If I have a stopover in Ireland on the way to the UK, will I still get UK visa stamp?

Oleander77 · #1 (**permalink**) 9th May 2012, 03:28 AM

Getting ready to submit my EEA FP application for the UK and realizing flying through Dublin (on a single ticket with a stopover, as oppose to two separate tickets), is going to be the least expensive way to do it. But my question is: Will I still get a UK stamp on my passport? I am asking because in the past immigration has found it suspicious that I have a lot of Ireland stamps on my passport and few UK ones (my husband is from Ireland, and when we were dating it worked out that I was often meeting him in Ireland for a few days before we'd fly to the UK together....this was completely innocent but to the UKBA it appeared as though I was trying to sneak in apparently). Just want to make sure that I WILL get a UK stamp anyway (I'm worried it will look bad if I DON'T have one when it comes time to apply for my EEA 2). Perhaps this is a silly question but just want to make doubly sure.

Actually, as I'm typing this I'm realizing...DOES one get a stamp at all when one has an EEA FP in their passport???

Thanks very much.

Joppa · #2 (**permalink**) 9th May 2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oleander77

Getting ready to submit my EEA FP application for the UK and realizing flying through Dublin (on a single ticket with a stopover, as oppose to two separate tickets), is going to be the least expensive way to do it. But my question is: Will I still get a UK stamp on my passport? I am asking because in the past immigration has found it suspicious that I have a lot of Ireland stamps on my passport and few UK ones (my husband is from Ireland, and when we were dating it worked out that I was often meeting him in Ireland for a few days before we'd fly to the UK together....this was completely innocent but to the UKBA it appeared as though I was trying to sneak in apparently). Just want to make sure that I WILL get a UK stamp anyway (I'm worried it will look bad if I DON'T have one when it comes time to apply for my EEA 2). Perhaps this is a silly question but just want to make doubly sure.

Actually, as I'm typing this I'm realizing...DOES one get a stamp at all when one has an EEA FP in their passport???

The general advice is, if you have a long-term or settlement visa for UK, you do NOT enter through Ireland because you won't get UK immigration stamp and it will be difficult to establish your visa has been activated or not (there is no passport check when coming from Ireland to UK).

But in case of EEA family permit, the issue isn't so clear cut. You will get a stamp - an Irish one - when arriving in Ireland from the States - outside the common travel area, and provided you keep your boarding pass for the flight to UK (it's often collected on arrival in UK) or any other evidence of entering UK, that should suffice for EEA2 application. But I agree it will avoid a lot of bother if you just fly straight into UK and eat the extra cost involved.

AnAmericanInScotland · #3 (**permalink**) 9th May 2012, 10:57 AM

I came straight into Edinburgh on a Continental flight out of Newark, NJ. Last June, the ticket price was quite reasonable considering. (Word of warning, the price might have been alright, lol, but holy moly I felt like a sardine!)

Oleander77 · #4 (**permalink**) 10th May 2012, 02:40 AM

Thank you very much to both of you. This is very good to know. Much appreciated.

wife of keelie · #5 (**permalink**) 10th May 2012, 07:12 PM

Hi all. I am traveling from Halifax Canada to Uk (Glasgow) via Icelandair. I will be switching planes in Iceland but not staying. I am joining my husband in Scotland on a spouse entry visa and this will be my first entry to UK on this visa. Will there be any issues with the stop in Iceland? Thanks for any advice.

Joppa · #6 (**permalink**) 10th May 2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wife of keelie

Hi all. I am traveling from Halifax Canada to Uk (Glasgow) via Icelandair. I will be switching planes in Iceland but not staying. I am joining my husband in Scotland on a spouse entry visa and this will be my first entry to UK on this visa. Will there be any issues with the stop in Iceland?

None whatsoever. Iceland isn't in common travel area, and you will receive a UK stamp on arrival.

wife of keelie · #7 (**permalink**) 10th May 2012, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joppa

None whatsoever. Iceland isn't in common travel area, and you will receive a UK stamp on arrival.

Thanks for the reassurance Joppa! I am now just counting down the days!

Oleander77 · #8 (**permalink**) 2nd June 2012, 02:48 PM

Hello everyone,

I know I asked this question a while back (about whether it will affect my eea family permit if I enter the common travel area of UK and Ireland through Ireland). While I'd like to avoid the hassle of having to prove I did enter the UK, there is a 400 dollar price difference in the flights I'm looking at. So maybe for 400 dollars the extra bit of hassle is worth it! Anyone have an opinion on this or know anyone who has been in a similar situation and had it NOT work out when they applied for the eea2??

Thank you very much!!

AnAmericanInScotland · #9 (**permalink**) 3rd June 2012, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oleander77

Hello everyone,

I know I asked this question a while back (about whether it will affect my eea family permit if I enter the common travel area of UK and Ireland through Ireland). While I'd like to avoid the hassle of having to prove I did enter the UK, there is a 400 dollar price difference in the flights I'm looking at. So maybe for 400 dollars the extra bit of hassle is worth it! Anyone have an opinion on this or know anyone who has been in a similar situation and had it NOT work out when they applied for the eea2??

Thank you very much!!

Scroll up and re-read Joppa's post about going through Ireland. I think the suggestion was to be sure to keep boarding passes and other things that proved the entry, but there was a lot more to the post and I think it all applies to your question now.

Personally? If you can afford the extra money for a direct to UK flight I think you might be a lot less stressed coming straight in. Lol, that's jmho, though-I'm huge on cutting down moving parts to the barest minimum and flying straight in does that.

Although...I took a Continental flight out of NJ because it was an 8.5hr straight through flight and I thought that sounded wonderful. It wasn't. We were packed in like tinned sardines, the airhead quintessential Ugly Americans in the row ahead of mine (really, three of them in the same row and they made me embarrassed and ashamed to be American) put their seats PLOP into our laps from take-off to landing. Describing that 8.5hr flight as an ordeal only barely begins to cover it.

Now, the less expensive flight that routed me through two lovely Scandinavian cities into Edinburgh (round trip in 2010 and '11) was pure bliss even in Economy. Roomy seats, wonderful crew, great movies, and delicious filling meals, really a great experience. I could have chosen to fly back that way but stoooopidly went with a 'quicker' flight.

Never again unless I absolutely have to!

Oleander77 · #10 (**permalink**) 4th June 2012, 05:27 AM

Thank you very much for your input!! And yeah, I agree, ultimately decided it just wasn't worth the extra hassle to save some money. That said, just tonight I ended up finding a one way ticket for the cheaper price and the stopover is in Heathrow!! Hooray for checking flights at 11pm on a Sunday!

I had assumed all discount travel websites had similar prices, but apparently last-minute-ish one-way fares can vary a LOT, even from hour to hour!

Your long flight sounds terrible by the way. Sitting for 8.5 hours in a row is NEVER fun!!! What airline was the lovely flight with???