Possums

mmm it does sound right I've just been googling it, seems the consenus is to enter each country with the appropriate passport so getting the UK ones renewed seems the way to go.

there are people on here that have gone back and worked and gone back for NHS treatment, so as long as you have a current UK passport you can go and do this is that how it works?

Dimond

All of my family and myself have dual nationality and have entered the UK on either passport many times over a period of 20 years without any special problems- the choice is a matter of convenience at the time (eg queue length, one passport may be getting full etc). Your Australian passport does not affect rights as a UK citizen or who you are, get beyond the emotion!

Remember though that the NHS is a residency based system so as a non-resident UK citizen in theory you cannot use it for free. However, due to the reciprocal agreement with Australia, Australian citizens can get free emergency treatment while on holiday in the UK- so there may be some advantages in having an Australian passport with you (saves on medical insurance at least).

On the converse, however, I would only enter Australia on an Australian passport otherwise you would have to get a visa.

Jerseygirl

You must qualify as a UK resident to receive free non emergency treatment.

Visitors to the UK are entitled to free emergency treatment.



http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/E...able/DH_074374

DrWho

Australian citizens with dual nationality are required to enter Australia with their Australian passport unless they have been issued with an Australian Declaratory Visa...

http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sh...5documents.htm

MartinLuther

Doesn't matter which passport you use, they'll be able to spot your a pom if you talk like that

Actually it doesn't matter which passport you use with respect to NHS treatment. If you've been living out of the country for a certain amount of time (1 year I think) then you get treated the same as a foreigner even if you're a Brit. Doesn't matter how much tax you've paid in the past. On the upside, the management of who is and who isn't entitled to what, is so bad in the NHS that you could just get away with saying you're a Brit.

If you (or the kids) entered on an Aussie passport you'd have a visa saying that you can only stay 6 months and that you're not allowed to work. However as you're a Brit you can do these anyway even if your UK passport is not up to date. (However if you did want to do these things it's worth notifying UK immigration.)

Personally I'd save the money. Those that have valid Brit passports can enter on them and the others can enter on the Aussie passports. I don't reckon (in your case - in this scenario) that you get any advantages from entering on the Brit passport.

Sits back and waits for JAJ to come up with the Serbian grandmother exemption to what I've said

MartinLuther

No you don't. I went back last year on my Aussie passport. Lady on the desk asked whether we wanted to enter as Brits or Aussies. I said Aussie as I didn't have a valid Brit passport and I didn't want to carry the extra chip on my shoulder

ray2gill

[QUOTE=Dimond;6571375]
saves on medical insurance at least

Regarding your above comment - that would be a very foolhardy thing to do unless you have unlimited financial resources. I will tell you why.

There are no direct flights from OZ to the UK therefore you have to transit through other countries. The countries most likely would be Dubai (UAE) or Singapore. These countries do not give free medical treatment and in Dubsi particularly you are not allowed to leave the country until all bills have been settled.

You would be suprised how many people get taken ill and have to be hospitalised from flights. On more occassions than publisiced flights are diverted due to passenger illness. Would you and your family like to be stranded in Karachi as a flight was diverted there because you required urgent medical attention? No medical insurance no medivac back to OZ or UK.

It happens every year people don't take out travel medical insurance or scrimp on the cost and exclude medivac. Then get taken ill and are not able to travel on commercial flights and are stranded away from home and family in some god for saken place for months as they can't afford to pay for medivac themselves.

innojuk

This may or may not be relevant:

I was travelling back from Denmark with an English girl I met out there, we were driving back in her car.

She lost her passport en-route and rang the British embassy. They advised her to just travel without it and explain when she got to British soil. She didn't have any problems getting back in.

Kim67

My husband has both and enters UK on whichever is more convenient - just makes sure he enters on his Australian passport when he comes back here.

JAJ

She was lucky that she was allowed to board whatever commercial transport she used to cross to the U.K.