A massive surge in applications has been hitting British consulates worldwide as millions of British dual citizens scramble for UK passports amid the new border policy.
Effective February 25, 2026, the Home Office will implement a strict digital enforcement strategy that ends the long-standing practice of British dual citizens entering the country on foreign travel documents.
Under the new passport rules for British dual citizens, travelers must now present a valid British passport or a “Certificate of Entitlement” to board any flight, ferry, or train bound for the United Kingdom.
For decades, British dual citizens from “visa-free” countries have enjoyed the flexibility of traveling to Britain using their non-British passports.
However, the full rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system has changed the landscape.
From 25 February that will no longer be the case.
Instead, they will need to show either a British passport, or a new digital version of the certificate of entitlement to attach to their second nationality passport – and without one of them, they could face being denied the right to travel back to the UK.
The Home Office said: “From 25 February 2026, all dual British citizens will need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement when travelling to the UK. Without one, carriers cannot verify that the passenger is a British citizen, which may lead to delays or refusal of boarding.
“Public information advising dual nationals to carry the correct documentation has been available since October 2024 and a substantive communications campaign about the introduction of ETA has been running since 2023.”
Neither British passports nor certificates of entitlement are automatically issued to people who obtain citizenship, which means some dual nationals have never applied for them, even if they have lived in the UK for decades.
Both documents take several weeks to obtain and there are costs too. A British passport costs around £100 for an adult, while the certificate of entitlement costs £589.
British nationals with dual citizenship could be refused access to the UK if they do not have a UK passport or a certificate of entitlement
These new rules for dual nationals are linked to the rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system this month, a major immigration reform which will require visitors to the UK who do not have a visa to apply for a £16 entry document before arriving.
The government said it plans to increase the ETA fee to £20 in the future.
Dual nationals cannot apply for an ETA and must meet the new documentation requirements instead, with checks now carried out by airlines when departing en route back to the UK.
The new rules do not apply to Irish passport holders but other EU citizens will be affected.
According to the latest census in 2021, 1.2% of UK-born residents were UK-other dual citizens (587,600) and 6.5% of non-UK-born residents were UK-other dual citizens (648,700).
The government has said the reforms bring the UK’s immigration system into line with countries like the US and Australia.
But critics say the looming deadline and a lack of communication around the changes have left people scrambling to apply for new documents, with dual nationals who are out of the country on holiday or visiting family facing the prospect of being stranded until they can acquire a passport or the certificate.
