I'm about to be a US citizen, do I have to renew my UK passport?

[PoohBear72 22]

1 minute ago, mtempelaar said:

Once you move the the US and have worked long enough you become eligible for Social Security in your older years.    Familiarize yourself with how your state pension from the UK impacts your Social Security payouts (and vice versa).   Some countries don't allow you to double dip without repercussions to payouts or taxes.      

There is an established relationship between the US and the UK apparently, my weak understanding is that one offsets the other,  I think if I claim the UK state pension it will reduce the US one.  The work pension won't reduce the US SS but I will probably pay tax on it in the UK and the US.  (I'm planning on working part time until I kick the bucket and use the pension and SS as a way to live a reasonable existence 🙂  (All good plans... lol)

[Boiler 43,434]

4 minutes ago, PoohBear72 said:

Thank you to all of you for your responses.  Considering that there is a fee to fully renounce UK citizenship I'm not going to do that there seems very little point really.  I do have a pension and possibly the state pension if they would allow me to claim the latter.  From what Wuozopo said it seems to make sense to keep UK citizenship seeing as I won't lose it at any point unless I choose to pay to lose it (!) so, ultimately, even if I don't renew my UK passport I can still apply for a new one even if the old one runs out.  I could even enter the UK on an American passport and go to the British Embassy and get one if I had to.   I am sure that in the UK you don't have to have a passport to be a citizen,  I have my birth certificate to prove citizenship.  

 

Bottom line is no I don't have to renew it, but I might want one in the future.  - thanks everyone.  🙂

There is no British Embassy in the UK, I know the process to renew has changed but I renewed mine last time through Washington, surprisingly quick process then, no doubt they have made it more complicated since then.

 

They do not make it easy  https://www.gov.uk/renounce-british-nationality

 

Assuming you still have a UK Bank Account keep that, very difficult to open a new one.

[PoohBear72 22]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

There is no British Embassy in the UK, I know the process to renew has changed but I renewed mine last time through Washington, surprisingly quick process then, no doubt they have made it more complicated since then.

 

They do not make it easy  https://www.gov.uk/renounce-british-nationality

 

Assuming you still have a UK Bank Account keep that, very difficult to open a new one.

Ha, that's a good point about the embassy !  So, in reality I could get a new UK passport while in the US?  That would make things easier. 

 

With regards to the bank account, it will already have been frozen.  Nothing in or out for six months to a year and the bank freezes it and archives it.  I still have it, but can't log in.  Just change in there stopping charges from accruing.  Unless things have changed in the last few years the banks in the UK have a basic bank account that any citizen can open as long as you have an address.

 

It's an interesting feeling becoming a citizen of a place that you really love.  I never loved the UK and I have no plans to return.

[Boiler 43,434]

2 minutes ago, PoohBear72 said:

Ha, that's a good point about the embassy !  So, in reality I could get a new UK passport while in the US?  That would make things easier. 

 

With regards to the bank account, it will already have been frozen.  Nothing in or out for six months to a year and the bank freezes it and archives it.  I still have it, but can't log in.  Just change in there stopping charges from accruing.  Unless things have changed in the last few years the banks in the UK have a basic bank account that any citizen can open as long as you have an address.

 

It's an interesting feeling becoming a citizen of a place that you really love.  I never loved the UK and I have no plans to return.

I need to renew mine and absolutely can do it from US, I looked enough to see it is more a pain than it was.

 

I would try and keep your current one open, I doubt you have the usual docs needed to open a  new one, you have no UK address. etc.

[PoohBear72 22]

I'm not going to start my citizenship preparing to leave the US.  I understand that I could potentially regret not staying tethered to all these things, but quite frankly if the do do hits the fan in any way I have no reason or wish to run/swim back to the UK.  

[Diane and Chris 651]

11 hours ago, Boiler said:

 

Begs the question where did the OP suggest interest on giving up UK Citizenship?

And I beg to tell you exactly what OP said. “I’m treating the Oath ceremony as a personal cutting of all my ties to the UK and I am not interested in collecting passports.”  If that doesn’t indicate giving up UK Citizenship or thinking about it, then I misunderstood. I’m only trying to help. You seem to be trying to nitpick what I said. 😉

[Boiler 43,434]

Giving up Citizenship is an extreme move and not sure I have ever seen somebody from the UK do it. Something you might  expect somebody to be specific about.

[Wuozopo 4,285]

5 hours ago, PoohBear72 said:

There is an established relationship between the US and the UK apparently, my weak understanding is that one offsets the other,  I think if I claim the UK state pension it will reduce the US one.  The work pension won't reduce the US SS but I will probably pay tax on it in the UK and the US.  (I'm planning on working part time until I kick the bucket and use the pension and SS as a way to live a reasonable existence 🙂  (All good plans... lol)

Correct. Your Social Security payments are reduced by whatever you receive in UK state pension (if you qualify to receive state pension.) Private UK pensions are yours to keep, but are considered income and will be taxable by the IRS. You will not be taxed in the UK for the same pension per the US/UK income tax treaty.

 

5 hours ago, PoohBear72 said:

Ha, that's a good point about the embassy !  So, in reality I could get a new UK passport while in the US?  That would make things easier. 

