Random travel question

[MattRSK]

Hi all knowledgeable KB,

I have a question regarding passports and citizenship. I am traveling to Melbourne in a few months and I have no NZ passport just an Irish one. I am a NZ citizen by birth and I am wondering if I will have problems traveling on my Irish passport. Has anyone else been in this situation that could help me out?

Regards
Matthew

[Smifffy]

I'd suggest that if you are travelling on an irish passport, then you have a slim chance of proving NZ citizenship since they are only interested in your passport. Check with aussie immo online to see if you need a visa, and apply for one.

Else use your NZ citizenship status to get an NZ passport and follow the yellow brick road all the way to Oz.

[Jackal]

My son-in-law came to NZ when he was a small child and is a Nationalised citizen but still travels on his English passport. When going to Aussie he has to apply for a visa, even if he is travelling with my daughter. At a guess travelling on an Irish passport will probably be the same. Why not apply for a NZ passport. It gets you places around the world where your Irish one may not.

[Usarka]

Yep only kiwi passport can get you in without a visa.

[MattRSK]

Thanks for your replies. Trying to avoid getting NZ passport until I finish uni, because I am unlikely to really use it until then and cant afford the cost.

[Mully]

Give the passport guys a bell - I think you can get a "returning resident's" Visa.

Oh, and bring us some Duty Free bro.

[neels]

A friend of mine had a similar problem, he is a new zealand citizen but travelling on his english passport, after much discussion at the airport they gave him a 6 month visitor visa so he could spend 2 weeks in the country he was born in.

[CookMySock]

Just get a NZ passport. End of problem.

Steve

[p.dath]

You seem to have only considered half the equation - getting into Australia. Don't forget you have to be able to get back into NZ. Make sure you take proof of your citizenship so you can come back into the country.

[Mom]

Give the passport guys a bell - I think you can get a "returning resident's" Visa.

I travel on a Canadian passport and have a returning resident visa. I still require an Australian visa if I go there. From memory a travel agent can handle it, costs about $45 last time I asked.

[Quasi]

Hi all knowledgeable KB,

I have a question regarding passports and citizenship. I am traveling to Melbourne in a few months and I have no NZ passport just an Irish one. I am a NZ citizen by birth and I am wondering if I will have problems traveling on my Irish passport. Has anyone else been in this situation that could help me out?

Regards
Matthew

Hi Matthew - this was exactly the position i found myself in two weeks ago. Had to go to OZ to business and day before leaving discovered my NZ passport was expired. I knew i could enter OZ on my UK passport but needed to get a visa (electronically $25). Immigration here in NZ told me I would have no problem reentering NZ on UK passport as long as i explained position to Customs when I arrived. I duely arrived in Wellington at midnight, Customs wanted to sight tickets for onward journey back out of NZ. I explained the position to them, they said sorry - you are entering as UK citizen, you can only stay 3 months and need to show us onward ticket, otherwise we putting you on the next plane out of here. After an hour of "negotiations/discussions" they agreed that as i was born here, i had a right to enter and let me in as an undocumented nz citizen. BUT - i did have my expired nz passport as proof. They also told me they were going to fine the airline for letting me on plane in Sydney without an onwards ticket!

So - make sure you have some proof of nz citizenship with you - birth certificate maybe? And good luck. It was quite a battle to be allowee to reenter for me and pretty stressful.

[Mully]

I travel on a Canadian passport and have a returning resident visa. I still require an Australian visa if I go there. From memory a travel agent can handle it, costs about $45 last time I asked.

Canada, Eh?

Still cheaper than a new Kiwi passport though, eh.