(UNITED KINGDOM) — The UK is tightening entry documentation for British dual nationals from February 25, 2026, requiring them to travel with a valid British passport or a digital Certificate of Entitlement to confirm their right of abode.
British citizens who also hold another nationality will no longer be able to enter the UK using only their foreign passport, even when that passport comes from a visa-exempt country.
Under the UK Passport Rule Changes 2026, airlines and other transport operators will deny boarding to dual nationals who cannot present one of the two required documents, and travellers can also face refusal of entry on arrival.
The Home Office links the change to the rollout of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, a pre-travel clearance requirement for visa-exempt visitors.
Dual nationals cannot apply for an ETA, leaving proof of British citizenship as the decisive check for UK-bound travel under the new approach.
Carriers are expected to enforce the rule before departure, shifting friction to the check-in desk and boarding gate rather than the border hall.
The government set a firm cut-off around the changeover date, saying that if you enter by February 24, 2026, you can stay beyond that date using a foreign passport, but from February 25 onward, the new rules apply.
The updated requirements aim to remove ambiguity created when British citizens arrive on non-UK documents, a gap that officials said can complicate monitoring for those who stay longer than six months.
Home Office officials said the reform forms part of a broader effort to modernize border controls and align the UK with countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia.
The practical effect is straightforward: dual nationals must prove British status at the point of departure, because a foreign passport alone will no longer meet the UK’s entry expectation.
Irish passport holders do not fall under the same entry documentation expectations, according to the guidance accompanying the change.
The rule nonetheless applies to British citizens with another nationality across a wide set of countries, including EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Canadian and Australian dual citizens.
It also reaches beyond frequent flyers, touching families and long-settled citizens who obtained British nationality years ago but never applied for a British passport.
Census data from 2021 illustrates the breadth of dual nationality in the country, with 1.2% of UK-born residents described as dual nationals and 6.5% of non-UK-born residents described as dual nationals.
Those figures include EU nationals who naturalized after Brexit, as well as skilled migrants under Tier 2 or Skilled Worker visas and international students who later obtained British citizenship.
NRIs and other global professionals who acquired UK citizenship also sit within the group likely to notice the change, particularly when travel plans depend on a non-UK passport.
The Home Office estimates 1.2 million British dual nationals hold passports from their country of residence, including those in EU member states, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and the US.
For many dual nationals, the mismatch is not legal status but documentation, because citizenship does not always come with an in-date British passport ready for travel.
The policy creates immediate cost and processing implications, particularly for people abroad who may need to secure documents before returning to the UK for work, study, or family reasons.
Applicants face a wide cost gap between the two main options, with a British passport priced at ~£100 (adult) and a Certificate of Entitlement priced at ~£589.
By contrast, the ETA that applies to non-citizens costs £16 and is expected to increase to £20, but dual nationals cannot substitute that digital permission for proof of British citizenship.
Processing times can take several weeks, adding timing risk for travellers who discover the requirement late or who need documents delivered overseas.
The Certificate of Entitlement can also add complexity because it requires exact name alignment between the British passport and the second passport.
Name mismatches can prevent boarding, with the guidance flagging women whose names changed due to marriage as one group that can face problems if documents do not match.
Political pressure has also emerged around implementation, with the Liberal Democrats calling for a temporary grace period as the deadline approaches.
They cited short notice, high costs and long processing times, which they said left some British citizens stranded overseas or forced to cancel travel plans.
Immigration lawyers warned that families with children who have not yet obtained a first UK passport face particular risk during Easter holidays, when demand and travel volumes can collide with processing delays.
For travellers, the most immediate disruption is likely to occur at departure, because airlines and transport operators now serve as the first checkpoint for compliance.
A dual national who arrives at check-in with only a foreign passport could be turned away before boarding, even if they previously entered the UK that way.
That kind of last-minute denial can carry knock-on consequences for work starts, university term dates, cross-border business schedules, and time-sensitive family travel.
Professionals working internationally, including those in consulting, academia, tech and healthcare, have voiced concern that delays in passport issuance could affect employment contracts and planned travel.
Students and skilled workers who recently naturalised face particular exposure, because they often travel frequently and operate on fixed calendars tied to visas, coursework, or employer start dates.
The change draws a sharper line between citizenship status and travel documentation, making the document presented at boarding the operational proof of entitlement to enter.
That practical reality can surprise new citizens who assume their foreign passport remains sufficient, or who expect border staff to resolve status questions on arrival.
The UK approach mirrors the United States, which requires U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, to enter and exit the U.S. using a U.S. passport.
Both systems reflect a broader trend toward stronger pre-departure screening, where digital permissioning and carrier checks reduce the number of status questions handled only at the border.
As the ETA era expands, the compliance burden shifts toward travellers and carriers before departure, with documentation functioning as the pass or fail test for boarding.
Dual nationals planning trips now face a basic choice: confirm they have a valid British passport in date, or secure a digital Certificate of Entitlement that confirms the right of abode.
Travellers who do not hold an in-date British passport may need to apply or renew early, particularly when planning travel after February 25, 2026 and around peak holiday periods.
For those outside the country, the timing challenge can be harder, because overseas processing and delivery can add days to an already multi-week wait.
The policy does not change who is a British citizen, but it changes how citizenship must be demonstrated during travel, with foreign passports no longer sufficient after February 25, 2026 and entry by February 24, 2026 acting as the last-day cut-off described in the guidance.
UK Passport Rule Changes 2026 Force Dual Nationals to Carry British Passport or Certificate of Entitlement
The UK government is tightening border controls for dual nationals starting February 2026. British citizens holding second nationalities must now carry a British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement. Foreign passports alone will no longer suffice for entry. This reform aims to modernize border security alongside the new ETA system, shifting the responsibility of document verification to airlines and transport operators before departure.
