tallperson

Ok, bear with me, I feel I should be able to find the answer to this one but at 32 weeks pregnant my brain has gone just a little bit fuzzy

The baby will be born here in Canada so will be a canadian citizen when we are only PR. We intend to get it a british passport but what happens when we fly? We will have british passports and PR cards but it will have no PR card so presumably can't re-enter with the british passport. So does it come with us in the european line with it's canadian passport or do I go in the canadian line with my british passport?

As I said not a difficult question - it just seems that way to me this morning after very little sleep

raine66

I travelled with my son when he was just 3 months old and although we both had Canadian passports I chose to join the EU line with my British passport since it was smaller, and obviously took him with me.

All they did was stamp is Canadian passport. I had to laugh tho, when I got home and looked at the stamp it stated on it that he not was eligible to work. So don't worry joining the EU line will be just fine.

I can't beleive your 32 weeks already, it seems like only yesterday you were spreading the good news, and now you only have 8 weeks to go.

JAJ

Get the child a Canadian passport as well.

tallperson

Does it come with us in the european line with it's canadian passport or do I go in the canadian line with my british passport?

Yes we will. The question was whether I go in the canadian line with my british passport or the baby comes in the EU line with its canadian passport. It presumably wouldn't be able to enter Canada with a british passport as it wouldn't have a PR card.

JAJ

I don't know why your making this so complicated. The baby should have both British and Canadian passports. Show the UK passport to British Immigration officials, and the Canadian passport to Canadian officials.

Novocastrian

For gods sake, just put the baby on your passport, and when you have time get it one of each.

Calgal

Children have to have their own passports in Canada, unless they are already on a parents current passport. (It can take hours to get a suitable photo though...lol)

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/..._travel-en.asp

JAJ

Britain no longer puts children on parent's passports. Neither does Canada.

Birdey

I always just choose the shortest line and go with that! Sometimes I feign stupidity (dont try to hard) and ask the nearest offical person that smiles at the baby, which has seen me plucked to the front of the VIP Q before now as well.

CPW

I would get the baby both a Canadian and a British passport. Then, when you are going into the UK you obviously queue up in the British/EU/EEA queue and show the baby's British passport, and yours. When you are going into Canada, I would probably opt for the non-Canadian queue (taking the baby with you), on the basis that you are not Canadian. (They're not likely to ask the baby to join another queue by itself!) You then show your British passport and PR card and the baby's Canadian passport. You could try joining the Canadian queue - don't know what view the passport officers would take of that, but the very worst that they could do is send you (and baby) back to the other queue.

One thing is sure: the situation you describe cannot be very rare, so the Canadian passport people will surely have encountered it before.

raine66

Take the baby thro the EU line with you with it's Canadian Passport.

Novocastrian

Corrected I stand.

How you keeping?

Notiaink...honest

Hang in there Very little sleep sound normal for the near future.

British PP and canadian birth certificate should suffice for reentry, but frankly the British Passport can wait. Why spend money on 2 passports at this point, having kids is expensive enough wothout doubling up. If they want a british one later on, then deal with it later on. A british one will be more of a pain to get. than a canadian one, will cost more money, and be an inconvenience for most international travel in a canadian born kids near future (IE down to the US)

They are getting really picky about the standard of pictures for kids passports due to face recognision / biometric bullshit, and kids faces wash out really easily in the flash, leading to rejected pictures and more time and hassle.

It will be a lot less hassle to get a canadian passport for the babe, faster and cheaper too, and if traveling to the UK with british PP equiped family, you dont have to wait in line with the great unwashed heathen masses to get into the country anyway. That was our experience anyway, both my canadain born kids have only Canadian passports, but if there is a good reason to get a UK one, we will do that when the time comes, until then they will carry the passport that their accents warrant!

Good luck!

Calgal

Oh not so bad, thank you kind sir - yourself?

JAJ

The reason to get at least a first British passport for the child is twofold:

1. For Canada born children, it's the only proof of British citizenship. Some people who follow your advice will miss a deadline to register the child as British (in the cases where citizenship isn't automatic).

2. British authorities are a lot stricter with proof of ID when an adult turns up looking for a first passport. Things are a little easier if there is a previous passport on record.

Your point about renewals is valid (most Canadian children living in Canada don't need British passports), but normally a first passport is recommended as soon as possible.

There are also a few places where travel on a British passport may be easier than on a Canadian one (eg parts of Central and South America).