bobby122 Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Not sure if this is correct place for this. Just wondering if there is any point applying for a UK passport for my newborn son. I am from the UK and my son was born in Australia. My partner is Australian but has both Aus/UK passports. We are planning on visiting UK soon, my partner has always used his UK passport to enter UK but if I get my son an Australian one would he just need a tourist visa to enter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 He doesn't "need" a UK passport as he can be stamped with a 6 month visitor visa on arrival but it never hurts to have a belt in case your braces fail! It's not that expensive a safety net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Our son is a dual citizen and has held both passports since he was very small. Born in the UK, has his Aus passport before his UK one iirc :cute: We use his Aus one to enter and depart Australia and his UK one to enter and depart the UK. TBH the UK passport is easy to apply for and no citizenship by descent application is needed like there is for Australian requirements. I'd always have both passports and keep them up. The UK one is the same price to apply for from overseas and is straightforward enough to get sorted. But yes, your baby can travel on the Aus passport and simply get the visitor visa stamp on it for the UK trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 It depends which passports you and your wife enter the UK on, if it's British then it will be easier for your son to have the same. Otherwise your son will be in a different queue!!! Although I'm sure passport control would cope if you weren't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 You all go through the same queue, they don't like splitting families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bound4Tassie Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 (edited) It depends which passports you and your wife enter the UK on, if it's British then it will be easier for your son to have the same. Otherwise your son will be in a different queue!!! Although I'm sure passport control would cope if you weren't No they wouldn't. Both uk & Aus passport control send you all through together. On the 1 occasion I returned to the UK with baby and husband went in the foreigners queue they told us off!! ...oh and they also didn't like that I had different surname to my daughter!! Said I should've brought her birth certificate too! Edited July 11, 2016 by Bound4Tassie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby122 Posted July 11, 2016 Author Share Posted July 11, 2016 Thanks for the input - think I might as well just get him both then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 No they wouldn't. Both uk & Aus passport control send you all through together. On the 1 occasion I returned to the UK with baby and husband went in the foreigners queue they told us off!! ...oh and they also didn't like that I had different surname to my daughter!! Said I should've brought her birth certificate too! I had the opposite experience. I went through the British line with my British passport but because my young son had an Aussie passport I got told off! The man then proceeded to stamp 'ineligible' to receive NHS treatment, all over his passport. At that point I told him that my son had as much right to be in the country as he did. Oops, but I was very tired after a 24 hour flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 We were told to keep the family together when travelling with the Aussie grandchildren and to go through the UK line - the first time we split up with the DS and I doing the UK line and the granddaughter and her mum the "other", the second time we all went through together. Things may well have tightened up since then though of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Thanks for the input - think I might as well just get him both then! It's not cheap renewing two sets of passports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bound4Tassie Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 I had the opposite experience. I went through the British line with my British passport but because my young son had an Aussie passport I got told off! The man then proceeded to stamp 'ineligible' to receive NHS treatment, all over his passport. At that point I told him that my son had as much right to be in the country as he did. Oops, but I was very tired after a 24 hour flight. How could they possibly expect a young child to queue up on their own with no responsible adult?! I'm not doubting your experience but I don't think that's the norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 How could they possibly expect a young child to queue up on their own with no responsible adult?! I'm not doubting your experience but I don't think that's the norm. We just picked the shortest queue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 How could they possibly expect a young child to queue up on their own with no responsible adult?! I'm not doubting your experience but I don't think that's the norm. I agree, I think I just got a vile individual that day who wanted to be difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 It's pretty expensive keeping two passports going and I've only had an Australian one for years. When my dad died last year the queue for foreign passports was quicker than the UK passport queue in Manchester. You would have to consider how many times he's going to use it. He could always get one in a few years if he goes travelling and thinks dual passports might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 We dont have UK passports anymore, they expired and we had Aus ones so i don't see the need to lay out more money on UK ones. We have just been back to the UK and Europe for a holiday and used Aus ones without an issue. I have read on here about leaving Aus on Aussie passports and entering UK on a British passport but we were told NOT to do this as it confuses the computer system due to different passport numbers.. Personally id save the money and just stick with your Aussie passports. