Uk trip can a NZ passport holder get in on one way ticket

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sleepy

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#262277 14-Jan-2020 11:26

Am planning a UK trip and expect to base ourselves there for 6 months with few europe side trips

I travel on UK and NZ passport

and my wife only NZ

I know the smartgates let her in as we only just got back

So no check at that end for return flight, is the check done by the airline,

Just not sure of return date so want to leave open

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#2391587 14-Jan-2020 11:26

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timbosan

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#2391590 14-Jan-2020 11:33

No - she will need some sort of onward ticket to another country. (Having been in this exact situation).

Others will clarify but the airlines don't let you even let you check-in without the appropriate visas / passports

wellygary

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#2391594 14-Jan-2020 11:41

timbosan:

No - she will need some sort of onward ticket to another country. (Having been in this exact situation).

Others will clarify but the airlines don't let you even let you check-in without the appropriate visas / passports

She's on a NZ passport, she will get a 6 month visitors visa ( via a waiver) on arrival , - she will have no problem getting on a plane,

But to be honest you could just buy a cheap easyjet fare to Ireland/wherever for her, and then cancel it once you arrive..

sleepy

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#2391597 14-Jan-2020 11:45

UK doesnt check at there end as NZ passport works with smartgate

eracode

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#2391599 14-Jan-2020 11:47

timbosan:

No - she will need some sort of onward ticket to another country. (Having been in this exact situation).

Others will clarify but the airlines don't let you even let you check-in without the appropriate visas / passports

My wife and I, travelling on NZ passports, arrived at Heathrow a couple of years ago without holding tickets exiting UK or EU. The UK immigration guy gave us the third-degree and wanted to know why. We had a reasonable explanation which included our timing and plans for departure (from Germany) - and he asked us a few further questions about all that. Then he asked us how much money we had with us and what were our financial resources back in NZ.

In the end he was just playing with us, with a twinkle in his eye - pretending he wasn’t going to let us in - then just smiled and said “Have a great time in England”.

So it can be done - but it’s certainly better to have a ticket. In our case, dare I say it, I think we looked reasonably respectable and well-heeled, in our ‘60s - and I think he just made a judgement call. Other peoples’ MMV.

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Varkk

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#2391613 14-Jan-2020 12:06

From what I can tell is you need to be able to show you will leave the country before the visitor runs out, usually that is shown by having a return ticket or tickets for travel to the next destination and home from there etc. If you can show you have the funds readily available for return travel that works as well.

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steve2222

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#2391615 14-Jan-2020 12:18

It is more likely your issue will be at the NZ end when you try to check in for the flight to the UK. The airlines are careful to ensure that passengers have the proper visa etc as they don't want to have the costs imposed on them by UK Immigration for having to fly you home as you are denied entry at UK border.

We had this exact issue in reverse. We had been on holiday in the UK, rocked up to Heathrow to fly home and my wife mistakenly gave the check in lady her UK passport. The lady said we can't fly you as you have no return ticket and no Visa to stay in NZ - obviously my wife then realised her mistake and got out her NZ passport.

PolicyGuy

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#2391627 14-Jan-2020 12:35

If this is going to be a longer-term situation, have you considered getting your wife a more permanent type of visa?
Is she eligible for UK citizenship through marriage to you or through one of her parents/grandparents?

Zeon

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#2391628 14-Jan-2020 12:37

I'm pretty sure when I went there last I didn't have an onward ticket. THe issue was flying into the US the airlines wanted to see an onward ticket. When I entered the US on the land border the customs official just asked if I was flying out rom where I arrived and I said yes. I'm actually flying to the UK on Monday and haven't booked an onward ticket :)

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BlinkyBill

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#2391671 14-Jan-2020 12:44

There is a UK Government website that explains all of this very clearly, and has a service where you can check whether you need a visa or not for various purposes.

https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Without an onward ticket, which simply acts as an indicator of intentions and is not a requirement, you can, not unreasonably, expect some questions from immigration officers. You may need to satisfy the officers you have sufficient funds to stay for 6 months, you may have family who are putting you up, etc etc.

Airlines, for a NZ passport, can’t decline boarding on the basis of no visa. Smartgate will accept a NZ passport and just because you get through Smartgate doesn’t mean immigration officers won’t interview you anyway.

don’t understand why Vark and Timbosan are posting incorrect information.

evilengineer

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#2391841 14-Jan-2020 14:11

PolicyGuy:

If this is going to be a longer-term situation, have you considered getting your wife a more permanent type of visa?
Is she eligible for UK citizenship through marriage to you or through one of her parents/grandparents?

That could be interesting. The Home Office has a bit of reputation for being slow and pedantic with a tendency to look for excuses to say no.

I'm also pretty sure you can't get UK citizenship directly from a grandparent. Has to be a parent who was actually born in the UK and isn't just a UK citizen by decent.

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surfisup1000

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#2391862 14-Jan-2020 14:36

Back in the day.... we'd buy open return tickets.

I guess the equivalent today are the flexi ticket options where there are no fees for changing -- but they cost more up front.

BlinkyBill

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#2391923 14-Jan-2020 15:03

evilengineer:

I'm also pretty sure you can't get UK citizenship directly from a grandparent. Has to be a parent who was actually born in the UK and isn't just a UK citizen by decent.

it depends when you were born. The regulations have changed several times over the last 70 years; and the regulations that applied when you were born, still apply. For example, a 60-year old with a UK-born grandparent could probably get UK citizenship, even if both parents not born in the UK (don’t quote me on 60, but somewhere in that bracket).

My kids are in their 20’s, their mother is a UK citizen albeit she was born in NZ. They are not allowed the direct path, even though their cousins, whose parents were born in UK, are allowed.

PolicyGuy

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#2391969 14-Jan-2020 15:28

PolicyGuy:

If this is going to be a longer-term situation, have you considered getting your wife a more permanent type of visa?
Is she eligible for UK citizenship through marriage to you or through one of her parents/grandparents?

Alternatively, she may be able to apply for Right To Abode https://www.gov.uk/right-of-abode/commonwealth-citizens

Prove you have right of abode in the UK
Commonwealth citizens
Marriage

You can only get right to abode through marriage if you’re a female Commonwealth citizen.

You must have:

been married to someone with right of abode before 1 January 1983
not stopped being a Commonwealth citizen (even temporarily) at any point after 31 December 1982

Apply for a certificate of entitlement

You can apply for a certificate of entitlement to prove you have right of abode in the UK. It goes in your passport.

Apply from outside the UK or from a British overseas territory
If you are not in the UK, or you live in a British overseas territory, you must apply online.
A certificate of entitlement costs £388 outside the UK.

Edit: formatting

huckster

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#2392097 14-Jan-2020 17:12

Just over 10 years ago was working in London with a Kiwi colleague. He got flown to Malaysia for work from the UK but didn't take his original NZ-UK-NZ ticket with him.

When he went to board his flight back to London, they wouldn't let him on the plane. I got woken up, managed to contact Air NZ on his behalf who, were most helpful and faxed(!) the airline in Malaysia with his ticket details.

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