Heathrow arrival with official US passport
 

Mrs DCA-SEA and I are traveling to the UK via LHR at the end of the month. She is accompanying me on US government business. I'm traveling on my brand new red official (non diplomat) passport, and bringing my blue passport since we're staying for a couple of days after my work is done. She will have her regular blue passport.

Have any of you ever cleared immigration at LHR on an official US passport? Is there a separate line? If so, can she come with me through it? If she can't, can I go through the regular line with the red passport? Will the official line stamp both my passports, which I've heard I should have done since only part of my trip is "official."?

Thanks!

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a "red official" U.S. Passport?? I have seen a Diplomatic Passport, but never a "red official" one. Thank you.

From wikipedia :
I don't know. I've never heard of them before. But that's what a bit of googling got me.

Official passports are issued to non-diplomats traveling on official USG business. Basically, routine USG employee traveling overseas gets one. That and $3 in local currency gets you a grande latte at well-known US coffee chain.

I understand why diplomats may have special passports, but what is the purpose and benefit of an "official" non-diplomatic passport?

Embassy staff-level employees for some countries travel on official passports, when they are sent abroad for posting in the diplomatic missions. Because they are not at the highest level (e.g. Ambassador or Consular Attache), so they are issued the official one......depending on countries sometimes these enable you to by-pass or not require some visas, such as transit, or short visits, etc.

I guess some sportsmen (for example athletes) would get them too for representing country officially.

A lot of benefits having those than the ordinary ones. They save a lot of hassle in many airports ^

Anyone that's credentialled by a foreign government has a black, diplomatic passport. Well below the "highest levels" (at which attaches certainly are not). Official (Red) passports are for government employees and military/naval service officers and members who travel abroad on official business.

Athletes would not get an official passport in the U.S.; they are not representatives of the U.S. Government.

I travelled on a red passport for years and never saw much benefit (with a few exceptions). In some countries, Mexico in particular, it was cause to be singled out for additional scrutiny. I got to where I would just use my tourist passport in a few places. However, when one of the attaches would meet me with their diplomatic passport it was a completely different story; they basically had no rules and would just breeze me through Immigration and Customs without any hassle at all.

To the OP, I've never seen a separate line anywhere, including the U.K., but I would expect pretty good treatment there and you might even be able to use your passport to jump to the head of the line if you ask.

Sorry, no separate lanes for official or diplomatic passport holders in LHR: only EU/EEA/CH and non-EU lanes. But I love KEF best: two booths and both say "ALL PASSPORTS."

A long time, I had a problem getting into Spain with an official US government employee passport; I was invited by the Spanish government to give a talk. When I got to Spanish passport control, I was told that I needed a visa! If I had a regular passport, I didn't need a visa. I was told to go to the office for further processing.
Fortunately, I was travelling also with a regular Canadian passport and I went to a different line at passport control and got in no problem!

I very much doubt that. And I wouldn't even try - I don't think it would go down very well.

I think the purpose is to identify the traveler as somebody who is traveling on behalf of the US Government in an official capacity (i.e. working for the US Government), but is not high-level enough to qualify for a diplomatic passport. Staff members of diplomats, members of Congress, cultural attachés, contractors, etc.

One advantage is that I think the official passport has no fee. It is issued by a special bureau of the DOS in Washington, not by the regional passport agencies.

At LHR there typically is a special line (can't recall what it's called - but might be special assistance) - ask the person manning the entry point if you can use it - they will likely let you. I did and worked fine (my kid briefly fainted after leaving the plane).

There are a few airports that allow Official Passport holders through the diplo line, very few but again I have seen one or two listed before.

You can check on Timatic but in certain situations those with Official passports do need a visa that tourists don't and sometimes vice-versa. I travelled with an Official Passport when living in certain parts of Europe and there there is little difference paid to them. US military members can normally enter the EU on an ID and orders and don't even need the Official Passport though most have it now so they are used to see lots of them. Technically you are only to use it for official travel.

I've passed through LHR with an Official while connecting and they handle them the same as Tourist (or they did for me).

There shouldn't be.if you had a black diplomat passport thats different

Usually Official passports (Red No Fee) get you nothing except extra scrutiny. The VISA requirements are usually more stringent (you can find the requirements for entry with official passports on the State Department webpage). And in general I've been told its a bad idea to try to enter with one passport and leave on another. Again just invites scrutiny. The Red passport got me the extra super deluxe grilling at TLV.

Special relationship and all that. I don't think there's much downside to trying in the UK.