Hi Folks,

seems I have finally found a forum for expats that isn't full of questions about finding love abroad and trying to import cars without paying tax.... what a relief

I have been living in Ecuador for the last three years with my Ecuadorian wife and children. Life has been pretty tough here and three months ago it we decided that I would return to the UK on my own to get a bit of financial stability back into our lives. We intend to make visa applications for my wife and our daughter (my other daughter has been registered as British) in about 6 months once I have hopefully got things ready in the UK.

I have been making arrangements for my return for the last two months like closing off my tax number and arranging my other daughters citizenship. I actually fly back to the UK this Wednesday but now an administrator at the embassy has indicated I may need a police report and other papers from Ecuador. On top of this, they have told me that the report and papers will require translating and legalising before I come back. It isn't possible for me to get this work done in the time I have left before my flights on Wednesday.

I have seached high and low over the net and cannot find any indication that these papers are needed. I am a British citizen, born in the UK as was my parents, grandparents and so on. Does anybody know if I actually really need these papers and the report? If I do, is it not something I can get hold of and then have the translations and legalisations done in the UK or are customs officals in the airport in the UK going to need them before I can reenter?

I was under the impression that as a natural British citizen I can just reenter the UK with my passport?

Sorry for the long post.... and thanks for any advice in advance.

No real advice, but just to say it sounds very odd indeed. I would have completely agreed with you that a UK passport would be all you need to show at immigration.

Thats what I'd have thought too, you are a legal UKC so will the kids both be? It's just your wife who will need a visa.

Thanks for the responses guys. I'll relax down on the police report and just take it with me just in case. If I do need it for some weird reason does anyone know if I can get it translated and legalised to a suitable level in the UK to hand it to the police station there?

Thanks again

What have you been in contact with the embassy about? Maybe they were referring to your wife, or got confused about your citizenship in the UK.

I contacted the embassy to find out if there was anything I specifically needed to do before I returned to the UK either about later arranging visas for my wife or if there were requirements for me to return myself. As it was only an administrator I could talk to (and in fact not British) I was not 100% sure of the information they were giving me, particularly about the police record.

I was running short on time and free cash before my flying date and was worried in case I got held up at the airport in the UK because they would want my police report or other papers as I had been out of the country for three years. I had to tell the police before I left that I was leaving the UK and presumably will have to notify them I have returned. If the police report (for example) needed translating and legalising in Ecuador it would be a long trip back to get it done. It was only at the last minute that the embassy administrator indicated that I may need the report to re-enter the UK.

Sorry if it's a long explanation but thanks for the responses.

Why did you have to tell the police you were leaving the UK? I just booked a flight and off I went.

Me too! I've never heard of anyone doing this.

we returned this week after 10 years away. I booked flights, walked through immigration with husband (brit) child ( born overseas but also a brit through me) waved our Brit passports and wandered into the UK.

UK Border control have no idea where you have been/how long you have been away etc.

The info is probably more relevant for your wife.