Must the UK citizen use UK passport to leave/enter the UK?

[costa]

Hi,

I just submitted my naturalisation application last week.
However, I have a scheduled business trip abroad around mid-December.

I guess I may get the citizenship approval letter from HO and even attend council ceremony before December, but I may not have enough time to apply and receive the UK passport before leaving.

So, I am wondering if I can still use my original passport to leave and enter the UK then? Is my ILR still valid then? or is there any law to make it compulsory requirement for UK citizen to use UK passport to leave and enter the UK?

Thanks,

costa

[Marco 72]

There is no such law. If you like, you can have your other passport stamped to indicate you have Right of Abode in the UK, after you become a British citizen.

[ppron747]

There is no such law.

The Immigration Act 1971 does in fact provide that someone entering the UK and claiming to have the right of abode should prove this by producing a UK passport describing them as a British citizen, or another country's passport endorsed with a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.

I doubt very much that costa will have any difficulty re-entering the UK on his non-UK passport - the IOs are most unlikely to have "new British citizens" on the stop-list they consult, so they simply won't know that he's British. But, technically, his ILR becomes invalid the day he becomes a British citizen, because it is not possible to impose limits (even "indefinite" limits) on the stay in the UK of someone who has the right of abode, and therefore cannot be limited.

Costa: As I've said, I doubt that you'll have a problem, but it would be better if you were to make every effort to get your British passport before you travel - or to delay the ceremony until after you get back - I think you have around 90 days from the date of the invitation letter, so that shouldnt be too difficult, unless it is a long trip...

If you like, you can have your other passport stamped to indicate you have Right of Abode in the UK, after you become a British citizen.

And, at £20 at the moment, that's a bargain, and probably a very good idea, as insurance against losing your British passport while you're overseas. But it takes a couple of months, I believe, so won't be of much use this time around.

[costa]

Thanks everyone.

I think, the best way for myself, is to delay my council ceremony until I get back from abroad if I find out the gap time is very unlikely to get british passport.

Of course, likely expensive private ceremony and fast-track passport office visiting might allow me to get a british passport before departure.
That's an alternative option.

[ppron747]

I think delaying it a bit is the best idea - unless, of course, you're one of the lucky ones who gets the approval letter really quickly...

One other thought: I don't know what nationality you are, but have you checked out your present country's attitude to dual nationality? If it's one of those countries where you lose the nationality immediately you gain another, that's another very good reason for not travelling on that passport once you've had your ceremony. You'd almost certainly be committing an offence in that country's law...

[Bakuli]

Right of Abode certificate is taking about 4 weeks to process ( well at least in my case), I just got my my ROA certificate today ( sent the application on the 18th of last month).

[Rogerio]

My RoA took about 10 weeks to process. Only used it once...