UK VISIT

[Parley]

1 minute ago, Quoll said:

Not necessarily. I always show an Australian passport leaving Australia but I enter UK on a UK passport - probably because UK does a border visa for Australians so there is no visa check. At the check in desk  in UK I have to show Australian passport in lieu of a visa for entry. I then use my UK passport for all travel until I reach Australia. The airline doesn't make a record of my passport number when I book the ticket, they don't need to. 

I am sure they do record it and you have probably forgotten. I know I have when booking overseas flights with Jetstar and Air Asia online.

There aer probably lots of checks that happen like making sue you aren't on a interpol red notice, or behind in child support etc, do not fly list etc.

I'm sure if i book a flight online with Qantas it it will ask. What if your passport is expired? You need 6 months validity. You don't want nasty surprises at the airport when it is too late.

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, Parley said:

Exactly. So my point was you need to show the same passport to the customs staff at your destination. They know you arriving. If you show a different passport it will cause issues.

Actually this is not true.  When I travel, I always leave Australia on my Australian passport and arrive in the UK using my British one.  Never had a problem, and I was always told that's what I was supposed to do.

Customs in the UK does not get advised who is arriving and don't care.  As far as they're concerned, it's the airline's job to make sure everyone who gets on the plane has the right to travel. It would be extra work to track that, so they don't do it. All they  do is check whatever documents people present to them. 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Marisawright

[Cup Final 1973]

I’ve always travelled using my 2 passports like Marisa.  I assumed they were linked on the computer system the immigration agent uses.

[Parley]

40 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Actually this is not true.  When I travel, I always leave Australia on my Australian passport and arrive in the UK using my British one.  Never had a problem, and I was always told that's what I was supposed to do.

 

Yes you do leave Australia on your Australian passport ie show that to customs staff, but I was referring to checking in with the airline. If flying to London you check-in with the airline with your UK passport. 

For example if flying BA from Melbourne to London you show them and register the UK passport for your flight. Otherwise they would be asking about visas I expect.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Parley

[DIG85]

59 minutes ago, Parley said:

 

For example if flying BA from Melbourne to London you show them and register the UK passport for your flight. Otherwise they would be asking about visas I expect.

An Australian citizen does not need a visa to visit the UK, so they won't ask to see your UK passport when you check in at Melbourne.

[Nemesis]

5 hours ago, Parley said:

I am sure they do record it and you have probably forgotten. I know I have when booking overseas flights with Jetstar and Air Asia online.

There aer probably lots of checks that happen like making sue you aren't on a interpol red notice, or behind in child support etc, do not fly list etc.

I'm sure if i book a flight online with Qantas it it will ask. What if your passport is expired? You need 6 months validity. You don't want nasty surprises at the airport when it is too late.

I must've booked dozens of flights online with Qantas over the years, never had to give any passport details till I get to check-in, where I use my British passport, before using the Ozzie one to actually leave the country.

If you need 6 months validity then its up to you to check and renew in time.

[FirstWorldProblems]

Having flown from the UK to Australia last month and back this month with dual citizens, I can share our experience.

Passport Number & Booking

Whilst you don't need your passport to book, you do need it to check in as others have said.  However things are different at the moment. 

• To leave the UK you must have a fit to fly negative Covid test.  It is a requirement when booking the test to give your passport number.  They absolutely compared these at check-in.
• The same is true to leave Australia.  To book your test you have to provide your passport number and these were checked on departure.
•  
• To enter Australia you need to complete a passenger locator form.  As well as such information as where you will be staying, you also have to provide your passport information and your proof of vaccination - the names of which must match exactly.  
• You have to do the same when returning to the UK but with the added step of having a booked and paid for PCR test on arrival - which again requires your passport number to book
•  
• On arrival into Sydney our vaccine certificates and covid tests were checked after passing through passport control and before collecting baggage.  I was pretty tired so can't remember if they compared them to the passport

So right now, you absolutely need your passport to align to your booking.

Which Passport

I thought I was clear on this but now I'm not so sure.  Here's what we did:

• used Australia passport outbound from the UK and on arrival to Sydney
• used British passport outbound from Sydney and on arrival to London

So one passport for all of the outbound journey and a different passport for the inbound journey.

At check in in Sydney, my son's British passport was flagged because it was a brand new passport and had never been used before.  So it flagged up that you had this person in the country on a passport from outside the country that's never been used.   A 30 second phone call for approval resolved it and the check in lady said it was no issue and we had done nothing wrong.  My daughters British passport didn't flag as it had been used before.

[Rallyman]

I see uk are doing away with pre tests before entering down to costs and effect on dropping numbers of travelling £60 million per week 

[Marisawright]

12 hours ago, Parley said:

Yes you do leave Australia on your Australian passport ie show that to customs staff, but I was referring to checking in with the airline. If flying to London you check-in with the airline with your UK passport. 

For example if flying BA from Melbourne to London you show them and register the UK passport for your flight. Otherwise they would be asking about visas I expect.

That is what I do, HOWEVER if my British passport had expired, I would simply use my Australian one throughout the whole trip, from start to finish, there and back.

If I don't tell anyone that I also hold a British passport, they won't know and will accept the Australian passport.  Holders of Australian passports don't need a visa to enter the UK so visas are not an issue. I know that because I've travelled with my Australian husband often enough and he has never been asked. 

In fact, it has made me wonder why I bother renewing my British passport.  I have always done so, in the belief that it was important for ease of travel around the EU.  However, travelling with my Aussie husband, the only difference was that he had to wait in a longer queue occasionally.  For future trips post-Brexit, of course, there's going to be no benefit at all.  

