uk passport rules dual citizenship: New checks leave long-term residents facing fees and boarding risk

From 25 February (ET), dual nationals returning to the UK will need either a British passport or a digital certificate of entitlement linked to their other passport. The shift — tied to the rollout of a new Electronic Travel Authorisation system for visa-exempt visitors — is already prompting confusion, unexpected costs and a flurry of last-minute applications from people who have lived and worked in the UK for decades.

What the changes mean for dual nationals

The new entry regime removes the option for British citizens who also hold another nationality to use that foreign passport alone when travelling to the UK. Instead, dual nationals must present a valid UK passport or a certificate of entitlement attached to the non-British passport. The certificate is a newly created digital document and carries a £589 fee. A standard adult British passport costs considerably less, but is not automatically issued when someone becomes a citizen.

These measures are being implemented alongside an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for visa-exempt visitors, which currently costs £16 and is expected to rise in future. Dual nationals are not eligible to apply for the ETA and must meet the new documentation test instead. Airlines will carry out checks at the point of departure, meaning travellers can be denied boarding if they cannot show the required documentation before their flight leaves.

There are exemptions: holders of an Irish passport remain unaffected. But for many others, the window to organise travel documentation is narrow. Both the British passport application and the certificate of entitlement can take several weeks to process, leaving those with imminent travel plans exposed to disruption.

Demographic data underline the scale of the group affected: the 2021 census indicated hundreds of thousands of UK residents hold a second nationality in addition to British status, and a sizeable share of non-UK-born residents are dual nationals.

Real-world impacts and anomalies

The policy change is producing a range of unexpected and, some say, perverse outcomes. Long-term residents who obtained British citizenship for security, voting rights or to formalise their status now find that declaring that citizenship has worsened their travel options unless they secure further documentation.

One academic who has worked in the UK for more than three decades recounts being told she must pay the £589 certificate fee to return home after visiting family — even though before becoming a British citizen she could travel on her EU passport without charge. Another dual national who has lived in the UK for 16 years says she only recently learned the changes could prevent her return from an extended overseas trip unless she rushes to obtain a passport or certificate.

There are also ironies for those who retained foreign passports by choice. A German-born UK citizen who kept her German passport to preserve cultural ties now faces paying both the original citizenship fees and either the certificate charge or a separate UK passport application — a scenario that many critics describe as a bureaucratic trap.

Some carriers have indicated they may exercise discretion and accept alternative proof at check-in to avoid leaving travellers stranded at foreign airports, but reliance on carrier goodwill has prompted calls for clearer government guidance and a longer lead-in time for the new rules.

What travellers should do now

Anyone with dual nationality planning travel to the UK should check documentation well before departure. Options include applying for a British passport, applying for the certificate of entitlement, or, where eligible, relying on another passport that remains valid and accepted under the new rules. Expect processing times of several weeks and factor in the financial cost: the certificate is substantially more expensive than the ETA or a standard UK passport.

Officials frame the changes as bringing the UK into line with other countries that require clear evidence of nationality at the border. For many individuals, however, the immediate challenge is practical: avoiding refusal to board or being denied entry on return to a country they call home.