OzTennis

Background information - Dual National, born Australia, married to a Brit, Australian passport expiring March 2020, UK passport expiring 2024. Live in Scotland, retired, we travel to Oz annually, usually for 3 months leaving December. Awaiting hip operation Oct/Nov then recovery period after that, hope to travel out Jan/Feb. Travel Emirates GLA-MEL via DXB return so Oz passport will fall foul of 6 month min validity rule for both Emirates and UAE.

I examined renewing my passport in the UK but High Commission website says you MUST apply in person at an interview in London or outreach interview; sometimes Glasgow, Edinburgh or Manchester but none scheduled before I have my op! Difficult to travel that distance from SW Scotland anyway with low mobility before and after OP.

I tried phoning HC London to ask if I can get a new passport via post; press 1, 2 or 3, press 1 or 2 press 1 or 2 etc, etc I keep going around in a loop and can't get to speak to a person, no email address.

My thought was to just travel on my British passport only after getting a 3 month tourist Visa and renew my Australian passport when in Melbourne at my local Australia Post office. Australian government website bit unclear on whether or not I have to enter and leave on my blue passport only.

Apologies for the length of introduction but does anyone have any comments/advice/experience of travelling to and fro Oz on 2nd passport, advice on the possibility of renewing Oz passport in UK without having to attend interview (old passport, 2 photos, app form and fee in post with a SAE as of former days)?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Pollyana

Hi,
Can't help with the actual renewal - BritInParis probably can - but I do know you cannot get a tourist visa, because you are a citizen. You must travel on your Aussie passport.

Hope the op goes well.

OzTennis

Thanks for the reply; so it seems I would be thwarted when applying for a visa on my British passport because I hold an Australian passport. Easier way to renew my Australian passport in the UK than attending an interview some distance away it seems.

BritInParis

If you’re in transit then you only need three months validity but I’m not sure that’s helpful. Are you stopping over in Dubai?

Novocastrian

How about GLA-LAX on an ESTA, a couple of days break and then onwards via Hawaii to Oz. Renew your Oz passport when there and come back via Emriates?

OzTennis

Thanks for your reply, no, not stopping over in Dubai but by the time we travel I will only have 2 months maximum validity left on my Australian passport for the outward and it will expire before the inward unless renewed. I've read on the Emirates website that 6 months validity is a requirement otherwise they could refuse boarding. Another thought I had was to get my brother to apply for a passport for me in Australia if I sent him all the necessary by mail. Can another person lodge your application at Australia Post and once processed registered mail it to me in Scotland? What is frustrating is that the last time I renewed it I sent my application to London in the post and they returned the new one but they've changed that to 'interview only'.

OzTennis

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll add it to the list of possibilities.

BritInParis

Yes, mandatory interviews have been in place for several years now. My solution would be to travel on your British passport as far as Dubai and switch to your Australian passport for the final leg to Tullamarine. You can then renew your Australian passport in Melbourne for a fraction of the cost of renewing it via London.

OzTennis

Thanks again, at Glasgow airport wouldn't they see final destination as Australia and see there's no appropriate Visa in British passport and then if I show that I have a current Australian passport they could say insufficient validity left?

BritInParis

Your British passport is valid to enter and exit the UAE and your Australian passport is valid to enter and exit Australia. If in doubt present both and let them pick which one they wish to use for API.

Lucky Lucan

https://smartraveller.gov.au/guide/p...orts-and-visas

OzTennis

Thanks for your link, I had looked through this and other parts of Smart Traveller. It says you must have an Australian passport to enter and leave Australia if you are a citizen but it doesn't give advice on my specific situation - i.e. if I travel before my passport expires in March '20 I have a passport but it doesn't qualify this (unless it does elsewhere) with how much validity there must be on that passport to satisfy authorities in the UK, the airline and authorities in Australia. Obviously (belt and braces), the only way to be certain is to have a new passport valid at the time of travel but that's my Catch 22.

BritInParis

Your Australian passport just needs to be valid on the day you enter Australia.

OzTennis

What is making me wary, internet search quotes, the catch seems to be expiring before the intended date of return (so not allowed to leave the UK?):

"How long do you have to have left on your passport to travel to Australia?
6 months
Clients must have a valid passport and valid visa when they board their flight and when they enter Australia. However as a general rule the travel industry recommend that your passport is valid for at least 6 months as some airlines and some countries have a 6 month rule."

Can you travel with a passport that expires in 2 months?
Most countries will not permit a traveler to enter their country unless the passport is set to expire at least six months after the final day of travel. That means if your passport has less than six months remaining until the expiration date, you should renew it right away!

Do you need 6 months on your passport to travel to Australia?
Australia requires that your passport must be valid only for the period of your intended travel in and out of Australia. There is no requirement for your passport to be valid for six months after your travel.

BritInParis

None of which is relevant to you as an Australian citizen. You cannot be refused entry even if your passport was expired or lost.