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Archive » United Kingdom » Do UK Citizens get EU Passports these days?

Author	Post
Jag Member Member # 3263	Posted January 04, 2003 01:55 AM Friends I have heard that after becoming a British Citizen, they give you an EU Passport these days, which allows you to Live and Work anywhere in the 15 EU States. Is this information correct? Please advice. Jags
wongstonn Junior Member Member # 5480	Posted January 04, 2003 08:59 AM True. I'm British and have an EU passport. My wife is Chinese. She gained PR several years ago. On attaining citizenship she got an EU passport.
Loonycat1 Member Member # 664	Posted January 04, 2003 04:39 PM Hi Jag - yes a UK passport is an EU passport so work allowances are the same as any EU national. But it is worth remembering two things: 1. It takes a long time to be granted a UK passport and I believe it is about a 12 month waiting period after you have qualified (ie 5 years in appropriate settlement category). 2. As the law currently stands, by taking a UK passport you HAVE to give up your Australian passport. Nice as it would be to have full EU status, you would want to think hard about whether you were willing to sacrifice your Australian passport. I am still a few years away from qualifying for a UK passport and will see if the law is the same then but as it stands, I wont be trading in my Australian passport.
saraliz Junior Member Member # 5739	Posted January 05, 2003 04:06 PM Actually, the law has recently changed for Australian citizens - you no longer have to give up your citizenship if you gain another citizenship.
kiwinyc Member Member # 251	Posted January 05, 2003 10:45 PM Yes the legistlation in Australia was changed in jan 2002 - Australians citizens no longer lose their citizenship if they become a citizen of another country.
Loonycat1 Member Member # 664	Posted January 05, 2003 11:41 PM Really? That is the best news I have heard for ages. Jag - ignore my rambling, I have not a clue as to what it is I am talking about. I have it on good authority that you can be a citizen of dozens of countries and still keep your Australian citizenship. I'm off to fill in my UK passport application form (albeit 2 years early).....
david Member Member # 9	Posted January 06, 2003 02:47 PM Firstly, your rights with regards to working in other EU countries is determined by your CITIZENSHIP of the UK or another EU country. A passport is merely proof of this citizenship. Secondly, even before the Australian dual citizenship law was changed, many Australians acquired the citizenship of a second country regardless because it is easier to prove you are not a citizen of a country than it is to prove that you are. In other words, unless the Australian government was actively seeking out Australian citizens who had dual citizenship (an onerous task frought with unimaginable red tape) they really had no way of knowing if one of their citizens became a UK citizen or not. The UK government certainly does not notify the Australian government when an Australian citizen becomes a naturalised citizen of the UK.