KCG, a British citizen living in Switzerland, applied for UK passports for her three dual-national children after learning that such passports are now required for entry into the UK. More than three months and nearly £800 later, the Passport Office accepted applications for two children but refused the youngest, despite identical documentation.
Same Documents, Different Outcomes
KCG provided three birth certificates per child—British, Swiss, and a certified translation—along with other requested documents. The Passport Office accepted the applications for her two older children but rejected the youngest's, citing insufficient proof. The office then demanded antenatal records from eight years ago and copies of passports valid at the time of conception, which have long since expired.
New Rules Cause Havoc
The rule change, effective 25 February, requires dual nationals living abroad to hold a British passport to enter the UK. Those without must pay £589 for a "certificate of entitlement." The policy has stranded UK nationals abroad, split families at airports, and prevented expats from attending weddings or visiting sick relatives.
KCG noted the irony that her Swiss wife, not a dual national, can travel to the UK on a Swiss passport with a £16 electronic travel authorisation, while her son faces barriers. She said: "It seems bonkers that your Swiss wife... can travel to the UK on her Swiss passport with a £16 electronic travel authorisation, while your son can’t."
Unexpected Resolution
After KCG contacted the Guardian, the Passport Office suddenly messaged that the passport had been printed, without explanation for the earlier refusal. The office did not respond to requests for comment. KCG and her children plan to visit their grandmother in England in July.
