Arriving in UK on EEA2 Residence Card

[flipper77]

I just thought I'd post my positive experience, as yesterday was the first time I've travelled into the UK with my Residence Card (EEA2).

I was travelling with my partner - we went straight to the UK/EU queue, and I told the Immigration person it was my first time travelling on the card - and just asked (more out of interest to hear his responses than anything else) if a) I was in the correct queue and b) if I was correct in not completing the Landing Card. He said yes, in fact I can choose either queue - and that my EEA partner can also accompany me in the non-EU queue (which I don't completely believe...) and that of course I was correct in not completing the land card. The process took less than a minute - all very smooth!

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

Could i ask which Airline did you fly and which airport you landed?. Also were there any problem when you landed other country?

[flipper77]

Could i ask which Airline did you fly and which airport you landed?. Also were there any problem when you landed other country?

Airline: Vueling (They did check my visa at the time of boarding the plane back to the UK - however I just pointed out my other visa in my passport, as it is still valid until later this year, rather than showing the awful A4 ISD)

Airport: Gatwick

Other Country (Spain): No problems - I do not require a visa for Spain though, so have never had any issues visiting

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

Thanks for replying. I have sent an email to UKBA about joining the EU queue at airport, Landing card and stamping the passport.

So there reply was when i arrive UK i should join non eu queue but if i am traveling with my wife i can join EU queue.

person who has eea2 should not fill in the landing card and stamping the passport they immigration officer may not stamp the passport of the eea2 holder.

[londonman]

Could i ask which Airline did you fly and which airport you landed?. Also were there any problem when you landed other country?

Airline: Vueling (They did check my visa at the time of boarding the plane back to the UK - however I just pointed out my other visa in my passport, as it is still valid until later this year, rather than showing the awful A4 ISD)

Airport: Gatwick

Other Country (Spain): No problems - I do not require a visa for Spain though, so have never had any issues visiting

Thanks for sharing your experience man, it's very useful!
Just being curious, is your wife from Spain? Do you speak Spanish? Lol
And I wanted to ask you, do the uk border officer stamp your passport or not?

Gracias!

[too old]

what if some one non-eu is coming back to UK with EEa2 RC with out their spouse which queue they should take and will they get their passport stamped ?

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

Well in the official e mail from UKBA they have advised me if non eu with eea2 residence card traveling alone then he should join the non eu queue.

About the stamp it was not very clear they said immigration officer MAY NOT stamp the passport. Which i think it means is it is entirely up to IO.

But non eu with eea2 residence card should NOT fill in the landing card.

[flipper77]

Thanks for sharing your experience man, it's very useful!
Just being curious, is your wife from Spain? Do you speak Spanish? Lol
And I wanted to ask you, do the uk border officer stamp your passport or not?

Gracias!

My unmarried partner is not from Spain, and I do not speak Spanish - not sure why you are asking that though?

No, the border officer did not stamp my passport.

[flipper77]

what if some one non-eu is coming back to UK with EEa2 RC with out their spouse which queue they should take and will they get their passport stamped ?

I'm not sure on the actual rules (or if there are rules, and even if there are - I imagine that not all of the border officials would understand the rules or how to apply them). That being said, if I am in the situation where I am travelling without my EU Partner, I will choose the shortest queue.

My understanding is that in no circumstances should the Border Officer stamp my passport, regardless of whether I am travelling with my partner or not.

[Jambo]

I'm not sure on the actual rules (or if there are rules, and even if there are - I imagine that not all of the border officials would understand the rules or how to apply them). That being said, if I am in the situation where I am travelling without my EU Partner, I will choose the shortest queue.

My understanding is that in no circumstances should the Border Officer stamp my passport, regardless of whether I am travelling with my partner or not.

Your understanding is correct. No stamp if you hold a RC or PR. See regulation 11(3).

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

I'm not sure on the actual rules (or if there are rules, and even if there are - I imagine that not all of the border officials would understand the rules or how to apply them). That being said, if I am in the situation where I am travelling without my EU Partner, I will choose the shortest queue.

