Moving Home and Passports

[Clair]

Hi there,

I was wondering if anyone could help me with the following:

I'm planning on returning to live in England after 22years in Perth, Australia. I have both an old Great Britain passport (the blue one) which expired in 2001 and an Australian passport (which expired in 2015).

Will I need to renew both passports to relocate back home or can I pay for just one passpost renewal? Do I need a special visa? I'm really confused, especially with the covid-19 situation.

If anyone would be so kind as to help me I would be so grateful!!

Cheers, Clair

[Marisawright]

Strictly speaking, you should leave Australia on your Australian passport and enter the UK on your British one.   However, we've had many members who've never bothered renewing their British passport and have travelled back and forth repeatedly with no problems over the years..

However, with Covid, and never knowing when borders are going to be closed or restricted to citizens or who knows what,  I would just bite the bullet and renew both to be on the safe side.  Once you've got them, you'll have one less thing to stress about.  

You dont need any visa to enter the UK, just show your passport.  You will need to apply to Australia for a travel exemption of course, and be sure to supply plenty of proof that you're moving permanently.

Edited June 9, 2021 by Marisawright

[AliQ]

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Strictly speaking, you should leave Australia on your Australian passport and enter the UK on your British one.   However, we've had many members who've never bothered renewing their British passport and have travelled back and forth repeatedly with no problems over the years..

However, with Covid, and never knowing when borders are going to be closed or restricted to citizens or who knows what,  I would just bite the bullet and renew both to be on the safe side.  Once you've got them, you'll have one less thing to stress about.  

You dont need any visa to enter the UK, just show your passport.  You will need to apply to Australia for a travel exemption of course, and be sure to supply plenty of proof that you're moving permanently.

Hi Clair,

Take Marisawright's advice and re new both. 

When applying for your exemption, make sure you send a STAT DEC. We now have our's, after a refusal. We fly back to the UK this July.

Good luck with your planning

 

[Clair]

Thank you so much both of you. I did feel that renewing both during this time with covid was the best way and you have both confirmed it for me. Thank you!!

Sorry to ask but how do I apply for an exception to leave?

Cheers, Clair.x

[AliQ]

5 hours ago, Clair said:

Thank you so much both of you. I did feel that renewing both during this time with covid was the best way and you have both confirmed it for me. Thank you!!

Sorry to ask but how do I apply for an exception to leave?

Cheers, Clair.x

Hi Clair, go to website - covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au

Here you will find all the criteria, form, and how to apply.

[Marisawright]

@Clair, as Ali says, it's all on the website. This is the link: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia

You want to apply under the category "you are travelling for urgent or unavoidable personal business".  Your personal business is that you are relocating permanently.   

If you need to make a statutory declaration, here's the best form to use:

https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/publications/commonwealth-statutory-declaration-form

You'll need to get it witnessed by a Justice of the Peace, ring your local library or council to find one (there's no charge).

However the most important thing is to attach proof, such as notice to your employer, notice to your landlord/evidence you've put your house on the market, a quote for shipping your belongings.  They recommend you don't book flights until you've got the exemption. 

One question I can't answer - I'm assuming the exemption will be linked to your passport, so I don't know whether it would confuse matters if you applied for the exemption before you renew your Australian passport. Might be better to do the passport first?

[Cup Final 1973]

Just to add to what’s been posted, you can only apply for exemption within 2 months of wanting to leave.

[Clair]

Wow!! I truly had no idea of all the red tape.

Thank you so much to everyone that has taken the time to help me. I truly appreciate it

[Gary H]

Unfortunately a fair bit of red tape, plus depending on which route you take a possible stop over, look into relocation flights (inbound) as they occasionally offer direct Darwin to Uk/Europe flights on flight out

Meanwhile whilst we have to apply for exemptions and struggle with navigating it all, Sco mo visits English Pubs with his team in what he previously stated is a Covid ravaged country, and athletes grin on TV about attending games in Japan. Madness really

Good luck with the move, we are holding tight as we are struggling to get our Dog back right now

[AliQ]

On 10/06/2021 at 09:25, Marisawright said:

One question I can't answer - I'm assuming the exemption will be linked to your passport, so I don't know whether it would confuse matters if you applied for the exemption before you renew your Australian passport. Might be better to do the passport first?

