Moving back to uk - passports

[ralsinoz]

Thought this would be a good place to start for advice although I think a phone call to British Embassy is a must.

We are returning to uk for good and need advice on UK passport. Mine is still valid so problem there but my hubby and child's passports have expired. Do we need to get them here ( at great expense) or can we get them after arriving in UK. I know we can enter on an Australian passport (I did it last year) but I had a return ticket (not that I remember them checking this). Has anyone else had experience with this?

thanks

[Guest km75]

No experience, but pretty sure you'll need valid British Passports as your Australian ones won't have UK visas in.

Actually, just edited to say thinking about it, I do have experience and that when we returned in 2008 with my then 18 month old son I was told unless he had a british passport he wouldn't be allowed in the UK- his UK passport arrived the day before we flew so cutting it fine was an understatement!

[Guest]

You can enter the UK on an Australian passport without a visa but you can only stay for 6 months. What would actually happen if you stayed beyond 6 moths I don't know - as a British citizen you wouldn't be deported but it could cause problems next time you travelled that you don't need.

[Parley]

I would travel on the Australian passport and show the British Border people your expired British Passports, advising you will renew them in the UK.

 

The expired British passport will still be accepted as proof of British Citizenship so you will still be allowed entry.

[MoLeannan]

We renewed our British Passports here, yes more expensive to renew them here but better to be safe than sorry.

[Rossmoyne]

Personal choice would be to renew Brit passports before you left to make sure all would be OK. Sometimes money isn't the thing that drives what you should do.

[Quoll]

Yup, bite the bullet and renew, far less hassle that way. You don't want yo be recorded as Australian on a 6 month visitor visa. Money isn't everything.

[Parley]

But you are missing the point that they are British Citizens and so have the right to enter, expired passport or not.

[Squidgy]

Parleycross is right, if you migrated from UK to Oz, your Australian passport will show where you were born, hence right to British citizenship, your expired British passport will show that you have a been allocated a permanent visa to reside in Oz. You can return on your Oz passport with your expired British passport in tow and renew on your return but It is probably better to renew before you go which is what I did, it took three weeks and my British passport expired ten years ago.

[Quoll]

But you are missing the point that they are British Citizens and so have the right to enter, expired passport or not.

 

Sure they do but they probably wouldn't want the hassle and third degree at the airport after a 24 hr flight! Take the easy option!

[garyupnorth]

Ask at the British embassy for an emergency passport for the one way trip, they can issue one of these and it lasts for 48 hours. Not sure on cost but it's like a "get you home pass". Other than that use the Aussie ones and get home, then sort it out within the 6 months.

[garyupnorth]

But you are missing the point that they are British Citizens and so have the right to enter, expired passport or not.

 

All depends if the carrier lets them fly, you cannot pick and choose what passport you want to use ie. Australian one to leave Australia, then the UK one to enter Britain.