suzysu

Hi all,
I'm moving back to the UK.
My UK passport has expired.
Can I return to the UK using my Australian passport?
Thanks

piglet74

That shouldn't be a problem.

Pollyana

Yes.
If you have the expired British one carry it with you as well.

spouse of scouse

Sorry to break in on someone else's thread, but my question is a bit too trivial to warrant a thread of its own.

British husband has an Australian passport and a British one. He's always used the Oz one on visits home, the British passport is brand new (ie never been used, no stamps).

He wants to start using his British passport after we return to live in the UK, for UK - EU trips. I don't think there's any problem with him using his (brand new) British passport to enter the UK when we return permanently?

petrichor

If the UK passport is still current, I can't see there would be any problem. All passports are new at some time! But he should use his British passport to enter the UK, or there may be a query appear in the system. I had this problem when leaving/entering the UK. I can't remember which, but you should always enter and leave a country on the same passport.

Pollyana

No, he'll be fine

BritInParis

When did your British passport expire?

quoll

You can, but you will get a stamp in your passport saying it's only valid for a 6 month stay. Heavens knows what will happen after that - whether they will chase you as being an overstayer, whether that means you can't access services like the NHS etc. can you not renew your UK passport and enter on that, much less hassle all round when dealing with bureaucracies.

the1mag

My UK passport had expired when I was coming back to the UK last year from Canada and it was at the time when there was a huge backlog in processing passport renewals so I wouldn't have been able to get a new passport in time. I entered the country with my Canadian passport but had my expired UK passport and my birth certificate with me. I was given a six month stay as a Canadian and renewed my UK passport right away.

BritInParis

Generally speaking it is best to enter on a British passport. If your passport has expired then it would at the Immigration Officer's discretion whether to admit you as a British citizen. Personally speaking, unless it was an emergency situation and there was no time, I would be renewing my passport before I flew especially if I was returning permanently. The price, barring the postage costs, is now the same as applying in the UK and the processing times are currently very prompt.

Another factor to consider is that you are now required to prove your immigration status in the UK before opening a bank account, obtaining a driving licence, signing a tenancy agreement or using NHS services so if you have a valid passport before you arrive then you'll be able to hit the ground running.