Pamela 1

A while back there was a thread on using Canadian and UK passports when going to UK. I think Souvenier posted the question.

Have any of you done this without any problem. We shall be going over but we will be away for about 7 months or so.

iaink

As a general rule of thumb, if you have a UK passport, then use it to enter the UK. Visa versa for a canadian one when returning.

No great ethical / legal reason, it will just save you waiting around some...the line for UK PP holders at gatwick / heathrow is always shorter...

Helen Parnell

Though your reasoning is great. I have been warned regarding using your canadain passport to come back in.... and no stamp to show you arrived in the uk.

Remember there is the law of the land and then immigration officials, who have more power than they know what to do with. They love to upset peoples holiday plans. I am personally going to use the same passport for going and arriving back, but would choose my passport for ease. e.g. going to the states..... canadian everytime, far east, australia all love canadians. The british one...... when travelling to europe.

dbd33

I use the UK one in the UK, the Canadian one in Canada. I believe holders of a country's passport are obliged to show that passport when arriving though my reason for using this approach is the same as Iain's.

iaink

Who told you that? Contrary to rumour IOs are just applying the law, they dont operate outside of it.

Dual citizenship is pretty common here, besides, so many countries no longer judiciously stamp every visitors passports, so that would be an impractical attitude to take. If its an issue (and thats a big IF) you could just explain and show them your UK passport, but what if you travelled on a canadian passport that was never stamped on entry to the UK (or any other country)? Its not there problem to figure out where youve been, only to figure out if you have any right to enter Canada, and a valid Canadian passport is pretty strong evidence.

Ive personally never found a canadian immigration officer to be anything other than courteous and professional. Dual citizenship is not that hard for an IO to grasp, and if push comes to shove its easy for them to check the authenticity of a canadian passport on the canadian database.

I'm not sure there is any obligation to show a home passport..after all, many british citizens with expired passports travel "home" on the other nations passport, so how on earth would that be enforceable? Its just a convenience thing. As long as the passport (whichever passport) is valid, then dual citizenship is not an issue, assuming that as a visitor you would not require an additional visa or whatever.

Biiiiink

I got a bollocking at Manchester one time for re-entering the UK on a Canadian passport. I just took it on the chin, nodded and smiled, and still don't use the UK one for UK trips. They can't refuse entry to citizens, I guess they could delay me and cause inconvenience but that's about it... My Canadian passport I think is reasonable proof of UK citizenship as it states place of birth and year, meaning I'm more than likely a UK citizen too.

I won't travel with 2 passports as the "other" one is my backup, I'm not risking 2 on one trip. I'm not aware of any requirement to enter UK/Canada on UK/Canada passport. My brother is also Canadian and doesn't even have a passport but visits Canada often. He's daft though, I don't think he declares himself as a citizen when entering Canada but is happy to use the card to cross the US border!

Helen Parnell

I guess they could delay me and cause inconvenience but that's about it...


Whilst working at Heathrow I saw IO inconvenience people to a point of missing flights.

I won't travel with 2 passports as the "other" one is my backup, I'm not risking 2 on one trip.


Totally agree

Ramsey

Being born in the UK doesn't prove Citizenship.... It may give you the right to citizenship, but doesn't mean you've taken it up.

Also, there's nothing to say you didn't give-up your British Citizenship at any time.

The only way to prove on the spot that you are a citizen would be your UK passport.... Any other method opens you up to the possibility of delay.

JAJ

If you are a British citizen by operation of law (as most people born in the U.K. are) then it is not optional as to whether you "take it up" or not.

Ramsey

Fair enough... so you don't have to 'take it up' but as you say "(as most people born in the U.K. are)" it is still not all people.

And would a Canadian Passport be a legal proof of place of birth document as far as the IO was confirmed??

Hey, I suppose it only matters if you are trying to enter as a British Citizen (As opposed to a Canadian Visitor) using that document....

JAJ

Probably not. You would need a Right of Abode stamp in that passport to use it for living in the U.K.

iaink

What do they care, as long as you are just visiting and its obvious Canada is home and you intend to return....

I can see that if you were returning to the UK permanently, then getting a current UK passport might be worth the hassle and additional expense, but if its just a vacation, then Im going on my Canadian PP as my UK one has now expired and I dont intend to renew it. Whats a Canadian passport worth in terms of visitation rights, 3 months, 6 months? more than enough for any trip I might make anyway.

stepnek

It's not much of a backup if one of your passports is sitting back in a draw in Canada and you've lost the other one while on the other side of the Atlantic!

Souvenir

What difference does it make? If you're a UK citizen and can prove it, you can enter and leave the country whenever you want, regardless of which passport you use to pass through immigration.

Biiiiink

It's pretty rare to be born before 1983 in the UK and not be a citizen, isn't it?

You could argue that any passport isn't conclusive proof of citizenship, some are issued in error - CHC London made a point of that with me when I tried using my father's valid Canadian passport as evidence of his Canadian citizenship, it was unacceptable.

I'm sure you enter the UK as a Canadian visitor if that's the passport you present. Last few trips my passport has been stamped with "Leave to enter for six months, employment and recourse to public funds prohibited" - I'm sure that's the stamp tourists get. When I was UK resident and using a Canadian passport, I think I got "Given Indefinite Leave to Enter the UK", I'm not sure what that one means... Jeremy, is it the same as ILR? I was given that without having to produce any other evidence of my British status, only my Canadian passport. Of course a foreign passport isn't the best way of proving another citizenship but it seemed acceptable and wasn't questioned. I'm not saying I'd go down to the dole office on a Canadian passport or register with a GP or whatever, but I'm confident of being let into the UK with it and it making a nod to my likely British citizenship.

I prefer to carry just the one, and for the above reasons take the passport that covers both bases imho. And I look better on the Canadian photo