I'm travelling to London in 2 weeks. I was born in the UK so have dual citizenship. I will be travelling on my Australian passport but will have my expired UK passport with me. Does anyone know if I can use the UK/EU queue or do I have to use the international queue?
Using UK/EU line at Heathrow with Aussie passport
smith001122 on 10/07/2017 - 20:29
Last edited 12/07/2017 - 11:31 by 1 other user
Last edited 12/07/2017 - 11:31 by 1 other user
closed Comments
I'm entering using my in date Australian passport, I just want to use the UK queue as it is usually shorter. I was born there, my passport is just expired (of course I won't be entering on it!)
Not sure why this got so many neg votes … time is money and queuing up in the shorter line without an express pass is a bargain.
I think you will find that the sign on the queue reads UK/EU Passports not Born in UK/EU or even People Who Once Had a Valid UK/EU Passport.
Okay guys no need for the smart ass answers. Was legitimately asking the question as I didn't know. No need to be rude to me. Thanks for your answers.
typical whinging pom.
How is that whinging? I asked a question as I didn't know the answer, I thought that was the point of a forum. I'm a young girl travelling to the UK on my own for the first time and wanted to make sure I did the right thing. Like I said, there was no need to be rude to me as it was a legitimate question I didn't know the answer to, I wouldn't have asked it otherwise.
I'm taking the piss. chill.
simple answer is "No". you can't join join the UK/EU line.
Now just keep thanking everyone for their input and say that you'll enjoy visiting the old country.
It'll be nothing like the scorn you'll get from the official when you reach the head of the queue.
What person? The EU /UK passport queue is a e gate. You get in 10x quicker
Even worse then. Are you willing to gamble that the system will scan non UK/EU passports on that queue?
Don't worry , maybe by then the queue will just be 'UK' and 'International'!
All the people that down voted the OP are haters. If you can get through the immigration line quicker, why not?
From what I remember a few years ago, the counter staff tend to be passport agnostic, ie the agent at the front of the Britsh passport line takes overflow from the international line, when he's got an empty queue. The only thing enforcing you joining the right queue are the smurf/security guards who look at the color of your passport.
So if you hold the red expired passport in your hand, there shouldn't be problems joining the British queue.
Remember that the human counters are mainly used by families (everyone else uses the electronic gates), so don't get stuck in the electronic gates with an expired passport.
Also look for opportunities to jump into the business class line. Back in the day, there use to be several ways to do it, without holding an express card.
No reason to the UK / Non EU country lines are typically a lot busier than the one you would use with Aussie passport.
TSA don't like being screwed around either with the amount of crap going on in recent times so pulling out the incorrect one to get you past a check if they decide to look properly, can work against u and can get you sent to the very back of the line at the desk if you get someone having a bad day. i've seen it happen. in more than a couple of countries.
Especially if English is your first language no reason to not understand.
I used to hold both for that reason and a couple of others but it's not worth the hassle.
I understand it's a long fight etc. done it many a time but it's just one of those things.
business class line is checked on every flight i've been on in the last couple of years, however if i've got a business ticket i can push friends through but thats about it.
try and get seated at the front of the plain be organised and walk like hell if your that bothered but if you have checked luggage not going to make much difference either.
Relax enjoy the trip worrying about things like this will only wind you up
I haven't flown to the UK in a while so don't know for sure but other airports I have flown to usually have someone there pointing people to the correct queue. Ask that person.
If at all possible surely you should try and get your UK passport sorted ? You'll get in a hell of a lot quicker.
FYI Heathrow is being renovated. It took me an hour and a half last year. If there's a way of renewing your UK passport do it.
years ago when I had Japanese residency I would fly back to Japan and join the "Japanese Nationals/Residents" line. it was always so much shorter and faster than the "foreigners" line.
and always there would be some foreigners who saw mrs Altomic & I in the "Japanese Nationals/Residences" line and assume that it was ok to join. so we'd get to the front of the queue, get to the immigration desk, passports stamped and away we go. The foreigners who had patiently lined up behind us - thinking that this was a short cut and anticipating a quick and seamless entry to Japan just like the foreigners in front of them- would then get to the immigration desk and be told to go to the back of the foreigners line - which was by then so much longer.
Aah memories… once I landed into Gatwick where the EU/UK line filled an entire room and extended back into the corridor to the gates. Waltzed past them all to the extremely short international line and was out in under 5 mins.
What was this thread about? OP had a good cry
OP wanted to use an expired UK passport to enter the UK/EU queue at Heathrow, then present an Aussie passport.
OK, OP got the answer. Thread closed.
International queue, expired passport = no passport