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 It's pretty expensive keeping two passports going and I've only had an Australian one for years. When my dad died last year the queue for foreign passports was quicker than the UK passport queue in Manchester. You would have to consider how many times he's going to use it. He could always get one in a few years if he goes travelling and thinks dual passports might help. One of the obvious advantages of brexit is the UK passport queue will become shorter, as all EU members will have to join the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby122 Posted July 12, 2016 Author Share Posted July 12, 2016 So if me, my partner and son all leave Australia on a UK passport, and enter UK on our UK ones, would they have any problems returning to Australia using the UK ones? Or do you not have to return using the passport you left on? Cos surely that causes problems with immigration? It's not applicable to me as I only have UK passport anyway. For the sale of £70 ish every 5 years I may just get him the UK one in addition to an Australian one, although it probably is a bit unnecessary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 (edited) So if me, my partner and son all leave Australia on a UK passport, and enter UK on our UK ones, would they have any problems returning to Australia using the UK ones? Or do you not have to return using the passport you left on? Cos surely that causes problems with immigration? It's not applicable to me as I only have UK passport anyway. For the sale of £70 ish every 5 years I may just get him the UK one in addition to an Australian one, although it probably is a bit unnecessary Yes. You can't enter Australia on a UK passport without a valid visa (an ETA is a type of visa). If you are an Australian citizen you're not entitled to hold a visa (including an ETA) and so must use an Australian passport. In theory the same applies for entering the UK but they're a lot more relaxed about issuing visas to British citizens for their foreign passports even though they're not supposed to. Edited July 12, 2016 by Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croft Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 Yes. You can't enter Australia on a UK passport without a valid visa (an ETA is a type of visa). If you are an Australian citizen you're not entitled to hold a visa (including an ETA) and so must use an Australian passport. In theory the same applies for entering the UK but they're a lot more relaxed about issuing visas to British citizens for their foreign passports even though they're not supposed to. What you are meant to do is (if you are heading to the UK) check in with the airline with your UK passport. All they care about is that you are permitted to enter the UK and your British passport guarantees that. It also means the UK authorities, when the list of passengers is forwarded to them, is aware of your status. When you out through Australian Passport Control you present you Australian passport, as you are required to do be law. They don't care what passport you gave to the airline, they just need to know whose entering and leaving the country, and it may cause significant problems for you if you leave on a UK passport that doesn't have a valid visa! Now when you get to the UK, you just use you UK passport which should match up with all the records the airline sent to the UK Border Force. Coming back you do it all in reverse. Check in with the Airline with your Australian passport. If you give them your British one the visa check they do there and then will indicate you don't have a visa and you won't be able to board (or not without a lot of phone calls and hassle). Going through UK emigration you give your British passport - that way everything ties up. You entered on your UK passport and left on it. They don't care what you gave to the airline. Once you reach Australia you use your Australian passport, as required by law, and everything ties up. The airline lists and the fact you left Australia and re-entered on the same passport. In summary: 1. Use the passport of the destination country to check in at the airline desk. 2. Use the passport of the country you are in at emigration before you take off. 3. Use the passport of the destination country at immigration when you land. Follow those rules and everything ties up and you'll get no hassles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 Yes but the airlines usually link the e ticket to one passport so that can cause issues too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 One of the obvious advantages of brexit is the UK passport queue will become shorter, as all EU members will have to join the others. You don't think they'd just change the number of desks for British and Overseas passports? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 No that would be far too sensible......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Yes but the airlines usually link the e ticket to one passport so that can cause issues too! We have traveled to and from with UK and Australian passports several times doing what Croft states and have never had an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Airline systems and Immigration systems are not linked. You can show the airline one passport and go through the border with another one. The airline is not bothered - they only worry about whether you will be denied entry at the far end which would leave them liable to fines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby122 Posted October 8, 2016 Author Share Posted October 8, 2016 Right so I finally booked flights for us all to go visit the UK. I've started the application for my sons Australian passport. If I get him a UK one too - is he eligible to use the NHS? Just in case anything happened whilst there. Otherwise still not sure whether to bother with the UK one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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