I think you are right Marisawright. Our exemption letter states both our full names and both passport numbers, so it probably is.

[Dusty Plains]

8 hours ago, Gary H said:

Unfortunately a fair bit of red tape, plus depending on which route you take a possible stop over, look into relocation flights (inbound) as they occasionally offer direct Darwin to Uk/Europe flights on flight out

Meanwhile whilst we have to apply for exemptions and struggle with navigating it all, Sco mo visits English Pubs with his team in what he previously stated is a Covid ravaged country, and athletes grin on TV about attending games in Japan. Madness really

Good luck with the move, we are holding tight as we are struggling to get our Dog back right now

Good luck with that.

"Sco mo visits English Pubs with his team in what he previously stated is a Covid ravaged country, and athletes grin on TV about attending games in Japan. Madness really"
WTF?

[Gary H]

16 hours ago, Dusty Plains said:

Good luck with that.

"Sco mo visits English Pubs with his team in what he previously stated is a Covid ravaged country, and athletes grin on TV about attending games in Japan. Madness really"
WTF?

Just last week Scott Morrison was in UK, posing for pics outside a UK pub with his team, the other part is referring to athletes being given exemptions, even from Victoria when it was under recent lockdown "as they had spent a long time preparing " quote from Vic dep Premier. Meanwhile as I said people cannot even travel interstate for personal affairs and relocating overseas has become troublesome. WTF indeed. As soon as things settle down a bit and we can take our dogs reliably, we are out of here, 9 years in the bin company wound up and house sold already. Its all about populist politics with this lot.

 

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/prime-minister-scott-morrison-visited-not-just-one-pub-on-his-uk-visit-but-three/news-story/442d67be936b584a619d88533f593259

 

 

Edited June 20, 2021 by Gary H
Link added

[Marisawright]

13 minutes ago, Gary H said:

As soon as things settle down a bit and we can take our dogs reliably, we are out of here, 9 years in the bin company wound up and house sold already.

I thought you were moving to the Sunshine Coast?

I agree with you that ScoMo should not have gone to the UK.  He was only an "extra", not an actual member of the G7 and nobody paid him much attention anyway. You can bet the UK trade deal was all negotiated before he even got there, it was all grandstanding.  Also completely insensitive to go visiting pubs etc, rubbing people's noses in the fact that he can go on a junket abroad for no good reason, while others can't visit terminally ill relatives.

I also think the Olympics shouldn't be happening, mainly because the majority of Japanese don't want it to run. 

Edited June 20, 2021 by Marisawright

[Gary H]

I cannot see things opening up for at least another year and life is what passes by while you wait for the opportunity. So house sold, have a van moving off see what happens heading south for now.

[Marisawright]

31 minutes ago, Gary H said:

I cannot see things opening up for at least another year and life is what passes by while you wait for the opportunity. So house sold, have a van moving off see what happens heading south for now.

Why not just move back to UK if that's what you really want to do?  Not that hard to achieve at the moment, not half as hard as coming back.

[Gary H]

20 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Why not just move back to UK if that's what you really want to do?  Not that hard to achieve at the moment, not half as hard as coming back.

Maybe not hard for you or as you perceive it.

I have a service dog that needs to be transported with us, plus other issues  that are nobody's concern.  Covid  has made it all but impossible for us now in our situation.

 

[Marisawright]

29 minutes ago, Gary H said:

Maybe not hard for you or as you perceive it.

I have a service dog that needs to be transported with us, plus other issues  that are nobody's concern.  Covid  has made it all but impossible for us now in our situation.

