Returning to Blighty after nearly 8 years in Queensland!!

[Toots]

14 hours ago, bunbury61 said:

marbella on the costa del sol SOUNDS good in the winter ...but the weather is only 5-10c warmer than here ....no good ?

I was in Madrid one winter   ..........................  bloody freezing - probably a bit warmer on the coast though.  I know a few retirees who went to Spain even in my parents era back in the early 1960's.  Must have been a bit like little Britain.  

[Home and Happy]

On ‎19‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 16:06, bunbury61 said:

but not in Birmingham ???

Well...that's true.   Take a nice day trip up to Stafford and have a stroll around the old town centre.  

[Kendalg]

I hope to return to the UK in a couple of years time due to a break up. I have dual nationality so need some advice on whether it would be better to return on my Aussie passport or British one.

I’m not moving any furniture or anything so it’s basically just me.

I used Pension Transfers to transfer my pension out here. Did anyone transfer it back or does it have to stay here until retirement?

Any advice on what I need to do before returning would be really helpful.

Thanks

Kendal

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Kendalg said:

I hope to return to the UK in a couple of years time due to a break up. I have dual nationality so need some advice on whether it would be better to return on my Aussie passport or British one.

 

If you hold a UK passport and are returning to the UK to live, your UK passport is the one to use surely. 

[Gbye grey sky]

8 minutes ago, Kendalg said:

I hope to return to the UK in a couple of years time due to a break up. I have dual nationality so need some advice on whether it would be better to return on my Aussie passport or British one.

I’m not moving any furniture or anything so it’s basically just me.

I used Pension Transfers to transfer my pension out here. Did anyone transfer it back or does it have to stay here until retirement?

Any advice on what I need to do before returning would be really helpful.

Thanks

Kendal

Pensions cannot be transferred back.

[bunbury61]

On ‎02‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 17:37, Home and Happy said:

Well...that's true.   Take a nice day trip up to Stafford and have a stroll around the old town centre.  

as you can see from my photos - iam all over the midlands , Stafford included .

I was in Cheshire the other day ,that was quite nice

[Amber Snowball]

22 hours ago, Kendalg said:

I hope to return to the UK in a couple of years time due to a break up. I have dual nationality so need some advice on whether it would be better to return on my Aussie passport or British one.

I’m not moving any furniture or anything so it’s basically just me.

I used Pension Transfers to transfer my pension out here. Did anyone transfer it back or does it have to stay here until retirement?

Any advice on what I need to do before returning would be really helpful.

Thanks

Kendal

You are usually required to leave Australia on your Australian passport (Australia likes this) and then enter the UK on your British one. Or at least that is what I do and it goes pretty smoothly.

unfortunately your pension has to stay here.

If you are just moving with a suitcase probably not much to do, you lucky thing, except maybe open a fx account to transfer any money back as they are better than the banks. Moneycorp are on the forum. I have just opened an account to prepare for my move.

Sorry to hear of your break up but good luck with your plans.

 

[Marisawright]

23 hours ago, Kendalg said:

I hope to return to the UK in a couple of years time due to a break up. I have dual nationality so need some advice on whether it would be better to return on my Aussie passport or British one.

I used Pension Transfers to transfer my pension out here. Did anyone transfer it back or does it have to stay here until retirement?

Strictly speaking, I believe you're supposed to enter Britain on your British passport.  However, as a British citizen, you can't be refused entry, so you could use your Australian one and bring your expired British one with you.  

Personally, I'd spend the money and get the UK passport since you've got time to do so, that flight is bad enough without having hassles at the end of it!

I assume you're talking about a personal pension so no, it can't be transferred back.  Make sure you write to your superannuation fund as soon as you leave work, to let them know you're leaving the country.  Ask them to cancel all insurances because they won't be valid anyway - that will save you in fees.  

Since you don't have much to take with you, it will be as simple as booking AirBnB or a holiday flat for 3 or 4 weeks, packing your suitcase and getting on the flight.

The only thing to watch out for is bank accounts.  Don't close your Australian bank account or cut up your credit cards, as it can take a month or two to get a British bank account activated.  If you've got your British passport, you can open a bank account with Barclays the day you arrive - but you can only put money in, you can't get any out!  To activate the account, you need to have a utility bill or bank statement with your UK address on it, and then you need to have a face-to-face interview with a bank official, and then you have to wait for your cards to arrive.

A clever tip, if you've got family in the UK, is to change the address on your Australian bank account or credit cards about two months before you leave.  Don't put "c/o" your folks, just put your name and the address as though it's where you live (also make sure it shows your full name, not just your initials).   Then request a printed statement.  That way, the statement ill be waiting for you when you arrive, and you can use that as proof of residence.    

How long have you been away?   If it's more than 5 or 6 years, you may not have any credit rating so you may not get a credit card, or if you do, it'll be a very low limit.

Edited April 27, 2018 by Marisawright

[LKC]

We entered the UK to live on expired British passports without any bother at all, having travelled on our Aussie ones.  The border control officer just laughed at how the kids didn't look like their photos any more (they were 6 months and 1 in their passport photos, and 9 and 11 when we returned), and waved us through with a cheery 'Welcome home"!

