suesmalls Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Hi All Just wanted to get some input from those who have left Australia and returned to England or entered for the first time as British citizen. So I'm dual citizen but born in Australia. We're leaving on 26 July and haven't booked tickets as waiting on 100% confirmation of house settlement. Now I'm ready to book tickets and went to Flight Centre to get comparative quote. I was talking passports and she just called me to say that I can't leave Australia on Aussie passport and enter on British passport. I've never lived in England and have a new British passport (got last year but has no stamps - yet). According to Flight Centre I can only use one passport on the one trip - so obviously I need to enter England on British passport to start my entry and confirm my rights to be there. As it's a one way ticket I imagine there's going to be questions at immigration in England (we don't have jobs to go to). What did other people do when leaving Australia - most of the persons on this forum I'd suggest are British and now returning but have Australian passports - any help asap would be appreciated. Did you leave Australia on your British passport? Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 I believe if you hold both you must leave Australia on your Australian passport. Then you'd need to enter the UK on your UK passport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 What you do is quote the British passport to the airline for your flight to the UK and enter the UK using that. But when you exit Australia through the gate you show your Aussie passport. Maybe a bit confusing but show your British passport at the checkin desk and present your Australian passport when you leave the country. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Flight centre don't know what they are talking about. My kids have been dual citizens since birth and have travelled between countries lots of times using both passports with no problems. Generally we check in with the passport of destination, go through outbound immigration with the passport of residence and inbound immigration with the passport of the country we are visiting. So going from Australia to UK we check in with UK passport, go through immigration in Australia with Australia passport and immigration in the UK with the UK passport. The only thing we have had is last time we went to check in for a trip to the UK they asked for the Australian passports because we had entered the country on them and the records weren't matching. If you are unsure about which passport to use have both handy and offer both whenever asked. We did that a few times on our first few trips. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottieGirl Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 (edited) Flight Centre are wrong Chicken 66 is correct. I once got a lecture from a pompous immigration officer when I tried to use the wrong one, you always enter and leave a country on the same one. So Uk passport for entering and leaving the UK and Aussie passport for Aus. Always carry both , one trip I was asked for both each time. I suspect there was some kind of alert going on. Edited July 3, 2017 by ScottieGirl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 However the UK does not insist that you use a UK passport. So if travelling to the UK for a holiday, if you are an ozzie passport holder you can use your ozzie passport and just enter as a tourist (max 6 months stay). You should then also leave on your oz passport of course. Australia however, like the USA states that if you hod, an oz passport you MUST use it to enter and depart. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottieGirl Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 20 minutes ago, Nemesis said: However the UK does not insist that you use a UK passport. So if travelling to the UK for a holiday, if you are an ozzie passport holder you can use your ozzie passport and just enter as a tourist (max 6 months stay). You should then also leave on your oz passport of course. Australia however, like the USA states that if you hod, an oz passport you MUST use it to enter and depart. They do if you are intending to stay longer than 6 months though and the queue for other nationals makes it a no brainer to enter on your British one! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinbjulieb Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 We left on our Australian passports and arrived using our British ones and that way you get to stand in the (generally) smaller and faster moving queue![emoji4]Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 2 minutes ago, ScottieGirl said: They do if you are intending to stay longer than 6 months though and the queue for other nationals makes it a no brainer to enter on your British one! when I get to Heathrow I look for the shortest queue, eu/uk or other nationalities. however one could be mistaken for thinking one was in other nationalities when actually in the uk queue! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottieGirl Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 2 minutes ago, Keith and Linda said: when I get to Heathrow I look for the shortest queue, eu/uk or other nationalities. however one could be mistaken for thinking one was in other nationalities when actually in the uk queue! I have one of the new E passports, got through immigration in less than 5 minutes last time. Took longer to walk to the barriers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suesmalls Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 So what Flight Centre have told me is incorrect and we leave Australia on our Aussie passports and enter England on our British - so most have done this and not come across any issues? I guess when leaving Australia and they note one way ticket we will have British passport with us to have some form of evidence we're British citizens. Has any dual citizen left Australia on their British passport out of interest? Is that allowed? is there any benefit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 31 minutes ago, suesmalls said: So what Flight Centre have told me is incorrect and we leave Australia on our Aussie passports and enter England on our British - so most have done this and not come across any issues? I guess when leaving Australia and they note one way ticket we will have British passport with us to have some form of evidence we're British citizens. Has any dual citizen left Australia on their British passport out of interest? Is that allowed? is there any benefit? Yup, totally incorrect. You must leave Australia on your Aus passport, they don't give a toss how many other passports you have or when you use them once out of their jurisdiction. I generally put my Aus one away once I'm on the plane out then use my UK one at transits. As you can get a 6 month visitor visa stamped in your Australian passport in entry to U.K. The airlines aren't bothered that you have a UK visa. If you are intending to reside in UK then definitely enter on your UK visa otherwise you'd have to leave once your visitor visa expires. I believe it is possible for a dual citizen to leave on the "other" passport (that's what passport means after all) but they give you a hard time over it. If they did, you could ask the British High Commission to intervene for you! i can't recall having to give my passport details when booking tickets but I usually do it on line and I suppose some database somewhere might have a number. