Getting Passports Stamped Going to or via the Irish Republic

[Richard W]

If travelling to or via the Republic of Ireland from the UK, how should a Thai citizen go about getting stamps to evidence time spent in the UK? For example, if one simply drove across the border, flew from Dublin to Thailand and back, and then drove back across the border, one would receive stamps in one's passport showing that one was outside the UK, but not that one had subsequently re-entered the UK.

[7by7]

Firstly, a brief explanation of the CTA for those who may not be aware. Those who are should skip this bit.

As the UK and RoI, together with the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, form a common travel area, there is very little, if any, immigration control when entering one part of the CTA from another; especially if crossing by land.

Persons entering the Republic from other parts of the CTA may be asked for evidence of the entitlement to do so, and may be refused entry if they cannot provide such evidence.

For non EEA nationals this would be their passport and, if one is required, appropriate visa; for EEA nationals their passport or national identity card; for Irish and British citizens, evidence of such, effectively their passport.

The Irish routinely carry out such checks at sea and airports, and 'intelligence led' checks are randomly carried out at land crossings.

Passports of persons entering the UK from other parts of the CTA are not routinely checked. Mainly due to political reasons to do with Ulster Unionist opposition to such checks on people arriving in Great Britain from Northern Ireland.

So, I surmise that the reason for the OP's question is that people leaving the UK do not have their passports stamped, but may have it stamped to show that they have entered the Republic, and no stamp to show that they have re-entered the UK.

If they have travelled from the UK to another destination and back, e.g. Thailand, via the Republic then they may have Irish entry and exit stamps (does the Republic stamp passports on exit?) in their passport and will have a Thai ones; but no stamp to show that they have re-entered the UK.

Why does this matter?

When applying for British citizenship the applicant has to show that they have not spent more than a certain amount of time outside the UK during their qualifying period (see British citizenship basics for more detail on this). The concern of the OP, I surmise, is that if one has stamps showing one has left the UK, but no stamp showing when one has returned then this may be difficult to do.

I must admit this is not a situation I have come across, or even considered, before.

However, UKVI are not idiots no capricious (despite evidence to the contrary!) and they will certainly know about the CTA.

Therefore I am fairly confident that as the Irish and/or Thai stamps will show how long the person was in those countries then they, plus perhaps a brief letter of explanation, will suffice to cover this.

Of course, that is only my opinion; to be sure I suggest contacting UKVI and asking.

[email protected]

Edited October 17, 2014 by 7by7

[Richard W]

When applying for British citizenship the applicant has to show that they have not spent more than a certain amount of time outside the UK during their qualifying period (see British citizenship basics for more detail on this). The concern of the OP, I surmise, is that if one has stamps showing one has left the UK, but no stamp showing when one has returned then this may be difficult to do.

While that is indeed the primary case I had in mind, there is also a threat to settled status itself. ILR/NTL (except for British nationals) and EEA-based permanent residence both lapse after a 2-year absence.

[Jay Sata]

You can ask for a stamp at any border post in the world and they will oblige.

Speaking from experience in the past it was often essential I was stamped in and out under the 90 day tax rule when claiming offshore tax residence.

All you have to do is explain you need your passport stamping and the UK,Eire etc will oblige.

There after you have a record of clocking in and out.

This also applies to those who want to maintain UK pension or medical rights who need to prove they have not left the UK for a prolonged period.

[Richard W]

You can ask for a stamp at any border post in the world and they will oblige.

Where does one find the manned border posts for the Irish border? I was under the impression that there weren't any.

[7by7]

There aren't any on the land border (although the Irish do carry out random checks at various points on main roads, the UK doesn't); neither does the UK have routinely manned immigration posts at sea ports serving ferries between the UK and the Republic.

So, unless flying, the chances of finding a UKVI officer to stamp your passport are very small indeed.

Unless UKVI or the Home Office have reason to believe otherwise, the entry and exit stamps for Thailand (and the Republic, if any) plus the lack of any stamps for anywhere else immediately before or after should provide satisfactory evidence of the time spent outside the UK on each trip.

[7by7]

Further to the above;

My wife is one of those people who likes to keep old documents; including her old passports.

Apart from their first entry to the UK with their settlement visas, when we returned from Thailand after holidays she and my step daughter came with me through the UK/EEA queue at LHR immigration, and looking at my wife's old passport I have found that on the two occasions after her ILR was issued, but before she applied for citizenship, where we did so she was not stamped back into the UK.

This had absolutely no effect on her British citizenship application; presumably because they accepted the entry and exit stamps for Thailand as evidence of the length of her absences from the UK.

I imagine that this would be similar if an IO suspected that an ILR holder had been out of the UK for two or more years or is not a UK resident and just using their ILR for visits.

Remember that ILR cannot be cancelled merely because an IO suspects that the holder has been out of the UK for two or more years or is no longer a UK resident; they have to prove it to the satisfaction of their superiors.

[Richard W]

This had absolutely no effect on her British citizenship application; presumably because they accepted the entry and exit stamps for Thailand as evidence of the length of her absences from the UK.

Or else they looked for the landing cards.

Remember that ILR cannot be cancelled merely because an IO suspects that the holder has been out of the UK for two or more years or is no longer a UK resident; they have to prove it to the satisfaction of their superiors.

Unhappily, there doesn't seem to be any such provision for the application for an no-time-limit BRP, and I suspect not for the general renewal of a BRP. This may be because the decision not to grant a BRP is 'not an immigration decision' and therefore could never be appealed against. There seems to be at least one case of an Immigration Officer's decision to allow continuation of ILR being effectively reversed on application for a BRP. (The account is at another forum, so cross-reference is prohibited.)

