time.

 

[simongr]

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

 

[samh004]

Having dual passports is great if you can get it (I'm going for a 3rd passport, so that will be 1 Oz and 2 EU if l can pull it off, my mum is nagging my no end, so l have no choice ).

As mentioned already, going through the EU lines saves heaps of time.

If I ever got the chance for 3, the third would be for the US, I hope

 

[tuapekastar]

An Australian Citizen MUST use an Australian passport for entering and departing Australia (there are a few noted exceptions, but unlikely to be relevant in your case).

I expect the UK has similar laws about using a UK passport for entry and departure from the UK for UK citizens. Most countries follow that policy for citizens.

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.

 

[burrco]

Doesn't help the OP, but in the other direction my understanding was that the Uk doesn't legally require dual citizens to enter the UK on a UK passport, so a dual australian/uk passport holder could technically enter the UK on their Australian passport.


Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Nigelinoz]

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 Australians don't need a visa for the UK if it's just for a visit or business trip of less than 6 months,they would probably need one for anything longer than that .
Cheers
N'oz

 

[NM]

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.

You have been entering the UK as an Aussie and hence under the conditions imposed for Australian visitors to the UK (such as limitations on working, government handouts, residency etc). If you remained in the UK beyond the conditions of entry as an Australian visitor you could be in trouble.

Just because you can do it does not make it lawful. However, I do not know the UK requirements for passorts for UK citizens. But as noted for Australian (and USA and many other countries) citizens must us their passport for entry and departure from that country. Perhaps the UK is different or perhaps they just didn't know you were a UK citizen and hence did not require adherence to the rules for UK citizens??

 

[Princess Fiona]

I meant and. They wont ever have an Oz visa in their UK passport as Oz will never issue one.

Sorry misunderstood your post
Read it as needing an Oz passport or a valid Oz visa which of course you won't have if you have an Oz passport.

 

[Nigelinoz]

BTW in case UK citizens in Australia need to renew their UK passports,they should note that UK passports are no longer issued by the British Consulate in Canberra,all UK passport renewals and applications in Australia are now done through Australia Post offices,an appointment is required and the application is forwarded to the UK consulate in New Zealand who forward the new passport via courier about 4-6 weeks later.
Australia Post - United Kingdom/British passports
Cheers
N'oz

 

[tuapekastar]

You have been entering the UK as an Aussie and hence under the conditions imposed for Australian visitors to the UK (such as limitations on working, government handouts, residency etc). If you remained in the UK beyond the conditions of entry as an Australian visitor you could be in trouble.

Just because you can do it does not make it lawful. However, I do not know the UK requirements for passorts for UK citizens. But as noted for Australian (and USA and many other countries) citizens must us their passport for entry and departure from that country. Perhaps the UK is different or perhaps they just didn't know you were a UK citizen and hence did not require adherence to the rules for UK citizens??

The UK entries have only been for visits well within the limits imposed on Oz passport holders as far as visa-free duration of stay goes.

I don't know the answer as far as whether they officially require me to use a UK passport (though one could infer from my following words that they don't), but on my last visit, in my conversation with the immi officer, the fact that I was a UK citizen did come up (I think I mentioned it), but there was no issue.

 

[wingspan]

You actually wont be allowed to board the aircraft coming back to Oz without an Oz passport and without a valid visa in the UK passport.

This doesn't apply to me at all. Simply asking out of interest: why do you need your Australian passport AND a visa in your UK passport? Won't the Australian passport alone suffice?

 

[Princess Fiona]

This doesn't apply to me at all. Simply asking out of interest: why do you need your Australian passport AND a visa in your UK passport? Won't the Australian passport alone suffice?

Yes it will and you won't have a valid visa in your UK passport as they are void upon becoming a Citizen.

 

[KateMayo]

I have dual UK/Australian citizenship and on multiple occasions in the past have entered the UK on my Australian passport because I couldn’t be bothered renewing my UK one . On each occasion, I explained at UK passport control that I was a UK-born dual citizen but that my UK passport had expired. Each time I was allowed entry for at least six months (once I was allowed indefinite entry :shock. At no point was I given the impression by immigration officers that what I was doing was illegal, or even frowned-upon.


It may have been different had I actually had a valid UK passport but simply chosen not to enter on it (I don’t know).


(BTW, the last time I entered this way was about two years ago as I have now renewed my UK passport and enter on that :idea:.)

 

[Nigelinoz]

I don't know about any regulations requiring UK citizens to enter the UK on a UK passport but I do know that a UK citizen can be immigration cleared to enter the UK on production of an expired UK passport-that is one which had expired up to 12 months prior to the entry date.
I know this because it happened to my English girlfriend last year.
Cheers
N'oz