Jerseygirl

[QUOTE=lansbury;11296704] If she had her old UK PP and UK birth certificate...surely the check in agent can put two and two together and realise she is a UK citizen and is therefore entitled to enter the UK with or without her dogs.

windsong

Talked to the woman in the ETD dept. They cannot issue one because it expired more than 10 years ago. She wasn't bothered by my having nowhere to stay during that time. She said "go to a shelter". Can you believe it??

She said the best thing to do is stay here until passport is renewed; however, she said that as a US citizen I am free to stay in the US for three to six months (she couldn't remember which one) and could get it renewed on arrival.

She said she is a dual citizen and she travels back and forth on her US passport - leaves US on it and enters UK on it and said that as a US citizen this is what you are supposed to do REGARDLESS of whether you are a UK national. You are not supposed to enter the UK on a UK passport if you are a US citizen.

She also said Americans travel back and forth with dogs all the time so there should be no problem.

The problem is that I mentioned an expired UK passport to the border agency and should have ignored it because, as an American, I am free to enter the UK as a visitor.

When I tried to get a definitive answer from her about all these, she would not give it, especially when it came to what to do about taking the dogs with me. She merely advised me to visit gov.uk and read about Americans travelling to the UK with their dogs.

Okay, so I can enter as a US citizen/visitor - but what about the dogs? She didn't have an answer - not really.

Giantaxe

A reverse situation:

One of my dual-national daughters discovered a few days before a UK trip that her US passport had expired. She satisfied the airline on the outward journey to the UK by showing her expired US and unexpired UK passports. On the return journey from the UK she showed the airline her expired US passport. The airline called (who, I am not sure) and confirmed that she would be allowed entry to the US on her expired US passport, which she duly was with a mere "please renew your passport" comment.

I guess the complication in the OP's case is that she has a very old expired UK passport that can't be looked up. But I would be extremely surprised if she were denied boarding by the airline and extremely surprised if she were refused entry to the UK, if armed with an unexpired US passport, an expired UK passport and a birth certificate. It's not an ideal situation, but I really think the OP is blowing this out of all proportion. There are no certainties, of course, but at some point you just have to decide on an approach and run with it.

lansbury

The airline called the US Embassy in London and got dispensation for the person to travel. They get a reference number to give the passenger, and for their own records. That clears them of any responsibility if the passenger is subsequently denied entry.

I met my US niece one day who was transiting from Paris to Seattle at Heathrow. Somehow she lost her passport in the airport, discovered at the gate when she went to board, and of course was denied. Call to the Embassy and get her cleared to travel and she was on the next flight out without her passport.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the airline denied the OP boarding if they pick up on the fact she is moving to the UK and not visiting. She has a blue passport which must be at the very least 20 years old and probably more. Facing a £2,000 fine at the UK end if they get it wrong they will look after their own interests. It all boils down to a persons tolerance for risk. The if in bold above is the unknown.

BritInParis

As a US citizen so they were always unlikely to issue you an ETD in any case.

It's up to six months but that is still at the IO's discretion.

Well, she's wrong. You are required to enter and exit the US passport on a US passport if you're a citizen. There's no rules whether you should enter the UK on your US or British passport but you will be treated like a US citizen if you choose to enter on your US passport.

You won't be given a definitive answer because there isn't one to give. We have collectively laid out your options. Unless you're travelling on a valid British passport then there's always a chance you'll be turned away at the UK border. You're been given advice from various posters on how to minimise this risk but it's never going to be zero unless you renew your passport. A month has already gone by when you could have been getting in the queue.

It's now up to you whether you choose to travel without it and take a small risk of being turned away or renew it and take the risk of not being able to travel when you need to.

windsong

Not really. I didn't have all the supporting documents together until last Friday - the same day I found out the devastating news.

windsong

[QUOTE=lansbury;11296704] It seems that travelling with the dogs on the same plane is a no-go all around.

windsong

Glad to hear your niece got it all worked out satisfactorily.

It seems that even if I travel to the UK, just having my expired old blue book passport in my luggage might cause problems with the airlines, and so not even able to leave the U.S.

BritInParis

The airlines aren't immigration control. Providing she has a valid US passport then they aren't going to worry much further. The UK can't fine them for every person they refuse entry, they can only fine them if the airline has failed to comply with their obligations - i.e. ensuring that the passenger has a valid travel document and visa if required. US citizens don't require visas ergo she is good to go.

greenlane

You may have already seen this page, but I thought I'd send it along just in case: https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/out...Enquiries.ofml . then there's this link if you do get to the UK and want the passport renewed urgently: https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently . I'm sure others have already told you about these links, and perhaps you also found them yourself. And for tracking your passport renewal status : https://www.gov.uk/track-passport-application when the time comes.

I do understand your predicament, and hope that you find an answer soon - so that you can then put your mind to the other things you will have to do before leaving the USA - chin up, and think ahead to happy times in store at home in the UK!

windsong

Thank you. Someone posted, though, that I cannot urgently renew an old blue book passport - I know, it was the woman at the ETD department today who told me that. I wish, wish, wish i could. An old blue book passport renewal is considered in the same way as a first adult passport.

Now I have to work out how to get my pets over there without me on board the same plane. So sad about this!

Giantaxe

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

Jerseygirl

You are imagining problems that aren't really there. Now stop it...pack your stuff and get on the plane with your dogs and without your friend. Then come back and let us know that you got back to the UK safe and sound.

Englishmum

Agreed.

In any case, now it is the peak Summer season for travel, the issuing centres for British passports are overwhelmed by applications. It appears that many of these applications are from people who've left it until the last minute to renew their passports.

If I was the O/P I definitely wouldn't apply for a new British passport from the US and only bother once she has moved to the UK.

Passport backlog hits 500k and holidaymakers told to pay £55 or risk losing summer break | Mail Online

(Might even be worthwhile printing it off and producing it at the UK Border with her expired UK passport to explain why she didn't apply for her new British passport before travelling to the UK)

Btw; to give her peace of mind it is probably best to book a round-trip flight ticket if she is so worried about what will happen at the UK border; they can't/won't give her a 6 month visitor stamp in the US passport if she's only travelled on a one-way ticket, but 6 months is plenty of time to sort out her new British passport once she gets back to England. In any case it is usually cheaper to buy a round-trip ticket than a one-way one.

windsong

For me it IS a problem. Granted I can get into the UK on my US passport but NOT with my dogs! My dogs now have to travel separately.

I have always planned to get a return ticket anyway - it's cheaper.