[7by7]

This had absolutely no effect on her British citizenship application; presumably because they accepted the entry and exit stamps for Thailand as evidence of the length of her absences from the UK.

Or else they looked for the landing cards.

On the assumption that landing cards are scanned into a computer system and the record kept for the required length of time; then yes, they could have done so.

But would they bother, unless they suspected that she had not travelled directly back to the UK from Thailand?

Which if she had done, there would be other stamps in her passport.

Remember that ILR cannot be cancelled merely because an IO suspects that the holder has been out of the UK for two or more years or is no longer a UK resident; they have to prove it to the satisfaction of their superiors.

Unhappily, there doesn't seem to be any such provision for the application for an no-time-limit BRP, and I suspect not for the general renewal of a BRP. This may be because the decision not to grant a BRP is 'not an immigration decision' and therefore could never be appealed against. There seems to be at least one case of an Immigration Officer's decision to allow continuation of ILR being effectively reversed on application for a BRP. (The account is at another forum, so cross-reference is prohibited.)

Then don't apply for a no time limit BRP; use her old passport with it's ILR stamp in it.

Better still, have her apply for British citizenship and then a British passport.

Hang on; we've been down both those roads before!

[Jay Sata]

There aren't any on the land border (although the Irish do carry out random checks at various points on main roads, the UK doesn't); neither does the UK have routinely manned immigration posts at sea ports serving ferries between the UK and the Republic.

So, unless flying, the chances of finding a UKVI officer to stamp your passport are very small indeed.

Unless UKVI or the Home Office have reason to believe otherwise, the entry and exit stamps for Thailand (and the Republic, if any) plus the lack of any stamps for anywhere else immediately before or after should provide satisfactory evidence of the time spent outside the UK on each trip.

Sorry to disagree with you again but If you want your passport stamped in Ireland the Garda will do it. See http://www.garda.ie/controller.aspx?page=31

It is worth reading ferry info such as this http://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/faq/passports-identification/

If you are the spouse of a Northern Ireland/UK citizen you qualify for an Irish re entry visa and it is free.

Despite suggestions you may have read Eire immigration officials have a more relaxed attitude to their UK counterparts.

Some advisers on this forum have never been to Ireland or have experienced the latitude in the way the rules are applied

[Jay Sata]

You can ask for a stamp at any border post in the world and they will oblige.

Where does one find the manned border posts for the Irish border? I was under the impression that there weren't any.

There are no manned posts as such but just like crossing near Thai borders there are checkpoints from time to time.

The local police or Garda as they are called in Ireland will stamp a passport for your partner. The Garda are also in charge of immigration control.

http://www.garda.ie/controller.aspx?page=31

[Richard W]

The local police or Garda as they are called in Ireland will stamp a passport for your partner. The Garda are also in charge of immigration control.

http://www.garda.ie/controller.aspx?page=31

I am having to guess at your meaning - at first all I could see was reference to what looks like a tax on resident foreigners.

Are you saying that at a local garda station,

• my wife could get her passport stamped on entry
• my wife could get her passport stamped on exit (I don't see how this one could work)

Unfortunately, it doesn't answer the question of how to get her passport stamped on return to the UK. Edited October 20, 2014 by Richard W

[7by7]

There aren't any on the land border (although the Irish do carry out random checks at various points on main roads, the UK doesn't); neither does the UK have routinely manned immigration posts at sea ports serving ferries between the UK and the Republic.

So, unless flying, the chances of finding a UKVI officer to stamp your passport are very small indeed.

Unless UKVI or the Home Office have reason to believe otherwise, the entry and exit stamps for Thailand (and the Republic, if any) plus the lack of any stamps for anywhere else immediately before or after should provide satisfactory evidence of the time spent outside the UK on each trip.

Sorry to disagree with you again but If you want your passport stamped in Ireland the Garda will do it. See http://www.garda.ie/controller.aspx?page=31

It is worth reading ferry info such as this http://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/faq/passports-identification/

If you are the spouse of a Northern Ireland/UK citizen you qualify for an Irish re entry visa and it is free.

Despite suggestions you may have read Eire immigration officials have a more relaxed attitude to their UK counterparts.

Some advisers on this forum have never been to Ireland or have experienced the latitude in the way the rules are applied

How are you disagreeing with me?

The OP is asking about getting a UK stamp in a passport; not an Irish one.

My reply, which you have quoted, is about that; and like his question is nothing to do with the INIS, the Garda, the Irish immigration officials or anything else you have mentioned. Your reply does not mention UKVI or getting a passport stamped on entry to the UK from the RoI at all!

Of course spouses of British citizens (there is no such thing as a Northern Ireland citizen, nor an English, Scottish or Welsh citizen) qualify for free Irish visas; as do the spouses and other qualifying family members of all EEA nationals; except Irish citizens unless Surinder Sing applies.

But none of that is relevant to the OP!

If I have posted incorrect information, please correct me. But posting irrelevant information in an attempt to appear that you are so doing only makes you look foolish and petty.

[bobrussell]

How about just keeping travel tickets? They will indicate dates of travel!

[Richard W]

How about just keeping travel tickets? They will indicate dates of travel!

It has occurred to me that one might use a debit card transaction once back in the UK. One wouldn't have tickets if one just drove over the border.

[Jay Sata]

How about just keeping travel tickets? They will indicate dates of travel!

It has occurred to me that one might use a debit card transaction once back in the UK. One wouldn't have tickets if one just drove over the border.

Yes you can do that Bob but if you want a UK passport stamp in Northern Ireland to confirm entry to the UK it is easy to go to the immigration office in Larne or at Belfast Airport and ask for one.