My understanding is that in no circumstances should the Border Officer stamp my passport, regardless of whether I am travelling with my partner or not.

Your understanding is correct. No stamp if you hold a RC or PR. See regulation 11(3).

Well in this regulation it is says IO MAY NOT it didn't say MUST NOT. Its all very confusing isn't it? But in some regulation they have used the term MUST NOT but for stamp they wrote MAY NOT.

[Jambo]

MAY NOT means the action is prohibited. It doesn't mean the IO can choose whether to stamp or not. He is not allowed to (the same way he doesnt stamp EU/British passports) and he should know that.

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

MAY NOT means the action is prohibited. It doesn't mean the IO can choose whether to stamp or not. He is not allowed to (the same way he doesnt stamp EU/British passports) and he should know that.

Thank you for that. so what about the eu queue if traveling alone? Because in the email from UKBA they have said i should join the eu queue if i am traveling with eu national. Whats your say on this?

[GMB]

Thank you for that. so what about the eu queue if traveling alone? Because in the email from UKBA they have said i should join the eu queue if i am traveling with eu national. Whats your say on this?

Just to add my experiences -- I've arrived back into the UK via Heathrow T4, T5, and London City since receiving my EEA2 residence card, and in all cases, even when traveling alone (3 times now), I've joined the UK/EU queue. The only glimmer of a problem was the very first time when the IO looked at my passport first and said "I'm afraid you've joined the wrong queue," but upon pointing out that my RC was of the EEA type, she admitted that "yes, you're in the right queue." So far I've yet to be asked if I'm traveling with my EEA spouse or even where she is, and even when we do travel together we never go to the same IO desk anyway.

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

Thank you for that. so what about the eu queue if traveling alone? Because in the email from UKBA they have said i should join the eu queue if i am traveling with eu national. Whats your say on this?

Just to add my experiences -- I've arrived back into the UK via Heathrow T4, T5, and London City since receiving my EEA2 residence card, and in all cases, even when traveling alone (3 times now), I've joined the UK/EU queue. The only glimmer of a problem was the very first time when the IO looked at my passport first and said "I'm afraid you've joined the wrong queue," but upon pointing out that my RC was of the EEA type, she admitted that "yes, you're in the right queue." So far I've yet to be asked if I'm traveling with my EEA spouse or even where she is, and even when we do travel together we never go to the same IO desk anyway.

Thank you very much it was very helpful. Did they stamp your passport and asked you any question?

[GMB]

Thank you very much it was very helpful. Did they stamp your passport and asked you any question?

The first IO did stamp my passport, but she admitted she wasn't sure what to do with EEA RCs and was somewhat apologetic for doing it. In no other case has the IO even reached for a stamp.

The only question I've ever been asked is "is the EEA citizen your spouse?" to which I answered yes. He seemed more curious than anything else.

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

Thanks a lot really appreciate your help and time GMB

[too old]

Patience is the key and GMB thanks guys for sharing your experiences. i am seeking my RC and its expected this month or something as i spoke to them on the phone. now my question is i am planing to go back to home to see my parents (non eu country) is there a time limit i should take care of when i am back home meeting my parents? next question is when i come back no matter which queu i join as i will be alone will they ask me any question about my eu national spouse? do i need to carry any supporting document with me when i am on my way back to UK without my EU SPOUSE after a trip to back home?

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

Patience is the key and GMB thanks guys for sharing your experiences. i am seeking my RC and its expected this month or something as i spoke to them on the phone. now my question is i am planing to go back to home to see my parents (non eu country) is there a time limit i should take care of when i am back home meeting my parents? next question is when i come back no matter which queu i join as i will be alone will they ask me any question about my eu national spouse? do i need to carry any supporting document with me when i am on my way back to UK without my EU SPOUSE after a trip to back home?

1)Its 6 months limit in one calender year but if you are out of the country for work reasons or nature of the job more then a 6 months it is accepted.

