mcstu1

Just received my new UK passport but my visa is in my old passport. Do i need to get the visa moved or just carry 2 passports? migrating to aus in june so need to get it sorted by then!!

BrisbaneBound2008

Hiya!

We recently had to get my husband new uk passport - like you visa was in the old one.

We emailed the australian embassy (you can email questions) and they replied back quite promptly saying that he can travel with both, and then when in Oz if he wants he can get a new one put in quite easily. So I would say you are fine to travel with both.

If I were you I'd pop an email across to them asking, then at least you can print the reply and keep with the passports just in case. Try this link to email them.

http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/contact.html

Hope that helps!

inOz2008

"We recently had to get my husband new uk passport - like you visa was in the old one."

Did that make any difference to baggage allowance you are entitled to?

From different sources I have heard different things eg if you have your visas validated already, then you can only get 20kg allowance and not 40. From a friend flying with Singapore airlines to Aus next week to validate his visas, I asked him if I could "use his allowance to take some of our stuff" - upon calling Singapore he was told that one is entitled to this only if they have a one-way ticket!! (so the fact that he was going to validate his visa with a return ticket did not allow him 40kg per ticket!!)

So be interested to know what your investigation into the matter is if you have done so already...

BrisbaneBound2008

Yeah, we found the same as you. We validated in May 2007 but only went for 4weeks (not staying) so we couldn't get the extra baggage allowance. ITs a shame we can't get it when we move permanently this May, but the allowance is only on unvalidated visas and one way tickets. I can see why they do it. But how many people move on their validation trip?! Nevermind!

Its gunna be fun packing only 20kgs!

inOz2008

Haha! In between BE posts I have been going to the other room to weigh our suitcases to see what leeway we have for the 20kg threshold - we have one godsend in that my little one wasn't born when we got our visas validated so at least we shall have one 40kg ticket!!

Thanks and goodluck - we leave for WA in May too!

BrisbaneBound2008

Thats so funny! Your baby getting 40kgs! Its a crazy thing this baggage malarky. I heard something recently where a test was done on all the check-in scales and something like 1 in 4 was faulty so gave a heavier reading that the bags actaully were! I think I'll ask the check-in staff to weight mine on 4 machines when we leave!