iaink

My UK passport expires this year.

Can anyone see any benefits in renewing it at a cost of $225 for a ten year UK passport, compared to $87 for a 5 year Canadian one?

Most of my travel is to the US, rather than Europe, but who knows what the future holds.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Atlantic Xpat

Presumably you are Uk / Canadian dual national? Have to say that personally I would never be without a valid UK passport even if a dual national. So I'd be paying for both!

dbd33

You can use the local gate at British airports.

iaink

I would still have to wait around for the wife to catch up anyway

Yes Im a dual citizen now. I cant really see any additional benefit of a British passport, and certainly dont want to pay for both. Im not sure I would feel that uncomfortable without it. I'm not thinkinking about this in an emotive way, just a practical one really.

Im partly thinking it might be easier if I still had a British passport when/if the kids apply to formalise their own British citizenship rights in addition to their natural Canadian citizenship, but thats probably a long way off and might never happen.

dbd33

I wouldn't be without the British passport, I feel that it identifies me. The Canadian one is handy for access to the US but I wouldn't use it anywhere else. If I had to choose I'd send the Canadian one back.

hot wasabi peas

Red is easier to find.

Biiiiink

I only use the Canadian one, even for travel to the UK which narks them sometimes.

I prefer that one because it hints at both nationalities (in that my date and place of birth show I'm most likely British) whereas obviously the British one makes no reference to anything Canadian about me.

celine_uk

If you travel to US a lot I would think a CDN passport its just far easier, the thing with a British passport and travelling to US is you have to fill out a visa wavier form every 3 months to enter the US, Cdn passport is easier for travel to US you just drive across the border and that’s about it. If you don’t travel to US I would say British passport

iaink

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

When I travel to the US I currently use my british PP and just show the canadian citizenship card too, and they dont bother me for the I94W most of the time. Its not like I travel a lot....most of the time the passport is stuffed in the back of a drawer anyway.

Im leaning towards the canadian one.

AnyaT

Is there a lot of extra hassle involved if you let the UK passport lapse and then have to get it again from scratch? Or is the same amount of paperwork involved in both processes, as I believe is the case with a Canadian passport? If it is going to be the same process as just renewing it, I would probably let it lapse until I needed it. However I only have one passport anyway and probably always will, so the emotional tie to the UK passport is not an issue for me.

Re your kids formalizing their UK citizenship, don't you just need to produce your UK birth certificate to prove their citizenship rights?

iaink

I'm sure there is some paperwork too, but thats basically it, that and our marriage certificate and their birth certificate plus ID. I imagine the hardest part would be getting a 4 yo to sign entirely within the box
http://www.britishhighcommission.gov...=1107296914378

The danger is that ,if we make the decision that if the kids want to take up UK citizenship or move to europe when they are older that we can cross that bridge when we get to it. A look at the regulations shows that the goalposts for these things have a nasty tendancy to move without much publicity.

dbd33

That's why we've kept up the three passports for each of the kids; it's not for us to guess where they may choose to go.

raine66

I wouldn't be without my UK passport.

I know it costs way more to renew here, so I think it would be something I would try to renew when ever I visit the UK when the time comes.

As for the kids I always try and keep both their UK and Canadian valid, besides it always gives you the option to use one or the other if you find yourself in a situation where by one is about to expire but the other is fine.

Elvira

Would feel naked without it...:scared:

iaink

A few people have said they would never be without their UK passport, but no one has elaborated on that with a reason.

Is it just an emotional attachment, or are there practical considerations I am missing here? For me its just a bit of paper that lies in a drawer most of the time, and doesnt defines who I am in any way. I was british before I got a passport, and would still be british even with a canadian passport, not that nationality really defines who I am either.