Photo: Gill Bonnett
The significance of changes to United Kingdom entry requirements has only just been realised, a British travel correspondent says.
Late last year, the British government announced anyone classed as a British citizen would soon need a valid UK passport to enter the country, or have to get a $1300 certificate in their foreign passport.
The change has ensnared dual British citizens.
The British government said it warned people of the impending changes but The Independent’s travel correspondent, Simon Calder, told Morning Report the communication had been woeful.
He said the impact had only just hit home in the past six weeks causing a lot of consternation, upset, and expense.
“I think it is absolutely the case that the British government did not come out … and say, ‘By the way when we make this finally compulsory, you do know that everything is going to change’.
“Because if they said it two years ago, people would be in a much, much better position than they are now.
“Yes, you can argue that you’re a dual citizen, you’re living abroad, you’ve got to keep your eye on stuff, but frankly it passed me by and I spend very little time doing anything other than looking a various new bits of bureaucracy.”
This week the British Home Office confirmed airlines could accept expired (post-1989) UK passports – should they wish to.
Calder said the take-up had been mixed, with British Airways, Easy Jet, and Virgin Atlantic confirming they would accept expired passports, but others such as Singapore Airlines had been a bit “enigmatic”.
He stressed, however, that it wasn’t as simple as showing up with a post-1989 passport and people needed to be careful not to get caught out.
“Things happen, people change their names, maybe they get married and that expired passport if it’s in a different name to your current New Zealand passport that is not going to work.”
Calder said the airport support hub should be able to help travellers.
Earlier this week, Travel Agents’ Association chief executive Julie White told Morning Report leaving it to the airlines’ discretion was risky.
“You can’t rely on that and look, it’s expensive, it’s stressful and you’ve taken annual leave so our suggestion is, you really should be travelling with the right documentation.
“We’re inundated with people contacting our travel agents around clarity because it really is confusing.”
She said airlines could only deal with the information they’d been provided and would face fines if they got it wrong.
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