garyjames Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi all, I am a UK citizen applying for Oz citizenship next week. I am looking at possibly visiting the UK sometime in 2015 and am confused about how to leave & return to Oz on an Oz passport but be able to enter & leave the UK on my UK passport. What I am struggling to figure out is, in what country should one change from their Oz to their UK passport and then back to their Oz passport? And how to make sure airlines get the relevant passport details for the relevant flights, including making sure the relevant immigration authorities correctly know your whereabouts. For instance, lets say I fly from Darwin to Singapore on an Oz passport. The Singapore authorities then record on their immigration system that I have arrived on say, Oz passport number 12345678, on say January 1st, 2015. I then leave Singapore on say January 2nd, 2015 (for a flight to the UK) on my UK passport, say UK passport number 87654321. I see 2 problems with this: 1. Upon departure on January 2nd, 2015 the Singapore immigration officials may grill me extensively on why I don't have a stamp in my UK passport showing when I arrived into Singapore. They may also be angry that my UK passport isn't even showing up on their system. Could they assume that I have sneaked into Singapore illegally? 2. The 2nd fear I have is that if I ever return to Singapore on my Oz passport (12345678) I may be arrested for overstaying my welcome (because there would be no evidence on their system that I departed Singapore after my visit on 1st January, 2015 as I departed Singapore on my UK passport) - which may result in a fine and a lengthy stay in a Singapore jail? I am looking for the best way to solve this problem. Hope somebody can advize. Kind Regards, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi Gary! I'm not quite with it today so please excuse me! but can I ask why you need to change the passports at all. If you have your Australian one you can use that to fly to the UK and back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyjames Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi Pom Queen, Thanks for the reply. Basically, it is so that I am treated as a local person (ie. British person) with all the rights that that entails, when I arrive in the UK. And to avoid being treated as a foreigner (ie. an Ozzie) with all the questions and visa issues that that entails if I was to arrive in the UK on an Ozzie passport. I also want the option to be able to stay in the UK for a reasonable period of time without having to mess around with visa paperwork - which may happen if I was to arrive as an Ozzie on an Ozzie passport. Kind Regards, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cez Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Leave Oz on your Oz passport. Enter singapore on your british. Leave sing on your british. Enter uk on british. Leave uk on british. Enter sing on Oz, leave sing on Oz and enter aus on Oz. would that work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyjames Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi Cez, Thanks for the reply to my post. Much appreciated. From my understanding, when I book a flight online (eg. with Jetstar), I have to put in my passport number (and possibly the nationality of the passport). So, to follow your solution, let's say I was to put my Oz passport details in the Jetstar website when making the online booking (eg. Australian passport number 12345678). I then land in Singapore, but I pull out my UK passport (eg. UK passport number 87654321) at the Customs Area. Would not the Singapore authorities have on their system that a person from Australia (ie. me) on such and such an Australian passport number (eg. 12345678) on such and such Jetstar flight is scheduled to arrive into Singapore? If so, then wouldn't the Singapore authorities be alarmed and/or confused and/or angry that I haven't shown my Oz passport, but a UK passport which they have no records of? I think your solution could work, providing the Singapore authorities don't communicate with Jetstar about who is arriving and what their passport details are. Do you know if the communicate such information? Kind Regards, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cez Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I think you'll be fine. I live in singapore and my partner flies to and from Oz and the uk. He uses his Oz passport to enter and leave the country, as this is the passport his SG visa is attached to, but enters the uk on his british passport. I don't think you'll have a problem. Also singapore gets a lot of trade from being an international air hub and would try to shy away from chucking people into prison for stuff like this! If you're really worried you could always give jetstar your Oz passport number only, then use your uk passport when you physically get to the uk. You'd have no issues there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Like Cez says, you won't have a problem. I travel on my UK passport all the time except for leaving Aus, showing it at the check in desk in London and entering Aus in which case I use the Aus one. Basically once I've gone through all Aus passport stuff it stays in the bag until I check in at LHR. Interesting, I don't think I've ever had to give a passport number when booking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docboat Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 The only issue for the flight booking is to ensure that you have a valid visa for the country you are entering. You can use your Australian passport - all the way to the UK, if you want, show the UK one on entry to the UK. And ditto for the return. As long as your passport is valid with 6 months or more, you are fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce 7 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 This is something I also wanted to know. I am flying back to the UK in April for the first time since becoming a citizen. When I booked my flights they took my Oz passport number. Going Oz straight to Dubai, Dubai to Glasgow and same coming back. Not too worried about entering UK with British passport but when what about at Dubai and when I check in to come back do I show my UK or Oz passport, or do I only show UK passport at passport control? I am sure it is all very simple but at the moment I just can't get my head around it! Thanks Elena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainR Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Put your OZ passport on everything, use the OZ passport though the whole journey and only show your British passport when entering the UK, it really isn't a problem. As for no stamps, well I have just been in Singapore several times recently on a diplomatic entry, and never had any stamps because of that, no other country questions it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.