Eborders and dual nationality

[guardianangel79]

Hello all. There was an article in The Telegraph a while back about how under e-borders, dual nationals should exit and enter the UK on the same passport - otherwise they may face problems coming back to the UK on their next trip. Given that some dual nationals (like those with US passports) must enter their country of birth on that country's passport, they would book the flight ticket using their non British passport details. When returning to the UK, the airline will notify UKBA (under e-borders) details of the dual national's non British passport, when in fact, that person will pull out his British passport at UK passport control. Could someone confirm whether the dual national is fine doing this? According to The Telegraph, a UKBA spokesman said people should exit and enter the UK using the same passport (which doesn't really work if one is exiting the UK using a non British passport).

Thank you for your advice.

[Mr Rusty]

The passport you show to the airline (which has to match the name on the ticket) does not have to be the passport you show to an Immigration Officer.

My wife is dual Thai/UK national, with her original Thai name in her Thai passport and our married name in her UK passport. The tickets for BKK-LHR are always booked in our married name because she can travel in either direction on her UK passport without a visa. On arrival and departure to /from UK she shows her UK passport at border control (in fact we enter via the IRIS booth, much quicker), and on arrival and departure in Thailand she shows the IO her Thai passport. At check-in either way she usually shows both.

Simples.

[Jambo]

I believe the article refered to the Advance Passengers Information that airlines are required to pass to the HO which includes the passengers' travel document details. E-borders is used as a name for a different project (the automated gates instead of immigration officers). I believe the UK mainly uses it for security threats and not for immigration purposes and anyway they are aware that people might be travelling on different passport when entering and leaving the UK so I would not worry too much about it.