2)I think coming back to U.K join eu queue and if they do not accept for whatever the reasons are you can go to the non eu queue.Like GMB mentioned it was fine.

3)Well i read in the past they usually don't ask you many question, but if they do.You know the answers about your spouse. But i think in most of the cases they ask questions like where he/she works,whats his/her date of birth, what is his/her mother name, name of the city in the Europe he/she was born,etc

4) Supporting documents should be marriage certificate definitely, proof that your spouse is exercising treaty rights like letter from work or payslip, uni letter if student.That's it really. Wish you all the luck for your residence card.

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

1)Its 6 months limit in one calender year but if you are out of the country for work reasons or nature of the job more then a 6 months it is accepted.

No. It is 6 months in each of the years which form the anniversaries of entering the UK. And I have never heard any indication that out of the country for work/job reasons is accepted. Any reference links?

[too old]

Them questions are fine i mean names , birthdays, work related and cities as you mentioned. i needed to ask this because i felt like you can not travel without eu spouse or if you can and you did or do then you put your self in a position where they start asking questions. you know no one likes too many questions its just eu national want to see their family in warsaw when i am away.

Additionally i am not going to spend more than my paid holidays as i dont want to put my job at risk.

Appreciate your response PATIENCE IS THE SKY...

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

1)Its 6 months limit in one calender year but if you are out of the country for work reasons or nature of the job more then a 6 months it is accepted.

No. It is 6 months in each of the years which form the anniversaries of entering the UK. And I have never heard any indication that out of the country for work/job reasons is accepted. Any reference links?

When i was applying for eea2 i thought hiring a solicitor and from him i got this information that if you are out of the country for more then 6 months and you can prove that it was just because of work reasons or nature of job. then it is fine. I remember he mentioned a law.

I will have a look if i can find a link or reference, i will definitely post.Thanks for correcting about 6 months i always thought it is per calender year.

[GMB]

4) Supporting documents should be marriage certificate definitely, proof that your spouse is exercising treaty rights like letter from work or payslip, uni letter if student.That's it really. Wish you all the luck for your residence card.

I do usually carry these documents with me when I travel, but strictly in case my EEA RC is lost or stolen (it's on a separate ISD and not in my passport). In which case I could still assert my right to be admitted under EU rules without the RC. But the only things I ever hand the IO are my passport and RC. If I were also asked by an IO to show my marriage certificate or other documents you've listed I'd refuse to do so.

By the way I re-entered via car at Coquelles (Le Shuttle) yesterday. IO stamped my daughters' passports as they're in the UK under UK rules, but didn't stamp mine. Only question: is the EU citizen your spouse or domestic partner? I just pointed to my wife who said "I'm his wife." And off we went.

[PATIENCE IS THE KEY]

4) Supporting documents should be marriage certificate definitely, proof that your spouse is exercising treaty rights like letter from work or payslip, uni letter if student.That's it really. Wish you all the luck for your residence card.

I do usually carry these documents with me when I travel, but strictly in case my EEA RC is lost or stolen (it's on a separate ISD and not in my passport). In which case I could still assert my right to be admitted under EU rules without the RC. But the only things I ever hand the IO are my passport and RC. If I were also asked by an IO to show my marriage certificate or other documents you've listed I'd refuse to do so.

By the way I re-entered via car at Coquelles (Le Shuttle) yesterday. IO stamped my daughters' passports as they're in the UK under UK rules, but didn't stamp mine. Only question: is the EU citizen your spouse or domestic partner? I just pointed to my wife who said "I'm his wife." And off we went.

EU citizen is my spouse.

[londonman]

1)Its 6 months limit in one calender year but if you are out of the country for work reasons or nature of the job more then a 6 months it is accepted.

No. It is 6 months in each of the years which form the anniversaries of entering the UK. And I have never heard any indication that out of the country for work/job reasons is accepted. Any reference links?

That rule of 'out of the country for work/job/health reasons is only valid for the EEA nationals as far as I know. Am I wrong?