Edited January 5, 2022 by Marisawright

[Blue Flu]

In times past travelling into UK on an Australian passport (UK expired) was asked a number of questions. Where am I staying? Reasons for coming to UK and on one occasion coming from Paris was searched as well.  

[Marisawright]

17 minutes ago, Blue Flu said:

In times past travelling into UK on an Australian passport (UK expired) was asked a number of questions. Where am I staying? Reasons for coming to UK and on one occasion coming from Paris was searched as well.  

Of course, if you arrive in the UK on an Australian passport, you are arriving as a foreigner and will have to meet the usual requirements for a foreigner, e.g. having sufficient funds for your stay, reason for visit etc.  However for anyone visiting for a holiday, all those things are very easily answered - and most times, the questions are not even asked. 

Even British citizens may be searched on return to the UK, nothing to do with what passport you hold.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Marisawright

[JetBlast]

20 hours ago, Parley said:

show the same passport to the customs staff at your destination.

Customs don't usually check passports. They are more interested with what you're bringing into the country. 

Thinking about it, I don't remember ever being checked at Manchester airport.

[Parley]

23 minutes ago, JetBlast said:

Customs don't usually check passports. They are more interested with what you're bringing into the country. 

Thinking about it, I don't remember ever being checked at Manchester airport.

Your passport will be checked one way or the other. Admittedly these days it might not be a person doing it. You might scan your passport at a e-gate and look at a camera and it may be done electronically. UK Citizens are probably treated as low risk if they are are travelling from a low risk country.

[Marisawright]

17 hours ago, Cup Final 1973 said:

I’ve always travelled using my 2 passports like Marisa.  I assumed they were linked on the computer system the immigration agent uses.

I don't think they are.  In fact the reason you're asked to use the two passports is that the British immigration officer has a record of your British passport but not your Australian one, and vice versa.  

[Marisawright]

38 minutes ago, JetBlast said:

Customs don't usually check passports. .....

Thinking about it, I don't remember ever being checked at Manchester airport.

We're probably being lazy with our words. I'm sure you went through an Immigration desk, unless you were arriving from the EU pre-Brexit.

[JetBlast]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

We're probably being lazy with our words. I'm sure you went through an Immigration desk, unless you were arriving from the EU pre-Brexit.

ah yes - I went through immigration and they are the ones who checked my passport. I always have issues with the electronic gates in the UK. Seem fine in Australia - ironic considering it's a British passport.

Edited January 6, 2022 by JetBlast

[Blue Flu]

7 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Of course, if you arrive in the UK on an Australian passport, you are arriving as a foreigner and will have to meet the usual requirements for a foreigner, e.g. having sufficient funds for your stay, reason for visit etc.  However for anyone visiting for a holiday, all those things are very easily answered - and most times, the questions are not even asked. 

Even British citizens may be searched on return to the UK, nothing to do with what passport you hold.

I was visiting and was asked. They wanted to view a ticket out of the country. 

[Marisawright]

26 minutes ago, Blue Flu said:

I was visiting and was asked. They wanted to view a ticket out of the country. 

I didn't say questions were never asked.  I said they were not always asked, and if you are a genuine holidaymaker with ample funds for your stay, they're not usually a big deal at all, and certainly not unreasonable of them to ask.

[Blue Flu]

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I didn't say questions were never asked.  I said they were not always asked, and if you are a genuine holidaymaker with ample funds for your stay, they're not usually a big deal at all, and certainly not unreasonable of them to ask.

Well it depends. If they suspect for some reason that one is going to work in UK without a permit it can indeed lead to refusal of entry. I have met an Australian it happened to. He wasn't intending to work according to him,  but had to return across The Channel. Luckily he was allowed entry in that country. 

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Blue Flu said:

Well it depends. If they suspect for some reason that one is going to work in UK without a permit it can indeed lead to refusal of entry. I have met an Australian it happened to. He wasn't intending to work according to him,  but had to return across The Channel. Luckily he was allowed entry in that country. 

 Of course that happens to people.   I have used words like "most" and "usually", have I not? All i said was that in my situation, I'm debating whether it's worth having the UK passport.    I doubt they'll be suspicious of a mature lady with ample funds and a return ticket, so whether it happens to other people from time to time isn't really relevant.

Edited January 6, 2022 by Marisawright

[Blue Flu]

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

 Of course that happens to people.   I have used words like "most" and "usually", have I not? All i said was that in my situation, I'm debating whether it's worth having the UK passport.    I doubt they'll be suspicious of a mature lady with ample funds and a return ticket, so whether it happens to other people from time to time isn't really relevant.

Well mature well oiled ladies may well fit a certain profile of bringing in unpleasant things. But I'd always keep my UK passport, even though devalued, at least through my eyes. At the very least a further means of identification. 

[Amber Snowball]

14 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I don't think they are.  In fact the reason you're asked to use the two passports is that the British immigration officer has a record of your British passport but not your Australian one, and vice versa.  

I accidentally gave my British passport to Aus immigration on the way out of Australia and when she checked it she said I have another passport and asked me for it, so presumably as I had to apply for citizenship rather than being born there the system had linked my documents.
I’m always impressed by how linked all the Australian government depts are in terms of who is where, doing what!

[Lorraine1954]

Thank you everyone for your comments. It's all OK he has both passports niw. 

[Amber Snowball]

1 hour ago, Lorraine1954 said:

Thank you everyone for your comments. It's all OK he has both passports niw. 

Excellent news! Much easier.

[Marisawright]

On 05/01/2022 at 15:00, Rallyman said:

Only repeating what I was told by immigration officer upon arrival into uk. 
if you know better go for it I will stick to what I was told. 

The question is, did you tell  him you were British?  Or did you just say, "I'm Australian, here's my passport"?