Passport renewal nightmare

[nathan2010]

My wife is travelling back to the UK in 6 weeks. She has 2 months remaining on her british passport. We got married last year in the UK and she went to Aus Post and was told they are unable to send it as the marriage certificate is not signed by a registrar? I'm confused. We were married in church and its signed by the vicar. I understand that it may be different if married in Australia. On the C1 notes form it just says they need the original certificate. She has been told brisbane airport will not let her travel with less than 6 months on her passport?

 

please help?

 

Thanks

 

nathan

[Rupert]

I do not know anything about the registrar thing, but would be surprised if any airport would not let a Britih citizen travel to Britain on a British passport because it only has two months left on it. I expect this is wrong.

[dxboz]

I don't know about your marriage certificate but couldn't your wife just apply to have it renewed in her maiden name or has she already bought a ticket in her married name?

 

Re six months remaining both myself and my husband have travelled out of Australia on separate occasions with passports about to expire and have renewed them when overseas before returning to Australia

 

This still seems to be the case - this is from the Dept of Foreign Affairs Australia website

 

Do I need six months validity left on my passport before I can travel from and then re enter Australia?

 

Australian passports are valid for travel into and out of Australia regardless of the length of remaining validity. An Australian passport remains valid until the expiry date.

 

However, it is the right of any country to control entry into their borders and this is usually done via visas or ensuring sufficient validity remains on the visitor’s travel document. Entry requirements are decided by foreign governments and are not something that the Australian Government can influence.

 

You need to ensure that your passport has adequate validity to meet the entry requirements of the countries you intend to visit (or transit). Some countries require travellers to have at least six months validity remaining on their passports beyond the period of intended stay, and immigration authorities may refuse entry if you arrive with less than this. Airlines and passenger shipping lines may refuse to carry you if your passport has inadequate validity.

[nathan2010]

Thank you for you reply's, I'm unsure if we would be doing something wrong by applying in her maiden name? As it no longer her legal name. my gut feeling is that they would not stop her from travelling as she is a UK citizen travelling to the UK!

 

Im planing on ringing a different branch of Australia post that deal with british passports in the morning. I think somebody may be mistaken at the office she attended. That's if we go down the renewal route. We would much prefer to replace when she arrives as it's just much easier. Any one have any ideas who I should contact regarding brisbane airport allowing her to travel?

 

Thanks again nathan

[dxboz]

You would have to contact the airline she is flying with.

[nathan2010]

We contacted Etihad, they have no problem with her travelling but said the Airport may stop her. - nightmare

[dxboz]

Why would the airport stop her - it's the airline who check her documents. If she is a UK citizen she should have the right to enter UK regardless of length of time left on her passport.

[Flappers263]

Hi,

 

Is she stopping over en route? some countries wont allow people to enter with less than 6 months validity remaining (I talk from experience!!), the airline would get fined unless she is transiting through...I drove to Canberra once and got a new [british] passport overnight(!) as the airline said they would / could not allow me to fly to Singapore, HK yes, UK yes but not Singapore.

 

Although a few years ago I presume still the same.

 

Good Luck

[dxboz]

Doesn't your marriage certificate from the church then have to get sent off to Registrar of Marriages where they then issue an extract (a different certificate) to you to say that it has been registered - I think this is what Aust Post means

[dxboz]

Unless she is stopping over in Abu Dhabi (or some other place) I really do not see the problem - passport is valid for both leaving and entering Oz and UK. I think you are getting yourself unnecessarily stressed

[rammygirl]

Unless the vicar is also registered officially to sign the certificate it must be countersigned by a registrar. Check with the vicar he /she should know and should have informed you.

[nathan2010]

I expect that is what Aus post is suggesting. I was completely unaware this was the case.

 

She is not stopping anywhere as in leaving the country but like.y stopping in Singapore and Dubai. Not leaving the airport so not officially entering the country.

 

Im starting to think I might drive to the airport and talk to the airline desk. Maybe even the check in assistants. I just don't know who to contact for absolute clarification!

[nathan2010]

I cannot see anywhere on the certificate that a registrar would countersigned. Il email the vicar and see what he has to say. Has anyone tried to get an emergency passport?

[Flappers263]

FWIW I think she'll be fine provided she is only transiting through airports etc. For peace of mind why not ring the British Embassy in Canberra on Monday for advice? They will likely be best pl;aced to provide the correct information.

[nathan2010]

I will give them a call on Monday. As well as talking to the airport in person.

