Bloke1

Hopefully someone can help with accurate info.
I need to return to the UK in the next few weeks as my mum is seriously ill,
When booking flights for early may it dawned on me that my passport (UK) expires 21 June this year, I took australian citizenship a few years ago so my visa is now cancelled & I don't want the expense of an aussie passport if I don't need it.
Can I still travel on the UK passport?
Looking through the web sites i don't believe I need it to be vald for 6 months.
Thanks to anyone who can help.

Bikergirl

You will need an aussie passport to be able to return to Australia - as you said, you have no visa in your UK passport any longer. And why wouldnt you want an Aussie one as well? guessing it is going to be easier to travel in/out of Australia with one.

Bloke1

Thanks bikergirl, as I stated I don't want the expense of a new passport on top of the flights & anything else I need to do quickly, hols from work etc, day off to get passport same day + priority processing fees etc etc

Dorothy

You do need an Australian passport to return to Australia. You don't have a valid visa anymore, so you cannot get on a plane without one. (not easily anyway).

Yes, it's a pain in the ass and costs money, but you're going to need to bite the bullet and get that Aussie passport.

Bloke1

Thanks Dorothy,

Dorothy

No worries. And good luck with your mum. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

Bermudashorts

It is a simple fact of life, that if one wants to go overseas, a passport is required.

quoll

If you are planning on returning to Aus it might be easier just to get an Aus passport and be done with it. If you're planning on being longer than 6 months in UK, then enter on your UK one before 21 June (otherwise you'll be stamped with a visitors visa for 6 mo). You are actually less likely to need a UK one of the two as you can use your Aus one for most things (just better not to return permanently on one!). However you will need one to get back in - no escape!

JAJ

Even if you were eligible for a Resident Return Visa (which you're not, since you're an Australian citizen), you'll find that an Australian passport is a lot cheaper. And you need an Australian passport to enter and leave Australia.


If you let your U.K. passport expire, you can still visit the U.K. for up to 6 months with an Australian passport.
Recommended to see if it's possible to get an Australian passport via. the premium service. Probably easier and simpler to do so in Australia, before you leave.

jothefw

We haven't bothered renewing our UK passports for this reason, it's expensive to have 4 x 2 passports, especially if you can only enter Australia with Australian passport. UK will let you come and go with either obviously.

DelilahBlue

The priority service is fantastic in Aus. You don't have to take the day off to do so, just take your application to the post office, pay the extra fee to expedite the application and it will be couriered to you the day after. I did this in August last year. Put my application in on the Monday, had my passport Wednesday morning and flew out of the country for Singapore on the Friday.

Tr1boy

I've done Syd/UK return 23 times and Syd/EU another 5 times. Work paid for my passport renewals but even if they didn't, having both was worth its weight in gold.

We are now a 3 x 2 passport household. It's all a personal choice but I'd never let them lapse. Then again I hate queuing