CanadianSpruce

Whatever entry clearance officer you spoke to was spouting BS (not that it surprises me). Especially if your not moving to the UK and just visiting, there's no requirement to do so.

He/she also kind of caught himself there as well, if he reasonably thought you were a British citizen, he should have ceased any questioning as your not subject to immigration control. He/she can't have it both ways.

bats

i know it was BS, I even had my expired British passport with me, my birth certificate and an appointment to renew the passport. There were two of them hectoring me, it was nasty. I'd avoid any chance of this happening.

SanDiegogirl

The last time I entered the UK I used my US passport.

Of course as soon as I answered her question she said "Are you British?; "Yes" I said. "We would prefer you to enter the UK using your British passport" , she said; "OK", said I and was on my way. No unpleasantness at all.

Why they are getting somewhat pedantic about using a British passport if one is just visiting (which I was), I don't know. If you are entering the UK and not intending to leave I could understand the need for a (preferably) current British passport.

Maybe they are following the US - who insist on you using your US passport to enter and leave the country at all times.

CanadianSpruce

Out of interest, did you give them your old British passport and BC all together with your Canadian passport or until they asked?

CanadianSpruce

Especially for some Expats who literally visit the UK once every 10 years, its pretty much pointless (and a waste of money) having a British passport.

Pollyana

They prefer it cos it makes it easier for them - no need to keep a record of an 'alien' entering etc, you enter as a Brit and they don't need systems keeping tabs on whether you work, leave on time etc.

However there is no rule in place that says you MUST enter/leve n a UK passport if you hold one The choice is still yours and there has been no whisper yet of it ever changing.

durham_lad

Australia have this rule also, plus they have actual exit controls where they check the passport that has meant you have been staying legally in the country. As an Australian/US dual citizen living in the USA my SIL returning from Australia has to show his US passport to the airline and then at border control before getting to the airplane show his Australian passport.

My daughter got her UK passport renewed a few years ago because she said she was fed up of them sniping at her when she entered the UK to visit us on her US passport.

BritInParis

Unlike the US there's no de jure requirement to present an Australian passport. There is a de facto requirement to do so however as all non-Australians, bar New Zealanders, require a visa to board an aircraft to Australia and Australian visas cannot be issued to Australian citizens. An Australian citizen holding a foreign passport without a visa can travel to Australia, but it would require the airline in question to ring DIBP for permission to let them board (aka an 'uplift'), which they are under no obligation to do.

bats

Expired British and Canadisn passports together. I'd done this before and then it was fine but I'm not risking meeting antagonistic officers again,

moneypenny20

Perhaps you meant 'officials doing their jobs correctly'?

bats

No I didn't. I'm sure doing their jobs correctly involves being polite at the very least. Plus I don't need to use a UK passport to enter the UK. So no that's not what I meant at all.