 

Not being nosey, just interested to keep abreast of what's happening if there are more difficulties in moving back compared to recently.  Since getting the travel exemption is fairly straightforward once you understand the system, and there's no cap on numbers departing, I thought the hurdles were reducing rather than increasing.

[Parley]

It is ridiculous to say our PM should not have gone to the G7

Personally invited as one of only 4 adviser countries, he has had personally meetings with Joe Biden, Boris Johnson, The Queen and Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

These are vital relationships for Australia and Scott has won support from all G7 members in our fight with China.

What I find interesting is that he still has to isolate at The Lodge in Canberra on his return despite being fully vaccinated. Does this mean everyone will need to do the same in future after being fully vaccinated?

[Marisawright]

9 minutes ago, Parley said:

What I find interesting is that he still has to isolate at The Lodge in Canberra on his return despite being fully vaccinated. Does this mean everyone will need to do the same in future after being fully vaccinated?

I was reading about this.  It's precautionary because they're still not sure whether being vaccinated stops you spreading the infection. They haven't got enough data yet to tell.  

[ramot]

Just reading in the papers that the PM  had the audacity to stop at a Cornish pub. Had a meal and then went round the cemetery in the village his ancestors lived, before being transported to Australia on the first fleet, while en route back to the airport after meeting the world G7 leaders. Honestly the gotch you pettiness is ridiculous. Yes lots of us would like to travel back to UK to be with family, but I certainly don’t begrudge him catching a short time doing the above, why is that more important news, than being invited to join and meet world leaders and the free trade agreement. More and more the attitude seems to be Let’s criticise everyone all the time, and never give anyone credit for anything any more. 

[ramot]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

I was reading about this.  It's precautionary because they're still not sure whether being vaccinated stops you spreading the infection. They haven't got enough data yet to tell.  

 

1 hour ago, Parley said:

It is ridiculous to say our PM should not have gone to the G7

Personally invited as one of only 4 adviser countries, he has had personally meetings with Joe Biden, Boris Johnson, The Queen and Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

These are vital relationships for Australia and Scott has won support from all G7 members in our fight with China.

What I find interesting is that he still has to isolate at The Lodge in Canberra on his return despite being fully vaccinated. Does this mean everyone will need to do the same in future after being fully vaccinated?

As far as I know.

Unless you are someone ‘important!’ i e a film star, most lesser mortals all have to be PR or citizen to be allowed in permanently, have to have an up to date clear test before travel, and quarantine in hotels etc for 14 days irrespective of being fully vaccinated.

No idea how long these restrictions will be in place, but there is a drive to build specific quarantine accommodation, away from quarantining travellers in hotels in city centres.

Sorry mods this might not be related to the thread, 

Edited June 21, 2021 by ramot

[Gary H]

When planning route back look at Singapore you have then returned from a green status country via a green status country. Routes via the middle east now require a quarantine on return. Even if you have both jabs, although its shortened to 5 days.

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by Gary H

[Nemesis]

11 hours ago, Parley said:

It is ridiculous to say our PM should not have gone to the G7

Personally invited as one of only 4 adviser countries, he has had personally meetings with Joe Biden, Boris Johnson, The Queen and Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

These are vital relationships for Australia and Scott has won support from all G7 members in our fight with China.

What I find interesting is that he still has to isolate at The Lodge in Canberra on his return despite being fully vaccinated. Does this mean everyone will need to do the same in future after being fully vaccinated?

There are many people coming in now who are fully vaccinated. Doesn't matter, they still get locked into quarantine. 

[Marisawright]

36 minutes ago, Nemesis said:

There are many people coming in now who are fully vaccinated. Doesn't matter, they still get locked into quarantine. 

Obviously, since none of the vaccines is 100% effective and also, they're still not sure whether a vaccinated person can carry and transmit the vaccine (even if they don't get it themselves).  Not enough research has been done yet.