 

You apply from here for your passport renewal directly to the UK. The fee is more because of the courier fee to have your passport delivered to the US. People receive them in a matter of weeks. There is an online application but you still have to snail mail required documents, passport photos, and your British passport to the UK. At this time, if you hold another citizenship (US) you can't upload a passport photo with the online application form. I rang up the UK passport office to ask why my photo wouldn't upload because it wasn't exactly explained. I think it was holding another citizenship that kicked it out....Forgot because it's been awhile. 

 

5 hours ago, PoohBear72 said:

..... if the do do hits the fan in any way I have no reason or wish to run/swim back to the UK.  

Ditto

[Manc73 34]

On 10/30/2018 at 6:24 AM, debbiedoo said:

no, you do not have to renew your passport. although, i personally would never be without a valid one. you never know why you may need one. so id keep the UK one valid until you get the US one just in case of emergency or other sudden situation

Always keep your UK passport valid. The britexit situation in the UK could change everything for Nationals overseas and if you have a US passport you face the possibility of a routine checks from UK border force. It happened to my wife, and I am hearing news the UK government are thinking about a entry esta system like in the US and Canada.

[dentsflogged 352]

On 10/30/2018 at 8:03 AM, PoohBear72 said:

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm reading lots of articles about dual citizenship US/UK and lots of questions being answered about renewing UK passports from the US etc.  My question is slightly different.  I have no plans to travel outside the US for the foreseeable future.  If I did I would apply for a US passport and use that at both ends - do I HAVE TO renew my UK passport?

 

I'm treating the Oath ceremony as a personal cutting of all my ties with the UK and I am not interested in collecting passports. 

 

(Just for clarity, my passport is currently in date for a few more years)

 

Thanks

 

Poohbear72

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that if you are entitled to a UK passport, they expect that you have one and MUST use it. 

Based entirely on the lecture that my best friend got at the border a few years ago - she's a dual Australian/UK citizen and wanted to use her Australian passport to get a stamp in it (she'd only ever travelled anywhere visa free where they don't even stamp passports and was stuck on the idea of not "wasting" the passport pages) she got a serious lecture from the officer who inspected us at the UK border about how if she's a British Citizen she's expected and obligated to enter the country on her British passport ONLY no matter which other citizenships she holds.   

Obviously thats not something to hang the hat on, but I personally wouldn't risk the potential delays. British citizens have easier travel to more places than American ones anyhow. 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

3 hours ago, dentsflogged said:

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that if you are entitled to a UK passport, they expect that you have one and MUST use it. 

Based entirely on the lecture that my best friend got at the border a few years ago - she's a dual Australian/UK citizen and wanted to use her Australian passport to get a stamp in it (she'd only ever travelled anywhere visa free where they don't even stamp passports and was stuck on the idea of not "wasting" the passport pages) she got a serious lecture from the officer who inspected us at the UK border about how if she's a British Citizen she's expected and obligated to enter the country on her British passport ONLY no matter which other citizenships she holds.   

Obviously thats not something to hang the hat on, but I personally wouldn't risk the potential delays. British citizens have easier travel to more places than American ones anyhow. 

 

I am a naturalized US citizen. I have entered and exited the U.K. recently as American, a visitor. No lectures or issues. Reason was because my U.K. passport had expired. Normally I use the shorter line entering at Heathrow as British.  The US expects you to enter the US with your American passport. If you returned home to the USA as British, you would require ESTA and only get 90 days entry. Makes no sense to do that.

[aaron2020 11,651]

1 minute ago, Wuozopo said:

 

I am a naturalized US citizen. I have entered and exited the U.K. recently as American, a visitor. No lectures or issues. Reason was because my U.K. passport had expired. Normally I use the shorter line entering at Heathrow as British.  The US expects you to enter the US with your American passport. If you returned home to the USA as British, you would require ESTA and only get 90 days entry. Makes no sense to do that.

A US citizen can not "return home to the USA as British" on ESTA.  A US citizen must return home to the USA as a US citizen with a US passport.  
 

[dentsflogged 352]

5 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

 

I am a naturalized US citizen. I have entered and exited the U.K. recently as American, a visitor. No lectures or issues. Reason was because my U.K. passport had expired. Normally I use the shorter line entering at Heathrow as British.  The US expects you to enter the US with your American passport. If you returned home to the USA as British, you would require ESTA and only get 90 days entry. Makes no sense to do that.

As I said, I could be wrong. As a dual national myself (Irish/Australian) I've always been told that if you're entering a country that you're a citizen of you should always do so on that passport, and the lecture I witnessed my friend get only reinforced that.  I've never really looked into it as I had no reason to - I always keep both my passports valid & renewed as required. 

Plus, as noted, British nationals (currently) have an easier visa-free entrance to many more places than US Passport holders. Even if a US/UK dual national, I would 100% prefer to travel on a British passport (at the moment, pending fallout from Brexit) than a US one. 

Edited December 11, 2018 by dentsflogged

[Boiler 43,434]

Uk is a bit meh about it, US is not.

[Wuozopo 4,285]

1 hour ago, dentsflogged said:

I always keep both my passports valid & renewed as required. 

I don't believe you are required to have a passport. Only if you plan to travel.  

 

I had a unexpected week-long  trip come up and my passport was being renewed. Didn't have it for the convenience of the short line. So I went as an American tourist. The UK is a bit meh about it as Boiler says.