Flying to UK for family funeral

[Yorkygirl]

Hi

I am British born but Australian citizen. I have been here 50+ years.

I have booked a one way ticket to UK flying out on 2/9. I will he using my Aus passport.

At the time of booking my father was in palliative care. Because of this I wasn't sure of a return date.

My father has since passed away and his funeral is on 9/9.

Am I okay to travel without a return ticket.

I don't have a UK passport.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

[Quoll]

So sorry for your loss, it's a really extra hard time to be dealing with family deaths but (here's the hard question) - are you sure you need to return for his funeral? ( I assume you have an exemption to leave, you dont mention that.)  Is there something that you really have to do to sort out his affairs or is that something you can delegate to other family members?  Having watched my dad's funeral via face time from my daughter in law's phone last year, I wont say it is easy but it could well be considerably easier than dealing with the hassles of going - what are the quarantine arrangements in UK at the moment for example - and then the problems of getting a flight back and quarantine etc etc.  I can see the desire to return to visit him while alive but what do you think he would have said about you returning for a funeral?  My folk always said, "dont bother to come back for a funeral".

If you do go, you will get a 6 month visa stamped in your Australian passport.  It would be a wise move to get yourself a UK passport as soon as you can - let them know you arrived on your Aus passport and they wont chase you for being an overstayer if you arent able to get back to Aus or choose to stay in UK.  It's a fairly straightforward process done, largely, on line.

Good luck.

[Yorkygirl]

Thsnks Quoll.

So it's ok for me to have a one way ticket?

Yes I have a travel exemption and am fully vaxxed (if that counts?).

I would like to go to UK to support my step mum who has taken Dad's loss very hard.

I am now retired so don't need to worry about when I return but would hate to be turned away at the gate!

I am going to see about getting a UK passport asap.

Thanks again.

[Parley]

54 minutes ago, Yorkygirl said:

Thsnks Quoll.

So it's ok for me to have a one way ticket?

Yes I have a travel exemption and am fully vaxxed (if that counts?).

I would like to go to UK to support my step mum who has taken Dad's loss very hard.

I am now retired so don't need to worry about when I return but would hate to be turned away at the gate!

I am going to see about getting a UK passport asap.

Thanks again.

It could be worthwhile taking your British Birth Certificate, so you can show you are a British Citizen if need be, even if you don't currently have a UK passport.

[Quoll]

2 hours ago, Yorkygirl said:

Thsnks Quoll.

So it's ok for me to have a one way ticket?

Yes I have a travel exemption and am fully vaxxed (if that counts?).

I would like to go to UK to support my step mum who has taken Dad's loss very hard.

I am now retired so don't need to worry about when I return but would hate to be turned away at the gate!

I am going to see about getting a UK passport asap.

Thanks again.

Yup the one way is fine but be sure to take all documentation you may need to renew your UK passport (bc, old passport etc) and if you have time and can get a UK size passport photograph and have it verified by someone who has known you for years and isnt a family member that might be something you can do to start the process.   Be prepared for a very long wait to get a return though, you only have to look on here to see the difficulty people are having at getting a flight.  I think there may be repatriation flights but they go faster than hot cakes.  If you can get yourself established as ordinarily resident there (get something with your address on it etc etc), you should also be covered by the NHS because otherwise you are going to struggle to get indefinite travel insurance.  Assume that you are going to stay then if you dont that's in the lap of the Gods.

[Yorkygirl]

Thanks for your advice. I expect to be away a while.