Oz on travel documents rather than passport

Rowley Birkin QC

My girlfriend and I have plans of going travelling through Australia next summer. Thing is she is from Estonia and doesn't hold an Irish passport yet. Rather she has a travel document which allows her travel. We have been to Spain and Italy with no hassle after a bit of explaining to confused passport officers.

My question is does anyone know is this will hold up for Australia or does she have to wait the 30 months for an Irish passport to be allowed travel there??

She has tried the Dept. of Justice to be shunted between different hold music tracks so just wondering if anyone has any experience of this.

Cheers.

robinph

Use her Estonian passport and get the appropriate visa in it.

Rowley Birkin QC

She doesn't have an Estonian passport as she is here over 11 years and was a minor when she left there so can't go down that route. She and her parents applied 30 months ago for their Irish passports but due to the fact she turned 18 in that period her original application was deemed invalid. It was left up to her to realise this, her parents got their passports 2 weeks ago but she got a letter informing her of that flaw in the system.

So back to my original question, can she travel or get a Visa on the interim Irish travel documents? The Australian website isn't very clear on it either. Basically I'm looking for first-hand experience of this situation

Cheers.

robinph

Highly unlikely I'd guess. The only travel document I'd expect them to be accepting would be a passport so unless these other bits of paper are really considered equivalent by any other state your probably out of luck.

If she had an Estonian passport previously in order to get into this country then why can she just not get that renewed though? Head to the Estonian embassy with previous one and get them to re-issue it.

Rowley Birkin QC

She is here that long now that she considers herself Irish so doesn't want an Estonian passport. Also according to the text on the travel document it is the equivalent of an Irish passport.

Anyway cheers for the input robinph, we will have to do some proper research on it if we can get anyone in the Dept. of Justice to give a straight answer.

SkepticOne

What has the Irish Dept of Justice got to do with Australian entry requirements? They could be of the opinion that their document is the full equivalent of a passport but it is what the Australians think that counts.

Go to the Australian embassy for this information.

Also, to be honest I can't see the problem with holding a passport of a particular country. If she feels she is Irish, then holding a document with the word "Estonia" on it should not make any difference. She can get the Irish one when she is eligable.

robinph

It does not mater if you hold an Irish passport as well as another one, so unless Estonia does have a restriction on holding dual nationality then just get their one to use until the Irish one comes through. If Estonia won't let you hold two passports then just give their one up once the Irish one is processed.

I can understand other EU borders not actually being too fussed about the lack of a passport once they belive in the Irishness/ EUness of the person travelling, and them holding a return ticket. I cannot see anywhere outside the EU falling for it though on entry, although they would tend to accept non-passport papers at the border as long as your on your way out of their country so are no longer their problem.

Rowley Birkin QC

Chatting to her last night very very briefly about it and Estonia does not allow dual-nationality. Kind of puts the kibosh on our plans a bit. Trying the Australian Embassy this morning again when I get a chance.

Original plan was a 3 month holiday but looking at graduate positions advertised in Oz it might be a semi permanent move for us so have to get this right.

Once again, cheers for the feedback guys.

SkepticOne

Yes it is probably best to have here legal nationality sorted out if that is what she wants before moving long term to Oz. If it was only for a few months she could travel on an Estonian passport as suggested and then hand it up when she gets full Irish citizenship.