Which Passport to Use?

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cssaus

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My daughter is heading off in a few weeks time, travelling thru Japan, USA & Europe. She'll have with her both an Australian Passport and a British (EU) Passport.

I've suggested to her that going into and out of Japan she use her Aussie one and likewise going into & out of the USA.

For Europe, I'm obviously suggesting that she use her British Passport because of the easier entry and exit arrangements for EU passport holders. However, because a lot of the hostels, hotels etc require a passport when checking in, I'm suggesting to her that she show her Aussie Passport and therefore just use the British Passport when crossing borders.

Can anyone see anything particularly wrong with this approach?
 
Why wouldnt she use her EU passport for everything apart from coming back into Oz?
 
She should use her Australian Passport in Asia and for entry into and leaving the USA because of the Visa Waiver Program. She also needs to use her Australian passport when entering and leaving Australia, even though her EU passport would have born in Australia in it, it avoids the problem of proving that she is an Australian Citizen on her return if she does not use it when she leaves. I would use her EU (red) passport for all other times, which I guess only leaves Europe in any event.

Simongr, she might experience some problem using an EU Passport to enter the USA whereas Australians appear to be excepted better due to the Visa Waiver Program.
 
Maca44 said:
She should use her Australian Passport in Asia and for entry into and leaving the USA because of the Visa Waiver Program. She also needs to use her Australian passport when entering and leaving Australia, even though her EU passport would have born in Australia in it, it avoids the problem of proving that she is an Australian Citizen on her return if she does not use it when she leaves. I would use her EU (red) passport for all other times, which I guess only leaves Europe in any event.

Simongr, she might experience some problem using an EU Passport to enter the USA whereas Australians appear to be excepted better due to the Visa Waiver Program.

Other than for entering/leaving Australia, it will make no odds which passport is used. The UK was one of the pilot countries for the Visa Waiver Programme for the USA and is still quite definately in the programme and will cause no issues at all on entry. In Asia , it again makes no issue.

The only place , other than Australia where it is virtually a requirement, where I would recommend specifically using the Australia passport is for New Zealand since Australian Passport holders have less restrictions than UK ones

Going around Europe, the UK passport will make life easier; there are a few other places around the world where UK passports are more beneficial; e.g. going to Brazil an Australian Passport holder needs a visa costing $60 whilst a UK passport holder is admitted visa free

Dave
 
I'm in the same position a your daughter and only use my Aus passport to leave and enter Australia. At all other times my UK passport has served me well, including, as Dave pointed out, saving me money in Brazil and Chile. It also made it extraordinarily easy to enter French Polynesia, which was a surprise. (literally wave the red passport and walk in) You don't tend to think of Tahiti as part of the EU.
I can't comment on which one to use in the LOTFAP, as so far, I've managed to avoid travelling there.
Without becoming too political, I prefer to enter countries as a UK citizen because I have more faith in the British foreign office's ability to pull me out of the s#!t if necessary than I do in our own Foreign Affairs Dept. (not that I expect to get into any s#!t)
Witness the amount of 'help' David Hicks has received compared to his British co-accused.
 
Thanks for the feedback so far.

As my daughter is travelling on her own in Europe I've told her that I want her to register her itinerary with DFAT. She'd obviously be registering as an Australian so therefore I would imagine it's important that she use her Aussie Passport when registering at hostels and hotels but crossing borders then I've told her to use the EU passport for convenience sake.
 
ColinP said:
I'm in the same position a your daughter and only use my Aus passport to leave and enter Australia. At all other times my UK passport has served me well, including, as Dave pointed out, saving me money in Brazil and Chile. It also made it extraordinarily easy to enter French Polynesia, which was a surprise. (literally wave the red passport and walk in) You don't tend to think of Tahiti as part of the EU.
I can't comment on which one to use in the LOTFAP, as so far, I've managed to avoid travelling there.
Without becoming too political, I prefer to enter countries as a UK citizen because I have more faith in the British foreign office's ability to pull me out of the s#!t if necessary than I do in our own Foreign Affairs Dept. (not that I expect to get into any s#!t)
Witness the amount of 'help' David Hicks has received compared to his British co-accused.
This is also the reason I travel everywhere on my UK passport, using the AU passport for no other reason than entering and leaving Australia and New Zealand. I also have far more confidence in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office than I do in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Dave
 
thadocta said:
This is also the reason I travel everywhere on my UK passport, using the AU passport for no other reason than entering and leaving Australia and New Zealand. I also have far more confidence in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office than I do in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Dave

I'm not sure that the consular services in foreign countries are dependent on you having entered using the passport of that (consular) country - if you're in a foreign country and have both passports you can avail yourself of the foreign/consular services of either UK or Australia.
 
I am assuming that unless you tell the foreign office (by having your passport checked on entry) they wont even know you are there. Thus advantageous on some leevls to use an Oz passport through europe as it will be checked everywhere.
 
I've done this for years without any problems. I tend to travel on my Australian passport outside the EU and use my British passport in Europe. For instance, if you take the Eurostar to Paris you won't have to queue up to get your Australian passport stamped.

The one thing not to do is to offer both passports to the immigration officer when you get back to Australia and say 'take your pick'. I have a friend who tried this once. They got very shirty with him.
 
alect said:
I'm not sure that the consular services in foreign countries are dependent on you having entered using the passport of that (consular) country - if you're in a foreign country and have both passports you can avail yourself of the foreign/consular services of either UK or Australia.
True - but if I am documented arriving into a country as a UK citizen, then it will be the UK authorities which are contacted if I come into grief.

Without going into too much detail, I have had to contact DIMA to establish someones immigration status on numerous occasions. The reply has always contained the passport they entered Australia on (as well as other information), which I have then passed on to the persons requesting the information.

I would assume that other countries held the same information, although, now that I think about it, perhaps not (given the number of times where my UK passport is merely looked at, and is not scanned).

Entering a country using the passport of the country you intend to rely on *IF* you get into trouble is probably the best idea.

Dave
 
thadocta said:
True - but if I am documented arriving into a country as a UK citizen, then it will be the UK authorities which are contacted if I come into grief.

Without going into too much detail, I have had to contact DIMA to establish someones immigration status on numerous occasions. The reply has always contained the passport they entered Australia on (as well as other information), which I have then passed on to the persons requesting the information.

I would assume that other countries held the same information, although, now that I think about it, perhaps not (given the number of times where my UK passport is merely looked at, and is not scanned).

Entering a country using the passport of the country you intend to rely on *IF* you get into trouble is probably the best idea.

Dave

Couldn't agree more doc.

And to the OP, my advice is to only use the Aussie passport for entry/exit to/from Oz. And also, in my experience, I have better treatment from INS officials in the US using my EU passport.

Isn't Australia somewhere in South America?
 
Thanks to all that replied with advice.

I'll discuss this with my daughter and pass on the suggestions.
 
clifford said:
Couldn't agree more doc.

And to the OP, my advice is to only use the Aussie passport for entry/exit to/from Oz. And also, in my experience, I have better treatment from INS officials in the US using my EU passport.

Isn't Australia somewhere in South America?

Chile, and I think Argentina also, charge an entry fee for australians (and US) but not for EU and NZ.
 
Kiwi Flyer said:
Chile, and I think Argentina also, charge an entry fee for australians (and US) but not for EU and NZ.
Nothing like the hip pocket to guide one's choice! ;)
 
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