 

 

thank you

[rammygirl]

on my certificate the priest who was also the registrar signed it twice once in the box next to the witnesses and then as part of a declaration underneath. Of course the certificate has probably changed in the 25 years since I was hitched.

 

The vicar was more than likely the registrar too but it may not be clear on the certificate. It may just be that Oz has not recognised this fact.

[nathan2010]

It turns out the vicar is a registrar. In the uk you only have to register with the registrar if not done I a C of E church. In Australia it seems you have to register with the registrar regardless. Aus post did say they don't do many british passports. Let alone ones requiring a name change. I imagine they have it wrong. She travels a month tommorow. Now I have the dilemma of correcting Aus post and sending the application for a new passport. Usually this takes 3 weeks but says you should apply 6 weeks before travel. The second is to go down the route of establishing if she can travel on her existing one.

[Wellers and Whitehead]

It turns out the vicar is a registrar. In the uk you only have to register with the registrar if not done I a C of E church. In Australia it seems you have to register with the registrar regardless. Aus post did say they don't do many british passports. Let alone ones requiring a name change. I imagine they have it wrong. She travels a month tommorow. Now I have the dilemma of correcting Aus post and sending the application for a new passport. Usually this takes 3 weeks but says you should apply 6 weeks before travel. The second is to go down the route of establishing if she can travel on her existing one.

 

I think most want 6 months on your passport. I booked my flight and realised it expired the day before I left Sydney. My renewal took 4 weeks. (at the airport as we speak, for a 3 week holiday to the UK! Whoooo!)

You can apparently get emergency travel documents if it doesn't come back in time, but think they are expensive.worth looking into :-)

[nathan2010]

Were you stopped from boarding at the airport?

[Wellers and Whitehead]

Were you stopped from boarding at the airport?

Not sure if this was directed at me? But got it renewed before travelling as think you have to have 6 months until expiry date!?

[Ozinoz]

Australia Post are only trying to help because if they send it off wrong then you will be liable to pay the charges again, not them. Things are different here in Australia as the Marriage Certificate you sign at your wedding is not the official one, it gets issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages. If in doubt, get them to pop in the Original documents with the renewal application. You will get everything back with the new Passport. Takes no more than 2 weeks to get a UK Passport back, I think Hubby got his back in 10 days. They are super efficient in Manila! I even got my Right of Abode Visa signed sealed and delivered in less than 3 weeks

[RockDr]

Thank you for you reply's, I'm unsure if we would be doing something wrong by applying in her maiden name? As it no longer her legal name.

 

 

Her maiden name is still her legal name, getting married doesn't change your name, it gives you the option of using a different one. You can legally have ID documents in either name, it's just generally easier to use a single name (though many people use their maiden name for work, and keep some forms of ID in that name). I travelled to the UK on a passport in my maiden name, as we'd booked the tickets before we got married. I then renewed the passport after I got back to Australia so there wasn't any time-pressure (mine still had lots of time left on it).

 

To be honest, if you don't manage to get your certificate past the Australia post know-nothings, it might be worth just flying out on the nearly expired passport, and renew while you're in the UK (if you've got time while you're out there).

[Rossmoyne]

I do not know anything about the registrar thing, but would be surprised if any airport would not let a Britih citizen travel to Britain on a British passport because it only has two months left on it. I expect this is wrong.

 

This is very much wrong.... a close friend recently holidayed in England with a permanent residency visa for Oz but a Brit passport with only 2 weeks validity left. She renewed her passport in UK and returned to Oz with both old and new passports as evidence of residency and had no issues anywhere.

[Rossmoyne]

Doesn't your marriage certificate from the church then have to get sent off to Registrar of Marriages where they then issue an extract (a different certificate) to you to say that it has been registered - I think this is what Aust Post means

 

In Australia if you are married by a Celebrant you have to still apply to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, for a formal Marriage Certificate. But I thought a Marriage Cert from UK, whether issued by a Church or a Register Office, was acceptable. Perhaps try a different Post Office?

[boganbear]

I think Aus Post do not know what they are talking about. One of the peculiarities of marriage in the Uk is that Co of E marriages are legally binding as it is the State church. Part of the fuss about same sex marriage in the UK is that , as the established church, they would be obliged to carry out gay marriages when they are made legal, despite them being against Christian teaching. That's why the govt is this aspect so they are not obliged to do so- as do other faiths.

 

I think catholic and some other faiths now have the same powers but they didn't when my parents got married. I don't know what they do in Oz but a UK marriage cert from a C of E church is all you need.