flyslow

I live in UK with EU Settled Status and it does make me bit nervous that I don't have a physical proof of that. So far I've only had a problem once, last year in ACE, where GA demanded to see a return or onward ticket or a residence permit attached to my passport. In the end I just showed her my next BA booking, which luckily happened to be within 90 days.

DaveS

In theory yes, but they will be familiar with this sort of issue there. Having said that, I think it is very unlikely there will be a problem for your OH. Having a transit country is helpful you you or her are worried about the situation.

LondonAussie

I'm of a similar situation and long stopped carrying my old stamped passport with me because I've almost never been asked for it. Though I imagine our experience (holding a passport that gets visa-free entry to the UK) is quite different to that of a Chinese passport holder.

One time returning from Switzerland, when I couldn't show any proof the agent said something like "ok, well then you can only stay there 6 months" while handing over the boarding pass. I just said thanks and walked away.

I do recall once showing my UK driving licence at JFK check-in when an agent asked about residency status, and that was accepted. So possibly something that could help the OP?

I've actually had more problems with banks in the UK. I couldn't open an account with Natwest, the online application form makes BRP a mandatory upload if you select a foreign nationality.

Saladman

I can only speak for the U.K. but as long as your Settled Status is attached to your passport then you won’t have an issue. The only issue comes if you renew your passport without updating your status or you travel on an ID Card. In either case just make sure that you have a copy of your passport page (that has the Settled Status) on your phone so you can show it if refused at the eGates.

NickB

In truth, they should be happy with just an EU passport (the UK does not require carriers to check the immigration status of EU nationals, just that they have a valid passport) but you will sometimes come across agents who have (wrongly) been told by their supervisor that they need proof of settled or pre-settled status. I had a lengthy argument at MRS airport last year with check-in agent for a BA flight to London who insisted that I had to have proof of settled or pre-settled status as a condition of checking me in for a flight to London with an ID card rather than a passport. Never mind that there is no such thing as proof of settled status as the only proof is the electronic record. I had to dig deep and find a copy of the original email confirming acceptance of settled status on my laptop and he eventually relented (even though the email explicitly says that it has no evidential value regarding settled status!). It probably is wise, if you want a quiet life to keep a copy of the initial email (or a printout of the UKVI page with your status) so that this can be shown to check-in agents who are unfamiliar with UK requirements re EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status.

flyslow

I didn't have a problem at UK border, but boarding a flight to UK.

NickB

Indeed, the problem is not normally at the UK border itself. It is at the check-in/boarding stage prior to the flight to the UK. At the UK border, even if, for some reason, there is a problem with your travel document (eg: you have not updated your (new) travel documents on the UKVI website), there normally are ways to solve the problem. If, however, you have an obtuse check-in agent who think they know-it-all when in fact they don't, you are basically banging your head against a brick wall.

OpenSky

The BRP cards are going away at the end of the year. You can look at the status online now.
I with the home office would just keep the cards for this very reason - airport problems

Obruni Boy

My partner who has been travelling 21 years with the vignette on an old expired passport for ILR had a problem last year in transit at IST with with Turkish Airways staff. It was resolved on escalation to a manager but it was distressing for her. Anyway she is booked in for a biometric appointment at the weekend. Hopefully the card or at least the electronic record which can be accessed will stop a repeat.

AlwaysFlyStar

Honestly I don't think there is much risk of a problem for any 2024 travels. If you have a valid residence permit, you are allowed to enter the country. Especially from China, they will be used to seeing visas that are only valid for 7 days or something similarly short.
Of course, sometimes airline employees can be power tripping idiots, so occasionally I have had to purchase a return flight, but in those cases, I would generally just book through a US site that allows for free 24 hour cancellations and then cancel the booking once they approved me. It is really not much to worry about, especially as, the closer we get to the point where it will matter, the more likely it is that the government will have issued a more clear procedure for verifying status.
So while I might be anxious if I currently had a trip planned next January, so long as you are returning within 2024, there are simple workarounds to the foreseeable problems.

DernierVirage

Thanks for the replies. It seems that, in 2024 at least, it may be worth having a flight booked back from the UK to (in this case) China, that we can cancel as soon as we are home, just to avoid any grief at check-in. As has been said, hopefully by 2025 the new arrangements will have been communicated well enough. The annoying thing is that the problem could have been avoided if the Home Office had continued to issue BRPs for ILR with no expiry date......