[Martinbjulieb]

On 26/04/2018 at 12:34, Gbye grey sky said:

Pensions cannot be transferred back.

Mmmmmm, they can’t do enough to help you transfer your pensions in from other countries but just try to transfer it out again when you leave??Not bitter at all!!

[simmo]

Looking like the "customs partnership" is a non starter.

 

[Gbye grey sky]

6 hours ago, Martinbjulieb said:

Mmmmmm, they can’t do enough to help you transfer your pensions in from other countries but just try to transfer it out again when you leave??Not bitter at all!!

That might have been the case once but it is bloody hard to transfer your pension from the UK to Australia now.

[Lady Tottington]

We entered the UK to live on expired British passports without any bother at all, having travelled on our Aussie ones.  The border control officer just laughed at how the kids didn't look like their photos any more (they were 6 months and 1 in their passport photos, and 9 and 11 when we returned), and waved us through with a cheery 'Welcome home"!

I too entered on an Expired UK passport 8 months ago, still expired today lol as for my kids (3&5) they are here on their Aussie passports not even applied for UK ones, don't see the point in applying or renewing till we book an overseas holiday [emoji16]

[LKC]

30 minutes ago, Lady Tottington said:

I too entered on an Expired UK passport 8 months ago, still expired today lol as for my kids (3&5) they are here on their Aussie passports not even applied for UK ones, don't see the point in applying or renewing till we book an overseas holiday

We renewed our British ones a couple of months ago, because we had a holiday to Greece booked, and our Aus passports were due to expire when we were there.  It was really easy to organise, and they were back within a couple of weeks.  I don't know that we'll renew our Aus passports at the moment.  We live in Scotland, and I think we'd have to go to London to do it.  Not that bothered at the moment, to be honest.  Australia seems like a distant dream, we've settled so well here.

[ramot]

23 minutes ago, LKC said:

We renewed our British ones a couple of months ago, because we had a holiday to Greece booked, and our Aus passports were due to expire when we were there.  It was really easy to organise, and they were back within a couple of weeks.  I don't know that we'll renew our Aus passports at the moment.  We live in Scotland, and I think we'd have to go to London to do it.  Not that bothered at the moment, to be honest.  Australia seems like a distant dream, we've settled so well here.

Slightly off subject, but I thought about you with the news of the horrific fires in Greece and hoped you weren’t affected. Good to see you are ok. xM

[LKC]

Thanks for the thoughts Ramot.  We got back two weeks ago and were on Kefalonia (gorgeous and well worth a visit), so we weren't affected.  The fires near Athens have been horrific, even one life lost is too many, and it seems that the fires were lit deliberately which somehow makes it worse.  Sadly, I think we are likely to see more of this sort of event in the future.

[Alltogethernow]

Best of luck on your return journey, and new adventure. 

ATN

[bunbury61]

3 hours ago, LKC said:

Thanks for the thoughts Ramot.  We got back two weeks ago and were on Kefalonia (gorgeous and well worth a visit), so we weren't affected.  The fires near Athens have been horrific, even one life lost is too many, and it seems that the fires were lit deliberately which somehow makes it worse.  Sadly, I think we are likely to see more of this sort of event in the future.

they are telling us ,here in the u.k ,to prepare for of these hot summers ? ,and the rain that follows ..

did anyone see the global heat map of 1976 , when Britain had the last major heatwave ,and the global heat map of 2018 - big changes

 

[Home and Happy]

19 hours ago, Lady Tottington said:

I too entered on an Expired UK passport 8 months ago, still expired today lol as for my kids (3&5) they are here on their Aussie passports not even applied for UK ones, don't see the point in applying or renewing till we book an overseas holiday

Correct if its expired its not an issue, you are British, the old passport proves this,  and you are back in your home country  - welcome back !  Baggage hall, this way Sir !  Renew it at home, much cheaper and faster

[Home and Happy]

6 hours ago, bunbury61 said:

they are telling us ,here in the u.k ,to prepare for of these hot summers ? ,and the rain that follows ..

did anyone see the global heat map of 1976 , when Britain had the last major heatwave ,and the global heat map of 2018 - big changes

 

Yep its official, we are becoming a warm country for half the year at least......!  Maybe if the free movement between Australia & UK actually happens, all the Aussies will come here for their sun tans ?.  

[bunbury61]

15 hours ago, Home and Happy said:

Yep its official, we are becoming a warm country for half the year at least......!  Maybe if the free movement between Australia & UK actually happens, all the Aussies will come here for their sun tans ?.  

joking aside with the temps rising , in parts of the world ,you may end up with the population becoming more nocturnal .

in parts of the middle east recently ,its been that hot ,people were going about their business ,during the hours of darkness ,when it was obviously cooler

no thanks

this recent spell has been enough for most here .....raining now ...much needed

[simmo]

On 26/02/2018 at 22:25, Toots said:

I was in Madrid one winter   ..........................  bloody freezing - probably a bit warmer on the coast though.  I know a few retirees who went to Spain even in my parents era back in the early 1960's.  Must have been a bit like little Britain.  

I was stuck in Madrid.  I went to pick up a car and it snowed heavily and the surrounding mountains make Madrid like a big bowl and i was stuck there for a week until the mountain passes where drivable.