New rules requiring British dual nationals to show a UK passport when entering Britain are discriminatory against women, campaigners have claimed. From 25 February, British dual nationals must present a British passport when boarding transport to the UK, or obtain a 'certificate of entitlement' costing nearly £600. Campaigners say the rules will particularly affect women in Greece and Spain who took citizenship after Brexit, due to British requirements for names to exactly match on both passports.
In Greece, women must keep their maiden name after marriage to a Greek national, meaning those whose British passports use their husband's name will not meet the name-match rule. In Spain, Britons married to Spaniards carry two surnames on official ID, while their British passport has only one. Julia Cross of British in Greece said the requirement for name alignment is 'discriminatory and only impacts women'. The group represents 20,000 Britons in Greece.
The Home Office said people may be allowed mismatched names only in exceptional circumstances, if they can prove they are unable to change their name in foreign documents. But campaigners said the rules had not been communicated, causing confusion and stress. Cross called for an urgent transition period of at least three months to allow Britons abroad to adjust. One woman told Cross she felt 'banned' from entering her own country.
A House of Commons briefing paper noted that Britons have a legal right to enter the UK, but airlines risk fines if they allow boarding without correct documents. The government's guidance warns that passengers may not be able to board without a valid document after 25 February. Stefanie, a British woman in Spain, highlighted that Spain does not recognise dual nationals, and naturalisation candidates must renounce other nationalities. Many 'secretly still hold British passports' but fear losing Spanish nationality if they produce it.
The rule change is part of wider efforts to improve immigration data gathering. From 25 February, foreign nationals must apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) costing £16, but dual nationals cannot use this on their second passport. Gabrielle Mordy in Australia said she only heard about the rule change in January and noted that obtaining a certificate of entitlement can take up to eight weeks, making it impractical for those travelling soon.
