Two Passports
 

I need some help for a move we are making next year, we are NZ citizens living in Australia on the special category visa we are also UK citizens which we went to NZ with a few years ago. We are moving back to Europe I cannot use our UK passports to leave Australia because there is no visa in them but want to enter Europe (UK) on UK passports can I leave Australia on our NZ passports and enter the UK on our Uk passports? which ones do I list with the airline?

You can - and you put the UK passport in your booking because the information is intended for the authorities in the UK.

I do this the whole time flying from the USA and having both US and UK passports - except I don't put the UK one in the booking for my return flight as the US one is already in it and UA's systems can't cope with two passports.

When leaving Australia, enter the UK passport details online with the airline, show the UK passport to the checkin staff, fill out the departure card with the NZ passport details, hand over the NZ passport and departure card to the Austalian immigration exit check, then the UK passport at boarding.

Really is this legal?

Absolutely legal, and very commonly done (lots of dual AU/NZ and EU passport holders)

Thank you

The principle is that anything related to leaving Australia, such as filling out a departure card, is done with the NZ passport. Anything related to entering the UK, such as having the airline check-in staff confirm that you will be allowed to do that, is done with the UK passport.

Just to confirm, yes, completely legal. I do it all the time travelling between the UK and Australia (except with a British passport and an Australian passport, rather than a New Zealand passport).

The key is to remember the purpose of each passport check:

• At check-in, the airline is interested to know that you have papers that will allow to enter your country of destination. (Show/enter details of your British passport.)
• The security check at Australian airports is designed to check that your boarding card and your passport bear the same name. (So either passport will do, but probably easiest to show your New Zealand passport here.)
• The Australian exit passport check is designed to make sure that you have not been in Australia illegally or in contravention of any visa. (Enter details of your New Zealand passport in the departure card, and shoe your New Zealand passport at passport control. You can now put your New Zealand passport away.)
• When you board the plane you'll almost certainly be asked to show your passport. (The airline again - show your British passport.)
• At any transit airport security check, show your British passport (the airline again).
• On arrival in the UK, show your British passport.