(UNITED KINGDOM) From 25 February 2026, UK dual citizens must travel to the UK with a valid UK passport, a valid Irish passport, or a valid non-UK passport that contains a certificate of entitlement. Turn up with only your non-UK passport and airlines and other carriers will likely refuse boarding.
This matters because the check often happens before you reach the border. Airline staff and online check-in systems are expected to follow Home Office instructions, and they can stop your trip at the gate if your documents don’t meet the rule.
The change sits alongside the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation system, which requires many travellers to get digital permission before travel. Dual British or Irish nationals are treated differently because they don’t need, and cannot get, an ETA.
Carriers still need a simple, reliable way to see a traveller’s UK entry rights.
25 February 2026: the document rule carriers will enforce
From 25 February 2026, the practical rule is about what you can present for travel. For most people, a valid passport plus any required visa or ETA is enough.
For UK dual citizens, the UK wants one of three options that clearly proves a right of entry without an ETA. Airlines and ferry and train operators face penalties if they carry passengers who don’t have the right documents.
That pressure shapes real-life decisions at check-in, especially when a traveller’s passport nationality would normally trigger an ETA or a visa question.
A Home Office spokesperson put it plainly: “From 25 February 2026, all dual British citizens will need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement to avoid delays at the border.” That warning is aimed as much at carriers as at travellers.
VisaVerge.com reports that carriers have increasingly built automated document gates into online check-in, which leaves less room for informal explanations at the airport.
Transitional travel before the deadline, and the stricter rule after
Before 25 February 2026, many dual nationals have travelled on their non-British passport if that passport is from a “non-visa national” country. In practice, that has included passports from places like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and many EU countries.
Under the transitional approach, they could often board without an ETA and without a certificate of entitlement, even though they were also British. One detail matters for planning longer trips: if you enter the UK by 24 February 2026, that entry can cover a stay that continues after the change date, because the key moment is the travel and entry check.
On and after 25 February 2026, the carrier-facing rule tightens. You must present either a valid UK passport or a valid Irish passport or a valid foreign passport that contains a certificate of entitlement.
The strictest impact hits dual citizens whose other nationality is from a visa-required country. Those travellers already face tougher document checks, and a non-UK passport alone won’t meet the expectation for boarding once the deadline passes.
Why the ETA program drives this change, even though dual nationals can’t use it
The Electronic Travel Authorisation is a pre-travel permission for many people who can visit the UK without a visa. It is meant to be checked before departure, which shifts more decision-making to carriers.
Dual British or Irish citizens sit outside that system because their UK or Irish nationality makes them exempt from needing an ETA. They are also ineligible to apply for one, so an ETA cannot serve as their “proof” for travel.
That creates a simple problem at check-in. If a dual national presents only a foreign passport, the carrier sees a person who might need an ETA or a visa, but cannot be matched to a UK status in the ETA system.
The UK’s answer is to require a document that shows UK entry rights in a way airline staff can verify quickly.
Not everything that proves your life story will be accepted for travel checks. An expired UK passport is not treated as valid proof for boarding. A naturalisation certificate may confirm citizenship, but it is not a travel document and carriers are not expected to accept it at the gate.
Choosing between a UK passport and a certificate of entitlement
Most dual nationals will find a valid UK passport is the simplest option. If you already hold one, confirm it is valid for your whole trip, including your return or onward travel plans.
If it is near expiry, renew early rather than hoping an airline will “let it pass”. A certificate of entitlement is different: it is a vignette placed in a foreign passport confirming the holder’s right of abode, linked to paragraph 12 of the UK Immigration Rules and section 3(9) of the Immigration Act 1971.
Carriers recognise it because it is designed for document inspection.
There are practical limits you need to plan around:
- You generally hold one certificate per passport, and you must renew it when you change passports.
- You cannot hold a certificate of entitlement alongside a current UK passport, so people usually pick one route for travel.
Costs and processing times should be treated as part of trip planning. Passport and entitlement applications involve fees, and faster services can carry extra charges.
Photo rules and identity checks also apply, and poor photos remain a common reason for delay. Emergency travel documents exist for urgent situations, but they are not a routine fix.
They are usually relevant when you need to travel quickly and cannot get a full passport in time, and eligibility can be stricter if you have not held a recent UK passport.
A practical travel plan for UK dual citizens
Use this four-step plan to avoid last-minute boarding problems, especially as 25 February 2026 approaches.
- Confirm your status and your risk profile. If you are unsure whether you are British, check your citizenship position first, including “by descent” situations that surprise families.
- Pick the document you will travel on. Choose a UK passport, an Irish passport, or a foreign passport with a certificate of entitlement, and stick to that plan.
- Apply early and keep documents matched. If you renew the passport you plan to use, line up any linked documents, because a certificate of entitlement is tied to a specific passport.
- Coordinate with your carrier before you fly. Update your booking details if your passport changes, and keep accessible backups such as copies of the passport photo page and the entitlement vignette.
If you must travel urgently, set expectations. Call the airline before travel and ask what they need to clear you for check-in, because some carriers require a manual document review.
Bring every compliant document you have, and don’t rely on explanations about dual nationality. Most importantly, treat the date as a hard stop.
The transitional grace ends on 25 February 2026, and the boarding decision will often happen long before you meet a UK Border Force officer.
Where to follow the official rules as enforcement gets closer
For the cleanest, carrier-aligned wording, start with official UK guidance and check it close to departure, because airlines mirror Home Office requirements. The UK government’s central overview of the Electronic Travel Authorisation system is on GOV.UK.
When you review official pages, take a screenshot or print the latest guidance and keep it with your travel documents. If you are challenged at check-in, being able to show current wording can help staff escalate the issue to a supervisor who understands the rule.
Also monitor the GOV.UK pages for UK passport applications and for the certificate of entitlement process, because those pages set out photo standards, identity steps, and service options that affect how quickly you can get compliant documents.
The UK government is implementing a hard deadline on 25 February 2026 for dual citizens. From this date, carriers will require a UK passport, Irish passport, or a certificate of entitlement for boarding. This change aligns with the broader ETA rollout, ensuring all passengers have verifiable proof of entry rights before departure, shifting enforcement responsibility to airline and ferry staff.
