Rinkie66 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 This is a little late in the day as we fly back to the uk on Tuesday after 9 years in Australia. Our children will be travelling on australian passports, we will get their uk passports once there as haven't had time to do that. We are both British. Has anyone re entered uk on their uk passports without their australian children holding one yet? The only issue I am concerned about is that we have one way tickets so they will know we are intending to stay, we are entitled to but does that entitlement automatically include our children? Anyone have experience of this? TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 It should be fine. They'll get their Aus passports stamped and will be considered tourists for this reason. Once in the UK, get going on the UK passports and all that and it should be fine. I'm sure there is info somewhere on this site about it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstone1975 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I'm guessing your kids got Australian passports so shouldn't be a problem, nothing stopping you entering uk on one way ticket. might be a little delay at passport control though.. If you can I'd make sure you got their birth certificates handy and your marriage cert prove they your children.. This is all tha required to get their British passports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Agatha Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Yes, we went back last August on our UK passports and our kids travelled on their Australian passports. The only hassle was that they made us queue in the "non-EU nationals" line upon arrival rather than letting us join the EU line so we had a bit of a wait (just what you want with a 2.5 year old and a five month old after a 23 hour flight!!) Other than that, all good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Yes, we went back last August on our UK passports and our kids travelled on their Australian passports. The only hassle was that they made us queue in the "non-EU nationals" line upon arrival rather than letting us join the EU line so we had a bit of a wait (just what you want with a 2.5 year old and a five month old after a 23 hour flight!!) Other than that, all good. Odd, as if you are the parents on an EU passport, you should be able to take your kids with you through the EU line (not that its any quicker usually but can be sometimes). Perhaps not anymore though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 We got lots of grief last time we travelled to the UK on Aus passports. The lady at immigration was VERY shitty. At tha time I was happy to have the argument but am in the process of renewing all UK passports for our next move back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Odd, as if you are the parents on an EU passport, you should be able to take your kids with you through the EU line (not that its any quicker usually but can be sometimes). Nope, I 'dared' to go to the EU line (as I had been advised by the British consulate that I was able to do so with my Australian passport carrying baby) and the guy basically shouted at me in front of the whole line. I had just got off a 23 hour flight (on my own) with a 15 month old baby and so yelled right back at him (and I never yell) that my child had the right to be there- as much as he did. He then stamped 'ineligible for NHS' treatment all over the passport. Total jerk. As it was I needed to take my son to the local Doctor halfway through the stay as he became ill - of course no problem at all. It just depends on who you get at passport control and of course to never be rude to a Mum that has not slept one little bit for over 23 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 It'll be interesting to hear how much hassle you get - they will technically be visitors for 6 months and I wonder what will happen if you try and enrol them in school or try and join a GP surgery. Could you get emergency travel documents in that time as you won't be able to get passports obviously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Agatha Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Oh how horrible @Sammy1! We had to take our baby to a GP during our visit and also had no issue at all. When we leave in Feb we'll depart Aus on our Australian passports and enter the UK on our British passports which I think is the right thing to do? Good luck @Rinkie66! I hope you'll come back and update us on life back in the UK, I'm always interested to hear from returnees, especially ones who have been in Australia a long time like us. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rinkie66 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share Posted October 25, 2014 Yes, we went back last August on our UK passports and our kids travelled on their Australian passports. The only hassle was that they made us queue in the "non-EU nationals" line upon arrival rather than letting us join the EU line so we had a bit of a wait (just what you want with a 2.5 year old and a five month old after a 23 hour flight!!) Other than that, all good. thats interesting to know! I might just really try and not get anyone's backs up at passport control. I'm wondering if they will ask the duration of our visit and if I should be honest and say we intend on getting the kids passports etc or if I should just say 6 months, as the flights are cheaper booked from uk anyhow. Any ideas? i checked with my friend who is a GP as my daughter has quite bad reflux still at age nearly 2, so will need a doctor ASAP. He said that's fine as we are both British parents there should be no issue over entitlement to NHS. Not sure about the schools thing, we need to lodge a school application as soon as we get back for my eldest who will start the following September. I will be looking into the passport thing within a couple of weeks of returning, I don't have my birth certificate, lost, so will need that replaced beforehand. My friend did get her australian children their uk passports when back on a 3 week holiday, but I hear that there is quite a backlog this year. After questioning whether to return to the uk for about 4 or more years we committed to return about a year ago when my daughter turned 1. It had been a very hard year for us with 2 children under 2 and no family. I have been desparate many times to jump on a plane and go, but of course now I'm going next week I'm feeling little desire to go at all. I'm hoping it's cold feet. I'm actually terrified to be honest, in 9 years we have only been back twice and I'm wondering if I remember it clearly and be able to settle in etc etc. all my mum friends are in Sydney, though in have to say largely British which doesn't sit well with me, I don't like feeling like and ex pat, reminds me of that awful soap in the 90s, El Dorado. We spent a large amount of time living slightly out of Sydney in an area which didn't suit us, we moved back into Sydney 2 years ago to an area that I truly love and will miss, however I cannot reconcile myself with rIsing my children here away from family (many of whom are too old or can't afford to visit). I can't imagine ev getting rid of the feeling of being "away from home" and I can't live with it. I am of course worried that I will get back "home" and realise it isn't my home either, but I think we have to try. Both countries have amazing qualities, most of which aren't replicable in the other, and they are just so damn far apart. I know I will miss Sydney, but I'm hoping it won't be a real guttural feeling of needing to be there. If it is, I guess we gotta find another 20 grand and move back, I think we have said we will do that if needs be, but that