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Topic: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport  (Read 938 times)

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Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« on: March 06, 2023, 04:28:07 PM »
I just received a call that my 93 year old mother is in the hospital with cardiac arrest. I sent my new citizenship certificate and my us passport off to the passport office on  Friday. Is there any way I can get back to the states asap?
Often we do what makes sense even when it isn't any good.


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2023, 04:40:12 PM »
Yes, book a flight for a couple days time and email the US embassy. They’ll issue you an emergency passport on the day you attend and be good to go.

Big hugs!  Hope it’s a scare and nothing more!


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2023, 04:45:07 PM »
Thank you so much. What about coming back into the UK? I won’t have any proof of UK citizenship. Do I just stay in the US and hope my passport comes quickly?
Often we do what makes sense even when it isn't any good.


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2023, 05:49:22 PM »
They will be able to look up your naturalisation certificate. May be thrown in the pen while they do but shouldn’t be too much of a delay.


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2023, 05:50:35 PM »
Thank you!
Often we do what makes sense even when it isn't any good.


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2023, 06:22:22 PM »
I've gone to the US embassy and received an emergency passport.  The requirements are laid out on the web site, and in my experience if you meet those, they give you a new passport with no problem.  I had no trouble getting back in the country even though I wasn't a UK citizen at the time. 


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2023, 06:45:33 PM »
Thank you!
Often we do what makes sense even when it isn't any good.


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2023, 10:41:37 PM »
Thanks again, everyone. I have optimistically booked a changeable flight for Thursday and sent the enquiry to the embassy. Now it’s just waiting to hear something I guess then a mad scramble to figure out how I’m going to get into London and get the passport and book all my airport connections and a car when I know for sure I can fly.

I
Often we do what makes sense even when it isn't any good.


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2023, 10:50:15 AM »
Thanks again, everyone. I have optimistically booked a changeable flight for Thursday and sent the enquiry to the embassy. Now it’s just waiting to hear something I guess then a mad scramble to figure out how I’m going to get into London and get the passport and book all my airport connections and a car when I know for sure I can fly.

I

I imagine you’ll be given an appointment for tomorrow. I’d start making (refundable) plans around that.

How’s your mom doing?


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #9 on: March 07, 2023, 07:26:49 PM »
Thanks for asking. Unfortunately, she passed away this morning.

I have an appointment at the US embassy in the morning. I came across the following however on the gov.uk site, and now I am despairing of life:

Travelling to and from the UK
Once you have a British passport you must use this to enter the UK.

If you do not want a British passport you can apply for a certificate of entitlement instead.
***You cannot enter the UK using your BRP or certificate of British citizenship.***

Do you know if this is a new thing? Any of the options they list are going to take too long

Looking elsewhere this is something they did in 2021 it seems
« Last Edit: March 07, 2023, 07:56:37 PM by Jetlag »
Often we do what makes sense even when it isn't any good.


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2023, 07:51:09 PM »
You will be fine re-entering the UK.  I promise.  Be honest and patient (will be hard to be kind and patient given the circumstances).

The tricky but will be having the airline “allow” you to board without a return flight to the USA booked.  In the interest of caution, I’d recommend bringing a copy of anything you may have showing you are a citizen and/or that you have a life to return to  (photo from citizenship ceremony?  Lease?  Letter from work?)

Massive hugs. I hope you have some great friends and family in the USA that you can remember the good times and celebrate her life with.  93!  Bet she had some spectacular stories!


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2023, 07:58:36 PM »
Thanks. Apparently this is something they did in 2021.

Often we do what makes sense even when it isn't any good.


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #12 on: March 07, 2023, 08:04:39 PM »
Yes, she was quite a lady. No one would believe she was 93 as she was so full of life. She was still walking to the shops which is no easy feat in an American city.

Thanks for your kindness. I got the call at 3 am and between texting back and forth all day and trying to book appointments and cancel others here locally I am absolutely exhausted and just want to get over with my family asap.
Often we do what makes sense even when it isn't any good.


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2023, 08:54:00 AM »
I'm really sorry for your loss.  KFDancer is right, you shouldn't let those guidelines on the gov.uk site stop you from travelling.  I went through a similar experience to you just last year when I noticed those guidelines the night before taking a trip to France before my UK passport arrived.  I made sure to check carefully with the UK border guards before I left and they said it was no problem.  Indeed, it was no problem at all coming back in.   They were happy that I was proud to be a UK citizen, and friendly.  I also travelled to Italy during the same time period without any problem.   

The United States has a law that forbids entering the US under a different passport than your US one, but I am fairly certain the UK does not. 


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Re: Help please, urgent need to travel and no passport
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2023, 10:29:38 AM »
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. :(

I hope you are able to get over to your family ASAP.

*hugs*


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