Selen Ozcan, a travel content creator with dual citizenship, has disclosed a clever airport strategy despite her hard-won British passport. After a protracted seven-year struggle to obtain British citizenship, she now splits her time between London and Bahrain, but when travelling through European Union airports, she opts for her original Romanian passport to save time.
The Airport Time-Saving Technique
In a recent TikTok video, Ozcan demonstrated her approach by briefly showing her blue British passport before moving it aside to reveal her maroon Romanian one underneath. She captioned the footage, "When the immigration line is too long so I have to pull out the stronger passport." This practice stems from the post-Brexit reality where British passport holders no longer enjoy the same privileges as EU citizens.
Post-Brexit Travel Restrictions
During the United Kingdom's membership in the European Union, British nationals could visit, reside, work, or study in member states without requiring a visa. However, this freedom ended when the Brexit transition period concluded on December 31, 2020. Consequently, British citizens cannot access the typically faster EU citizen border control lanes at airports and often need their passports stamped upon entry or exit to the EU, unless they are family members of EU citizens residing in the EU.
Social Media Reactions and Comparisons
Ozcan's video sparked a flurry of responses from other travellers. One TikTok user shared, "Got my British kid a Romanian passport and now she's my fast track pass through EU airports haha. My missus is Romanian." Another recounted a similar experience, stating, "All my UK boys had to wait 15 minutes in a queue at Amsterdam Airport. I skipped all that with my Romanian passport."
However, not all comments favoured the Romanian passport. A third user argued, "Romania passport is just stronger than UK when entering Schengen and EU. But UK has more access than Romania worldwide." A fourth pointed out, "Travel to USA with Romanian passport and you'll see the difference between British and Romanian. No offence intended."
Global Passport Rankings
The Henley Passport Index, which evaluates passports based on visa-free access to destinations, provides context for these discussions. According to the index, Singapore holds the top spot with visa-free entry to 192 countries, followed by Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates with 187, and Sweden with 186.
Britain ranks joint sixth alongside Malaysia and Poland, offering access to 183 destinations. In contrast, Romania shares 11th place with Bulgaria, providing access to 177 countries. This indicates that while the British passport offers broader global access, the Romanian passport holds an advantage within the EU and Schengen area due to Brexit-related changes.
Implications for Dual Citizens
Ozcan's experience highlights the practical benefits of dual citizenship in a post-Brexit world. For travellers like her, maintaining multiple passports can streamline airport processes, especially within Europe. The Government clarifies online that British citizens typically need passport stamps when entering or exiting the EU, unless they are family members of EU citizens residing there, adding another layer of complexity to travel.
This story underscores how geopolitical shifts, such as Brexit, continue to impact everyday travel routines, prompting individuals to adapt with savvy techniques like Ozcan's to navigate new regulations efficiently.