would have to be a final move as we know fully all the conditions and have lived as a family of 4 in both places. I'm sick of feeling rootless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rinkie66 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share Posted October 25, 2014 I don't even want to think about the flight with a nearly 2 year old and a 3 year old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katie22 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 thats interesting to know! I might just really try and not get anyone's backs up at passport control. I'm wondering if they will ask the duration of our visit and if I should be honest and say we intend on getting the kids passports etc or if I should just say 6 months, as the flights are cheaper booked from uk anyhow. Any ideas? i checked with my friend who is a GP as my daughter has quite bad reflux still at age nearly 2, so will need a doctor ASAP. He said that's fine as we are both British parents there should be no issue over entitlement to NHS. Not sure about the schools thing, we need to lodge a school application as soon as we get back for my eldest who will start the following September. I will be looking into the passport thing within a couple of weeks of returning, I don't have my birth certificate, lost, so will need that replaced beforehand. My friend did get her australian children their uk passports when back on a 3 week holiday, but I hear that there is quite a backlog this year. After questioning whether to return to the uk for about 4 or more years we committed to return about a year ago when my daughter turned 1. It had been a very hard year for us with 2 children under 2 and no family. I have been desparate many times to jump on a plane and go, but of course now I'm going next week I'm feeling little desire to go at all. I'm hoping it's cold feet. I'm actually terrified to be honest, in 9 years we have only been back twice and I'm wondering if I remember it clearly and be able to settle in etc etc. all my mum friends are in Sydney, though in have to say largely British which doesn't sit well with me, I don't like feeling like and ex pat, reminds me of that awful soap in the 90s, El Dorado. We spent a large amount of time living slightly out of Sydney in an area which didn't suit us, we moved back into Sydney 2 years ago to an area that I truly love and will miss, however I cannot reconcile myself with rIsing my children here away from family (many of whom are too old or can't afford to visit). I can't imagine ev getting rid of the feeling of being "away from home" and I can't live with it. I am of course worried that I will get back "home" and realise it isn't my home either, but I think we have to try. Both countries have amazing qualities, most of which aren't replicable in the other, and they are just so damn far apart. I know I will miss Sydney, but I'm hoping it won't be a real guttural feeling of needing to be there. If it is, I guess we gotta find another 20 grand and move back, I think we have said we will do that if needs be, but that would have to be a final move as we know fully all the conditions and have lived as a family of 4 in both places. I'm sick of feeling rootless. Only natural to have cold feet and few doubts but when those thoughts pop up just remind yourself of why you're going back and look forward to that extra support you'll be getting which you've missed! To be honest if you don't go back now those desires to return and those feelings of being unsettled will still crop up every now and then and the longer you leave it the harder it gets as your children get older. If you come back again then you come back again. None of us know what the future will bring! All the best on your return and hope the flight goes ok, not great with little ones but there'll be an end to it .......eventually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeboard1980 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Odd, as if you are the parents on an EU passport, you should be able to take your kids with you through the EU line (not that its any quicker usually but can be sometimes). Perhaps not anymore though. It also has to do with immigration officers at some airports not being able to process passports other than EU ones. I guess they don't have the right qualifications and stamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lismith25 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I flew at christmas last year with my 2 on my own, with my eldest on her Australian passport as I procrastinated too long and then the process all changed. I decided to go the non-European line, which was huge!!! But I didn't want to risk being told to join this line after I had already waited in UK line. Anyway my youngest had a massive tantrum in the line, I was on the verge of losing it and we were promptly plucked out and pushed through. The passport control guy told me that we could have entered through the UK line because of me and my passport. So I guess it depends on who you get and how frazzled you look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Agatha Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Rinkie I would just tell them the truth - you decided to move home and didn't have time to apply for the kids British passports before you left but will be doing so ASAP. You'll survive the flight, you might just age a couple of years in the process! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huggy75 Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I know this isn't helpful as you are moving back this week but when I applied for both my Son's UK and Australian passports (from Australia), the UK passport came back in 10 days, the Australian one took 6 weeks Anyway good luck with the move and you're not alone in feeling jittery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gvalps Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Friends of mine went home a few years ago. She is British, her husband had a spousal visa and their 2 kids were travelling on their Aussie passports. They received a stern talking to as they had no visa/British passports for the kids at immigration, but were allowed to enter as long as they applied for the kids British passports ASAP. I am sure you will have no problems unless you are very unlucky. I am interested to see how you find the UK. We are seriously thinking of returning next year after 14 years, with 3 kids in tow and I'm really interested to hear other peoples experiences/thoughts. Good luck with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Friends of mine went home a few years ago. She is British, her husband had a spousal visa and their 2 kids were travelling on their Aussie passports. They received a stern talking to as they had no visa/British passports for the kids at immigration, but were allowed to enter as long as they applied for the kids British passports ASAP. I am sure you will have no problems unless you are very unlucky. I am interested to see how you find the UK. We are seriously thinking of returning next year after 14 years, with 3 kids in tow and I'm really interested to hear other peoples experiences/thoughts. Good luck with it. Australian passport holders do not need a visa to enter the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gvalps Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 They did apparently as they were intending on staying for longer than 6 months. I'm not sure of the deal but I remember my friend telling me that they were told they should have been more organised with regard to the kids as they were migrating over to the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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