Canadian passport / French citizenship

[DennisPennis]

I have a Canadian passport but French citizenship (French ID card).
No French passport yet.
I want to enter the UK and work for about 6 months, is this possible without a French passport? Do I have to tell immigration or can I just enter under the Canadian passport? What happens when the tourist visa runs out?

I have found it very difficult to find this information on the UK immigration sites. Any ideas on the rules or where this is covered on the immigration site...

The french commission said it wasn't possible as the UK were not pert of the Shengan agreement but I thought they were for employment purposes?

[Plum70]

Your entry into the UK has nothing to do with Schengen but with the EU law. By the latter law, because you have French citizenship, you qualify to travel to and reside freely in any EU country - this includes the UK. So, with your French ID card, provided it is a valid photo ID card, you are free to come and go as you like!

[DennisPennis]

Your entry into the UK has nothing to do with Schengen but with the EU law. By the latter law, because you have French citizenship, you qualify to travel to and reside freely in any EU country - this includes the UK. So, with your French ID card, provided it is a valid photo ID card, you are free to come and go as you like!

So, there is no need to have a passport at all if you have a French ID card and you are travelling only within EU countries?
If asked, I could show my Canadian passport but they won't issue a tourist visa or anything like that with a time limit?

What is the Schengen agreement BTW - the french consulate confused me when they said I could not work in UK because UK weren't signed up to it. I thought it was only certain things they hadn't signed up to.

[Plum70]

So, there is no need to have a passport at all if you have a French ID card and you are travelling only within EU countries?

Nope. You are French and are free to travel around the EU. Your French ID Card should suffice. Does it bear your passport picture?

If asked, I could show my Canadian passport but they won't issue a tourist visa or anything like that with a time limit?

If asked what? I don't see what the issue may be.

What is the Schengen agreement BTW - the french consulate confused me when they said I could not work in UK because UK weren't signed up to it. I thought it was only certain things they hadn't signed up to.

The Schengen agreement is one that allows for open borders/no external borders, shared data e.t.c amongst those European countries (France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy to name a few) that have signed up to it. Still, this does not concern you because you hold French citizenship which allows free travel around Europe.

Look it up and you'll find more detailed info.

[DennisPennis]

Thanks.

I meant if they asked where I had just travelled from because I'll be flying from Canada.
And work permits? The French ID card should be enough to work in the UK?

I wasn't clear on what parts of the Schengen agreement the UK had not signed up to but I'll have a look. So, Schengen only concerns borders and means that the UK still checks passports at border points? On a side note, don't the French still check people entering France from the UK?

[Mr Rusty]

Flying from Canada?
You'll need to check in for your flight with your Canadian passport, and clear immigration also (if they do that there for departures).

On arrival in the UK, just produce your French i/d card. If they ask where you came from (unlikely), just explain that you are a dual national and you left on your Canadian passport.

Then go and get a job.

Simple. Stop worrying about Schengen and stuff.