UK Border Agency/ records

[notnutnut]

Does anyone know if the UKBA keep records of when a UK national is either in or out of the UK and if so can they be accessed ? Any help appreciated,thanks.

[Hopkirk]

There are no government passport checks on leaving the UK, so I doubt it.

The requirements to check passports on departure was transferred to the carrier a few years ago.

[rockyracoon]

When I go to Ireland by car there are no passport checks so no government agency would have a clue where I was. If you travel by plane then you may well leave a trail.

[EDDIE51]

No . UK nationals are not recorded going in or out of the country,to do so would be illegal in addition to being very expensive. Why do you ask it seems a strange thing to want to know ?

[notnutnut]

EDDIE51,I've never replied to an answer before,but I'll try,the reason I ask is to enable me to prove I was 'in or out' of the UK at a certain point if that helps.Thanks for your input by the way,some-one else mentioned the carrier would have some record I think,your thoughts on this would be appreciated.

[Traci66]

Was your passport stamped, did you keep tickets etc?

[notnutnut]

Traci66,thanks for the input,unfortunately I'm talking of a 'long long time ago' as Don McLean once said so no paperwork immediately available,do you think records would have been kept by immigration say 7 to 10 years ago ? Thanks !

[dzug2]

I don't think immigration keep records.

The government have toyed with such a system but have pulled back because of the cost of (inevitably less than 100% reliable) IT and extra staff. With a bit of civil liberties thrown in.

If you'd kept bank statements or the like you might be able to prove where you were. If you were out of the UK the other country MIGHT heva record of you.

[Buenchico]

The UKBA currently records all entries into the country. It's done automatically when a passport is scanned. But they don't yet record all departures (although there are plans to do so).

However the records don't go back as far as you would like.

Carriers are only permitted to retain information about your travels for a 'reasonable period of time'. (e.g. for long enough to check that you really travelled if you made a complaint). Thereafter the Data Protection Act requires them to destroy such records. If a carrier has got information going back years they won't want anyone to know, as holding it would be illegal.

Chris