Travel while waiting for decision on Permanent residency

[jahmagnus]

Hi,

Have recently applied for permanent residency. I have a 5 year residency card at the moment and my wife is an EU citizen under which the residency card was issued (eea family member).
We want to travel to Czech Republic in October and received our passports back from the home office today after requesting them back online.
With the passports there was a letter that said something to the effect of 'If you have requested the passports back for travel reasons, the non eea family member must apply for an EEA family permit before returning to the UK'.

Looking online it appears as though, and I may be wrong, that this permit can only be applied for when outside the UK and include an interview with an official at a diplomatic mission. This seems completely ridiculous considering we only plan to be away for a few days.

Can anybody who has been in a similar position please inform me of the procedure for my situation. Very confusing.

I'm guessing that I may not be going on this trip if this is confirmed.

[GMB]

You'll be fine. The Home Office likes to pretend that everyone needs an FP, but in reality it's of dubious value for anyone other than 'visa nationals' -- people from countries that normally require a visa to enter the UK. Otherwise the airline won't allow them on the plane, should they be entering by air.

As you're a 'non-visa national', the airline won't care. Once you get to the border just assert that you're re-entering under the EEA rules, and you don't have your RC because it was sent off with the PR application. It would be most helpful if you have a copy of your RC, or at least have the number on you. I always make sure I have an original marriage certificate and a copy of my wife's passport and her DCPR as well, just in case. But so far they haven't even wanted to see that. Now that I have my PR COA I'll carry that as well, but again, so far the only thing they've shown any interest in is the copy of my RC, and only then so they could jot the number down off of it.