Dual passport holder entering UK on foreign passport
Jul 11, 2017, 8:25 am
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,346
While the other was being processed I was travelling on the valid one.
Jul 12, 2017, 1:16 am
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
Having the more expensive certificate in lieu of the cheaper passport does make the proof of citizenship existent even when a passport is lost, stolen, restricted, revoked or denied. People do sometimes choose for good reason to pay more money for a form of proof of citizenship than for a cheaper form of proof of citizenship.
Having the certificate instead of the passport doesn't make the citizenship non-existent but it does make it possible for some to comply with restrictions on the citizen holding a passport and/or holding more than one country's passport at the same time or to otherwise not so easily run afoul of laws related to perjury or other obstruction of law.
Jul 16, 2017, 11:23 pm
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: RSE
Programs: AA Exp|VA Platinum
Posts: 15,504
I'm a dual Oz/UK citizen. I've entered the UK multiple times on an Australian passport and flashed the RoA in my expired AU passport and never been asked any questions about it. That being said, I thought a UK citizen could no longer receive a RoA certificate in a foreign passport and had to apply for a British passport?
Jul 17, 2017, 2:11 pm
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
Jul 27, 2017, 7:54 am
#52
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,671
I'm a dual UK/Israeli passport holder living abroad. I have a need to be in the UK for about 2 weeks, in order to give my UK passport to the US embassy for a visa. I won't have it for 5-10 business days (have to assume 10). I would like to leave and come back to the UK during this time.
Will I be able to enter the UK on my Israeli passport? If so, should I tell them I'm a UK citizen? Only if they ask?
I would only be in the UK less than two weeks, so not worried about visa length of stay etc if entering on the Israeli passport.
I understand that, unlike the US, there's no law requiring a UK citizen to enter on their UK passport, but the whole thing seems sketchy to me.
Any advice is appreciated.
Will I be able to enter the UK on my Israeli passport? If so, should I tell them I'm a UK citizen? Only if they ask?
I would only be in the UK less than two weeks, so not worried about visa length of stay etc if entering on the Israeli passport.
I understand that, unlike the US, there's no law requiring a UK citizen to enter on their UK passport, but the whole thing seems sketchy to me.
Any advice is appreciated.
The past couple of years, I've seen it's a requirement to show both passports now at both ends of the journey. I don't know if this just between UK and Australia. I don't use my Australian one for travel other than to Australia and on UK/Europe flights its fine just travelling on my British one. I did see a sticky on a check in desk once with steps they needed to do to register dual passport holders. Thankfully they don't know about my third passport...
Jul 27, 2017, 10:26 am
#53
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
Jul 27, 2017, 11:06 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
It wouldn't be unusual for a bureaucratic form to include a trick question designed to make the process pointless.
Jul 28, 2017, 7:00 pm
#55
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
Nonetheless, the Guide to ROA says:
If you hold a UK passport describing you as a British citizen, or as a British subject with the right of abode in the UK, you will not qualify for a certificate of entitlement. If you already have a valid certificate of entitlement in another foreign passport, you will not qualify for a further certificate of entitlement.
We will check with Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) to see if their records show that you hold a passport. If HMPO records show that you hold a current UK passport, describing you as a British citizen or as a British subject with the right of abode in the UK, we will not issue a certificate of entitlement. This is because the law does not allow a person to hold both a passport and a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. If you have lost your British passport you must notify HMPO so that their records can be updated. Until you notify HMPO of the loss of your passport an application for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode may be refused, as records will show that you are the holder of a British citizen or British subject passport.
We will check with Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) to see if their records show that you hold a passport. If HMPO records show that you hold a current UK passport, describing you as a British citizen or as a British subject with the right of abode in the UK, we will not issue a certificate of entitlement. This is because the law does not allow a person to hold both a passport and a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. If you have lost your British passport you must notify HMPO so that their records can be updated. Until you notify HMPO of the loss of your passport an application for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode may be refused, as records will show that you are the holder of a British citizen or British subject passport.
I have an acquaintance who is a British citizen by descent as he was born outside the UK to a British citizen father who was married to his mother at the time of his birth, which was after 1983.
His father refused to get him a British passport as he wanted his son to have his mother's nationality which does not permit dual citizenship, however the last time I asked, he had not applied for a British passport and was still living in the UK on a CoERoA in his foreign passport. If what others are saying in this thread is true, then he would not be allowed to renew his CoERoA, so I guess I will ask him in 5 years time (which may be the next time I see him anyway...)
Jun 20, 2018, 12:38 am
#56
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Sydney
Programs: QF Platinum
Posts: 835
Just another datapoint - in May I was entering the UK for a week (LHR T3 from HND on JL) with my family on our Australian passports. Of the 4 of us, 2 of us had British passports, 1 had a ROI passport and the other has just an Australian passport. After the questioning from the (exceptionally unpleasant) passport officer revealed that 3 of us had UK and ROI passports he told us in no uncertain terms that it was 'against the law' not to enter the UK on our British and ROI passports. I haven't trawled through the legislation to confirm but I don't necessarily believe him.
It was an exceptionally unpleasant experience.
It was an exceptionally unpleasant experience.
Jun 20, 2018, 1:17 am
#58
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Sydney
Programs: QF Platinum
Posts: 835
He had almost certainly gotten out of the wrong side of bed that day - from the moment we approached the desk and said hello he was quite unpleasant.
Requiring a British citizen to use their British passport I could kind of see the rationale for (and I understand the US does this to their citizens) - but he also admonished my wife (the ROI passport holder) for attempting to enter on her Australian passport because what she had done was in his words 'against the law'. Requiring a non-UK dual national by law to use one foreign passport and not another foreign passport seems absurd.
Requiring a British citizen to use their British passport I could kind of see the rationale for (and I understand the US does this to their citizens) - but he also admonished my wife (the ROI passport holder) for attempting to enter on her Australian passport because what she had done was in his words 'against the law'. Requiring a non-UK dual national by law to use one foreign passport and not another foreign passport seems absurd.
Jun 20, 2018, 1:24 am
#59
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
There is a practical reason for entering on the UK or ROI passport, since there is no need to adhere to the length of stay requirements of non-EU passports. But it is not against the law.
Jun 20, 2018, 1:46 am
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,346
People like that exist in all walks of life. Entering the UK on a UK passport (as it is the only one I have) I have often had the "why are you coming to the UK?"...."I live here" which I fairly spit out at them in a very "how dare you" frosty stare way, "where have you been?" is met with "abroad". I'm really not going to answer their questions and if they want to drag me off to a darkened room, or put some dark mark on my passport, then good luck to them. So, the rudeness happens to UK people on a UK passport too.