vicki78

Hello,

I'm sure this question has been asked many times, but trying to research some info on this and is either too confusing or it's not really what I need to know.

My baby is due next month and we're planning to go to the UK for a visit next year in May. We are both PR, baby will be australian citizen.

My questions are, Will baby need british passport as well to travel to the UK? Or would baby need a visa to Europe because of having an australian passport?
How long does it normally take to get an Australian and then a British passport?
Is it true that the photograph in the passport would have to be changed every 6 months for a baby?
Is it possible to book airline tickets for us (and baby) whilst we are still applying for the passport?


I hope someone can give me some advice who has done this before.
Thanks.

Pollyana

The baby can travel on an Aussie passport as a visitor to the UK. If you travel anywhere that an Aussie would need a visa for, you'll have to get a visa, but most of Europe is like the UK I think and oesn't require Aussies to have visas for a holiday.
You can certainly book tickets without a passport

Can't help with the rest I'm afraid.

faf

Hi Vicki

We traveled to the UK with our baby on a Australian passport no problem, not that I needed it but I also took her birth certificate with me (we have different surnames).

I haven't got her a UK passport yet but will do in due course. I can't remember how long it took so I would suggest you send off for it as soon as you have the birth certificate. Yes you have to send off for that once baby is born.

The passport lasts for 5 years and the photo does not need changing. Now in my opinion the photo is the crucial bit. I found no post office willing to take a baby photo due to them not being able to guarantee that it will be good enough for the passport office.

My baby was 5 weeks old and it took me at least a week with a camera constantly in my hand to get a photo that was suitable. It was extremely hard as they have to have a white background, be looking straight into the camera with both eyes open and it has to be head and shoulders. Also it has to be specific measurements as stated on the application form. I can tell you it stressed me out more than the bloody birth! If they are not happy with it and it doesn't fit the "little box" they can reject it and you have to pay again!! Although they say the do practice a little flexibility.

As for booking the tickets I think we booked ours and supplied the passport number later but just a quick call to your airline will clarify that for you.

Hope this helps.

Good luck
Sara

PS I guess baby will be around 9 months when you fly, that's a good age to fly with, as once they are mobile it's a lot harder. I did it at 6 months and 2 years but hey that's a different topic!

vicki78

Pollyana and faf, thanks for your replies.

Faf,

I guess then baby wouldn't need a british passport straight away? (Which is a relief). We will also travel to Europe while we're in the UK as my family is there, so I assume we can do that with aussie passport too?
I will definitely take the birth certificate as well, just in case.


Thanks again for your help.

P.S.
Your description of trying to take a photo of baby made me laugh. I am sure I will have my fair share.

Gems

Newborn baby photos are a nightmare.
We had to do it as I gave birth in UK and had to fly out a couple of weeks later to the country we were working in.
With my youngest we took her to a photography studio, but she just wanted to sleep! The photographer gave up in the end. They have to have their eyes open for a passport and newborn is not very co-operative.
So in the end we did our own photos, took loads until we got one that worked.

My advice is wait until the baby is a couple of months old and more alert.

Yes the photo lasts until they are 5, we lived abroad and the passport control guy used to laugh at the big girl with very long hair and the baldy baby on the passport photo. I could have took any child through.

Gems

faf

I'm not to sure what European countries you can travel to on a Aussie passport, I'd check it out before you go.

Oh yes I'm sure you'll have fun, I laughed and cried attached are some of our outtakes!

JAJ

Anywhere in Western Europe and most of the rest of the continent (visa free) except Russia.

vicki78

Thanks for the pics!

I'd like to think the top one on the right was good enough for the passport agency?

irishbloo

Just as the baby is about to pop out instead of holding your hand send him down the other end with a camera.

DadAgain

I think we took abut 200 pictures of our daughter before reviewing and picking one that seemed to fit the criteria.

The setup was simple:
1) wrap baby daughter tightly and place on bed (white sheet backdrop)
2) turn on all lights (including lamps directed down at the bed to eliminate shadows)
3) kneel over baby with camera and start clicking...
4) have other parent wave fluffy toy just above camera making appropriate 'cooing' noises to try and get baby to look in the right direction.
5) Repeat 3) & 4) for about 5 minutes.

Eventually we got one picture that was good enough - and with the magic of photoshop cropping and resizing we managed to get it to fit the required size and printed out 8 on a standrd 6"x4" print from the newsagent or $1

faf

Yes we used that one but we had to photoshop it to get rid of the creased blanket she was lying on!

Good Luck!

asprilla

great pictures ! made me chuckle.

JAJ

Slightly off topic, but don't forget to get a citizenship certificate for your baby. Passport is not enough long term to prove citizenship and birth certificate won't do either.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Eviden...an_Citizenship

faf

Thanks for that had no idea I had to get one, but I do now.

Sara

Pomster

we had our 5 week old's pictures taken in a pharmacy which guarantees suitability of pics...they measure and check before sending you away with a photo.
It was on Brit High Commission website link and cost 15 bucks.
They prodded our sleepy newborn til they got the pic!

Passports were easy- AU one was checked at the post office and it came back 10 days later.

UK one has now changed and you also have to apply via Aus post but only at 'select' (read hardly any) post offices. That took us about 5 weeks.

Passport lasts 5 years and the immigration people claim they can tell if the cute sleepy baby is the same as the 3 year old stroppy toddler