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suesmalls Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 Thanks for that. Think flight centre we're trying to help but probably have got the info wrong. I've just booked ticket direct myself with Qatar Airways. No passport number needed. Ok so I'm going. Now just a big 4 bedroom house to cull & 2 cars to sell. Oh and I guess a job needed in England and somewhere to live. Minor details. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 9 hours ago, suesmalls said: Thanks for that. Think flight centre we're trying to help but probably have got the info wrong. I've just booked ticket direct myself with Qatar Airways. No passport number needed. Ok so I'm going. Now just a big 4 bedroom house to cull & 2 cars to sell. Oh and I guess a job needed in England and somewhere to live. Minor details. Did I see somewhere you were heading for Peterborough? Just down (or, more correctly up) the road from me. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 12 hours ago, ScottieGirl said: I have one of the new E passports, got through immigration in less than 5 minutes last time. Took longer to walk to the barriers. Does depend on the time of landing amongst other flights, shortest queue works both ways, E gates bah humbug! doesn't always read your pass port last time I got through but would not read Linda's and it is difficult for anyone to help (ie me), so you have to go to different queue and wait and more thorough checks are made and I'm not there for support. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suesmalls Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 Hi @Quoll Yes we will be in Whittlesey actually - this is where most of (husband's) family are based and there was some that used to be in St Neotz. My family were originally from Manchester (Salford and Stockport) and I've never met anyone outside my Mum, Dad and brothers. So hopefully I can start to track down the long lost family - have connected with two 2nd cousins on Facebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deryans Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 out on an Aussie, in on a UK, if it's biometric and you're not travelling as a family, go to the beam-me-up scotties and have it scanned, that's what I did and a very nice young man from the HO said welcome to the UK sir.... suits you 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pome sammy Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 I've been a dual citizen since 1993 and have always left Australia on Oz passport and when arrived in UK used British passport, same the other way. Never had an issue. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melby Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Hi suesmall's We are heading to England to for the first time to ever live - we are based in Melbourne Australia! Looking at a time to book, we have two young children. We have sold our house but settlement is August and seems to rushed. Thinking January of booking the one way ticket. we are heading there in October to check out the areas and get a feel. Where abouts are you heading? Have you booked your flights? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suesmalls Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 Thanks everyone for the clarification on the passport. Hi @Melby We're probably one of the few on this forum that have never lived in England. I'm getting good advice and guidance so I'm appreciative; it's been very helpful. We sold our house in Perth in June & settlement is 26 July. Same day we fly out at 9.55pm that night. 2 cats flying same day on Emirates. We're going with Qatar and we'll be staying in Peterborough (Whittlesey) at first until we find work and where that takes us. Would be nice to stay around the Cambridge area. Finish at work tomorrow. Paul from Chess dropping in this Friday for catch up & dropping some boxes. Going to pack my bedroom before pack up day so cats can be kept in one room while lots going on. There's definitely things I'm not going to be able to sort before we go. Will have to finish from England. Do you have any destination in mind? We're moving to be closer to family & change of lifestyle. So hope that works out for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melby Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 On 05/07/2017 at 23:05, suesmalls said: Thanks everyone for the clarification on the passport. Hi @Melby We're probably one of the few on this forum that have never lived in England. I'm getting good advice and guidance so I'm appreciative; it's been very helpful. We sold our house in Perth in June & settlement is 26 July. Same day we fly out at 9.55pm that night. 2 cats flying same day on Emirates. We're going with Qatar and we'll be staying in Peterborough (Whittlesey) at first until we find work and where that takes us. Would be nice to stay around the Cambridge area. Finish at work tomorrow. Paul from Chess dropping in this Friday for catch up & dropping some boxes. Going to pack my bedroom before pack up day so cats can be kept in one room while lots going on. There's definitely things I'm not going to be able to sort before we go. Will have to finish from England. Do you have any destination in mind? We're moving to be closer to family & change of lifestyle. So hope that works out for us. Hello! I'm sure it will work out great for you. We are not sure yet of our destination have a few lined up. Norfolk, Suffolk or Yorkshire - trying to decide. And will suss it out more once as have a look in October. We plan on making the big move beginning of January. Our house settles late August here in Victoria. Gives me plenty of time to organise things this end etc. You will have a busy day wow on the day of house settlement! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suesmalls Posted July 8, 2017 Author Share Posted July 8, 2017 So sold a few items today. Still need to sell our main car. Had a unexpected buyer come to look today. He's keen but needs 2 weeks to get his tax sorted. Let's hope it all comes together 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collie Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Don't tell any buyers that you are leaving in a few weeks, they will wait until the last minute and low ball you. Also don't hold it for anyone (unless they are willing to put down a large deposit - to take it off the market) If need be, can you leave the car with family to sell for you after you've gone? Better than sellig when desperate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suesmalls Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 We haven't told prospective buyer. Only problem is it's a Leaseplan car & it just be sold by 24 July. So we're quite anxious. We had serious buyer on Saturday but they're waiting for their tax return. We're hoping it works out. Cross fingers everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Har00n Posted July 12, 2017 Share Posted July 12, 2017 In the same boat as you, sue... Got a car and motorbike to sell before we head back at end of August. Am tempted to just take a hit ont htem both, if it means getting them sold. have them on Gumtree,facebook, carsales etc, but not getting anywhere..... anxious is the right word... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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