quoll

If you only have one passport then the 6 months validity thing may be an issue but as you've got your UK passport to fall back on in any of those countries which demand 6 months validity should you transit through them its not a problem, You've got an Australian passport which is current at your date of entry to allow you to enter Australia which is all you require at that point.
BiP is the expert in all this!

OzTennis

Thanks, the bit I quoted said the validity thing includes entry AND leaving date; I appreciate it will be valid to enter but it will expire when I'm there. My intention is to renew it in Oz if I can but if the British authorities at Glasgow and the airline point out 'not current at your return date' I don't get on the plane! I had thought about just applying for a 3 month tourist visa in my British passport but someone said I can't apply for that because of my Australian passport.

quoll

I don't think the Glasgow authorities are going to be concerned whether your Australian passport is valid or not at your return date. All they will care about is getting you there in which case you have a passport which is valid at that time. The only people who are going to be concerned about your paperwork on leaving Australia are the Australian immigration mob who get their knickers in a knot if you, as a citizen, try and leave on a foreign passport and the UK immigration who will want to know that they can let you back. There is a bit of confusion in that statement above I suspect in that if you were entering Australia on a foreign passport then they would expect it to be valid for the length of your trip because they would want to be sure that you will be legal to leave. For all they know you are an Australian returning home, there's no compunction on you to own a passport at all unless you are trying to enter or leave the country, you can live there in passport free bliss as long as you like. It's only when you try and escape they need your passport.

BritInParis

Again, irrelevant to you as an Australian citizen.

Pollyana

Remember, as an Australian, travelling to Aus, you don't even need to have a return date. You could be going there and staying put forever as far as the airlines are concerned. (hideous thought )

moneypenny20

The airline in Glasgow won't have any interest in a possible return date. As far as they know or care you are travelling home to Australia on your Australian Passport. Just get here and renew.

OzTennis

Thanks for the comments and advice guys and gals. I'm going to try and make contact with London High Commission to see if I can do a postal application for a new passport before I travel (under extenuating circumstances of not being able to get to London or an outreach centre; can get 'doctor's line' to vouch if necessary); if not I'll try travelling on my blue passport due to expire 3/3/20 semi-confident that you reckon there won't be a problem.

BritInParis

You won’t be able to apply by post but you’re fine to travel with a combination of both your existing passports.

OzTennis

Thanks, for my own peace of mind I might phone London to make an appointment for a passport renewal interview and confirm that I must appear in person at an interview, there are no extenuating circumstances under which it can be avoided and at the same time ask if I'm ok to travel with the expiring blue I have. I appreciate the comments you have made.

Pollyana

Have to admit I would be more inclined to believe BritinParis than a call centre operator at the High Commission.........

quoll

Me too!!!

moneypenny20

Oh I don't know, they may have started employing people to man the phones who know what they're talking about. Oh wait, no as you were.....

OzTennis

Thinking out aloud (I would like to renew before I travel if I could):

Scotland to London is like travelling from Melbourne to Sydney to renew a passport - is that reasonable to expect people to travel that distance for a renewal?

'We do outreach interviews; click on this link for dates' says HC website; click on it, might be able to get to Glasgow, Edinburgh or Newcastle. This handy information comes up:

Next Visit

Bristol - 17, 18 and 19 September 2019 FULLY BOOKED

Previous Visits

Edinburgh - 22, 23, 24, 25 January 2019

Liverpool - 12, 13, 14, 15 February 2019

Bristol - 5, 6, 7 March 2019

Glasgow - 26, 27, 28, 29 March 2019

Newcastle - 9, 10, 11 April 2019

Leeds - 14, 15, 16 May 2019

Edinburgh 25, 26, 27 and 28 June 2019

Manchester 12, 13 and 14 June 2019

If they followed the same dates this year they won't do further outreach before we intend to travel.

BritInParis

You can keep an eye on that page - Glasgow may well be next - but there’s no need to renew your Australian passport before you travel.

OzTennis

Cheers, I have been checking it and it hasn't been updated in months hinting that going to London is the only option which is out of the question for me - as said previously it's like asking me if I was back in Melbourne to go to Sydney to renew.