Dual British nationals have been warned they may be denied boarding flights, ferries, or trains to the UK after 25 February unless they carry a valid British passport. The Home Office has introduced new border controls requiring everyone travelling to the UK to have permission to travel, with British or Irish citizens exempt. Visitors for short stays must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation costing £16.
For the first time, dual nationals must show their British passport to enter the UK or pay £589 for a 'certificate of entitlement' to attach to their second nationality passport. Many affected individuals have complained about the cost and lack of communication. One British woman living in Germany said she fears her children will be impacted, calling the change 'Brexit collateral'.
A British woman in Spain, who renounced her British passport when taking Spanish citizenship, said presenting a British passport would risk her Spanish nationality. She noted that many children of British citizens born in Spain have never held a British passport but may be flagged as dual nationals at border control. Another dual national, James, who is British Italian, faces being stranded after a work trip to New York because he cannot obtain a certificate of entitlement in time.
The Home Office stated the change is part of a digitisation programme to enable 'seamless travel' and enhance border security. The EU citizens' campaign group The 3 million has called for a low-cost travel authorisation similar to Canada's, urging the government to prevent British citizens from being locked out of their own country.
