uk passport rules dual citizenship: new Feb. 25 change forces many dual nationals to show a British passport or pay £589
From 25 February (ET) a major shift in border checks will require British dual nationals to present either a British passport or a newly created certificate of entitlement before travelling to the UK. The change, linked to the wider rollout of an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, is already prompting anger and confusion from people who say they were unaware the rules would affect them despite decades living in the country.
What the new rules actually require
Under the revised entry rules, a dual national who holds another nationality that normally does not need a visa to enter the UK will no longer be able to use that foreign passport alone to travel home. Travellers must either carry a valid British passport or obtain a certificate of entitlement to attach to their non-British passport. The certificate is digital but counts as formal travel documentation for border control purposes.
The certificate carries a steep fee: £589 per application. By contrast, the ETA that ordinary non-visa visitors must secure is priced at £16 at rollout, with plans signalled to raise that fee in future. British passports for adults cost around £100, though applications require the applicant to submit other passports temporarily in some cases, which has practical consequences for people who rely on their non-British passport for travel during processing.
Airlines will carry out checks on departure to ensure passengers have the correct documentation to enter the UK. If a dual national attempts to board without a British passport or the certificate, they risk being denied carriage and, ultimately, denied entry when they arrive.
Real-world consequences and personal stories
People who have spent decades living and working in the UK say the change will be disruptive and costly. One long-term resident who became a British citizen after many years in the UK now faces paying for a certificate costing £589 every time she needs to return from her native country. She had delayed applying for a British passport because the process can require surrendering her foreign passport for an uncertain period, which would prevent visits to an elderly parent abroad.
Another dual national described the changes as a betrayal after 16 years living in the UK and now worries that a planned long trip could leave her unable to return if she does not secure the correct paperwork in time. A similar complaint highlights a practical anomaly: those who never applied for a British passport because they had a foreign one that sufficed under previous rules are now faced with either the new certificate fee or obtaining a UK passport and temporarily being without their other passport.
Critics point out a fairness issue: someone who holds only a foreign passport can buy an ETA for a fraction of the certificate cost, while a dual national who acquired British citizenship faces higher hurdles unless they also hold and travel on a British passport.
Options, exemptions and the near-term outlook
Options for affected travellers are straightforward but carry trade-offs. Applying for a British passport avoids repeated certificate fees but can impose practical problems if the foreign passport must be submitted during processing. The certificate of entitlement offers a way to keep and use the non-British passport, but its £589 price tag and digital attachment tied to the life of the foreign passport will be unwelcome to many.
Not all travellers are affected: holders of one particular national passport are exempt from these changes and may continue to use that document as before. The rollout of the ETA and its integration with airline checks signal a long-term tightening of documentation at the border, with officials framing the move as bringing the system into line with comparable entry regimes abroad.
For many dual nationals the immediate task is practical: check whether a UK passport exists, decide whether to apply for a certificate, or factor in the time and cost of securing a British passport before travelling. For those with elderly relatives, time-sensitive medical needs, or long-planned trips, the change has already created anxiety and urgent paperwork decisions.
