Got UK passport, but in EU on limited visa.

[caspar]

Hi, many people offered helpful advice during my application process and I was successful in registering as a british citizen. It was about a year ago now.

i immediately applied for a passport but work took me overseas shortly after I applied so it arrived at a friends place in France where it has been resting.

I have arrived back in France where I am somewhat based for the moment. The passport should be in my possession tomorrow.

I am Australian and have entered France on my Australian passport. Which would normally entitle me to 90 days, but I have a visa for France + Schengan since before I started the process of applying for british citizenship. It expires in a few weeks.

It probably wouldn't matter if I overstay, at least not in the short term. I am however slightly concerned it could cause problems down the road.

I am not quite sure what to do. Am I able to somehow tell the french authorities that I am now in possession of the passport that allows me to remain indefinitely and they should just switch me over? This seems fraught with difficulty.

I was thinking of taking a trip to Dublin via Belfast just to sort out this business but my understanding of the CTA leads me to believe that this would be no difference from flying direct to Dublin in terms of immigration controls.

Any advice?

Thanks again for everyones help and my apologies if this is not the appropriate forum.

Cheers

[Jambo]

Not sure about the consequences of overstating on your Australian passport but to leave France, you just need to leave Schengen. Trip to the UK would do the trick or Dublin directly. CTA is separate from Schengen. There is no need to go via NI.

[Greenie]

if you are British then you are allowed to live in France - regardless of the fact that you entered on a Schengen visa.

[caspar]

if you are British then you are allowed to live in France - regardless of the fact that you entered on a Schengen visa.

This is my logical thinking also. My becoming a british citizen essentially invalidated my previous visa.

The thing is whether the authorities see it this way or if they simply treat an individual based on the passport they entered or exited on.

Do you have any specific experience in similar circumstances?

My concern really is when sometime down the road I need to enter europe on my australian passport because my british one is applying for a visa somewhere...

[Greenie]

if you are British then you are allowed to live in France - regardless of the fact that you entered on a Schengen visa.

This is my logical thinking also. My becoming a british citizen essentially invalidated my previous visa.

The thing is whether the authorities see it this way or if they simply treat an individual based on the passport they entered or exited on.

Do you have any specific experience in similar circumstances?

My concern really is when sometime down the road I need to enter europe on my australian passport because my british one is applying for a visa somewhere...

I don't know why you would want to enter Europe in the future on a non-European passport - even aside from this issue - you would be just making things harder for yourself. If you think there is a possibility that you will want to go to Europe whilst you are applying for a visa for another country then use the Australian passport to apply for the visa.


EEA freedom of movement rights are automatic. It doesn't matter that you came to France on a Schengen visa - if you can show you are British then this is irrelevent.