uk passport rules dual citizenship: New £589 certificate and passport checks kick in from 25 February
New documentation requirements for British dual nationals come into force from 25 February at 00: 00 ET, raising immediate concerns for long-term UK residents with second passports. The changes will force many who have never held a British passport to choose between applying for one or buying a newly created certificate of entitlement priced at £589 — a policy that critics say will create anomalies and unexpected costs.
What is changing and how it will hit travellers
Under the overhaul, British nationals who also hold another nationality will no longer be able to travel to the UK on their foreign passport alone. They must present either a British passport or a digital certificate of entitlement attached to their other passport. Dual nationals are excluded from the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) route that many foreign-only nationals will use for short visits.
The ETA, which non-visa nationals will need to obtain before travel, carries a current fee of £16 and is expected to rise to £20 in future. Dual nationals cannot apply for an ETA and so must meet the new documentation test instead. Airlines will be expected to carry out checks at departure, meaning travellers could be refused boarding if they lack the required British passport or certificate.
Real-world consequences: case studies and anomalies
The policy is already producing concrete examples of hardship and confusion. A UK resident who retained her Belgian passport after taking British citizenship says she cannot hand over her Belgian passport for the time it would take to secure a British passport, for fear of being unable to visit an ailing parent in Brussels. Because she became a British citizen, she now faces buying the £589 certificate each time she wants to return to the UK unless she obtains a British passport.
Others point out an odd financial penalty for choosing citizenship. One letter-writer described having spent money to naturalise and now facing a further £589 bill for the certificate — a cost she says would not have been necessary had she remained only a foreign national able to use the low-cost ETA. Another dual national noted the certificate of entitlement will only run for the life of their foreign passport, making it a temporary and potentially recurring expense.
For some, the cheapest route is to apply for a British passport, which for an adult runs at roughly £100 and can take several weeks to be issued. But applying for a British passport often requires surrendering the foreign passport during processing, creating practical problems for those who need to travel to their other country or who care for relatives abroad.
Border checks, processing delays and political backlash
The measures are being introduced as part of a wider modernisation of the UK border that includes the ETA rollout and increased pre-departure checks. Airlines will be tasked with identifying passengers subject to the new rules, which could lead to denied boarding before travellers even reach UK immigration controls. Many affected people say they learned of the change only recently and face last-minute decisions about passports or certificates ahead of planned travel.
Critics describe the scheme as bureaucratic and punitive in cases where British citizenship unintentionally triggers new obligations. For dual nationals who have lived and worked in the UK for decades, the changes risk turning long-standing residence into a source of disruption and unanticipated cost. Officials frame the reform as aligning the UK with other countries that already require nationals to use national passports, but opponents highlight the practical and emotional toll on people with cross-border family and work ties.
With the new rules going live from 25 February (00: 00 ET), affected travellers are being urged to check their documentation well ahead of departure and to factor in processing times for passports or certificates.
