EEA Residency Card, traveling to UK

[scootermclean]

Hello
I am a North American in Portugal. I am married to a Portuguese citizen. Through our marriage I have a Portuguese residency card.

I am traveling to the UK, when I land at the airport, am I able to go to the EU/UK queue? Or must I still go to the non-eu passport queue?

When I enter Portugal I go through the EU passport queue and present my residency card.

Thank you

[Imshzd]

Before travel to uk you have to apply EEA family permit.
Once to get the EEA family permit then you can join any queue.
BUT
you may try your luck with out UK EEA family permit if air line staff allow you to board in the flight.

[scootermclean]

Hello,
Thank you for the reply.
Perhaps I was not clear enough.

I am not moving to the UK, just traveling. They would not issue me an EEA Family Permit as I am not joining my EU family member in the UK, nor is my EU family member traveling with me.

I am just trying to see if I can save the hassle of standing in the non-eu immigration queue at Heathrow on my increasingly frequent trips to London.

The reason I ask is that when I fly from outside the EEA to anywhere in the EEA thus far, I can go into the EU passport queue with my residency card. For example, when I fly from the USA to Portugal, or to Netherlands I just queue with the EU line show them my passport and residency card and they wave me through, they don't even stamp my passport.

I am wondering if this is also the case when flying into the UK for a visit.

[scootermclean]

It would seem that my answer is here:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/ ... 051_en.pdf

The uk takes a very restricted interpretation on Directive 2004/38/EC, Article 5(2) which would seem to indicate that any EEA residency document which in theory would allow me to pass through the EU side of the queue will not work.

Well, here's to standing in line at Heathrow!

[mgb]

If your husband is not accompany you and not waiting in the UK the directive doesn't apply anyway.
You have to queue up in the non-eu line.
Luckily your american passport give you your own right to enter the uk.
If you have to fill out a landing card you should ask beforehand.

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Before travel to uk you have to apply EEA family permit.
Once to get the EEA family permit then you can join any queue.
BUT
you may try your luck with out UK EEA family permit if air line staff allow you to board in the flight.

This is not correct. You do not need to get a EEA Family Permit, especially if you have a US or Canadian passport.


If you are travelling with your EU citizen spouse, then you can in theory do either lane. Expect somebody to ask you to move to the non Eu lane though.

[Imshzd]

All North American countries are not exempt for UK entry clearance except US citizen and Canadian citizens.
North American citizen does not means US or Canadian citizen.

[Imshzd]

Hello,
Thank you for the reply.
Perhaps I was not clear enough.

I am not moving to the UK, just traveling. They would not issue me an EEA Family Permit as I am not joining my EU family member in the UK, nor is my EU family member traveling with me.

I am just trying to see if I can save the hassle of standing in the non-eu immigration queue at Heathrow on my increasingly frequent trips to London.

The reason I ask is that when I fly from outside the EEA to anywhere in the EEA thus far, I can go into the EU passport queue with my residency card. For example, when I fly from the USA to Portugal, or to Netherlands I just queue with the EU line show them my passport and residency card and they wave me through, they don't even stamp my passport.

I am wondering if this is also the case when flying into the UK for a visit.

If you are US citizen then you don't need EEA family permit and you can travel to uk.
But if you are one of the citizen from one of the North American country like Cuba or Haiti etc then you may require a permit