New rules requiring British dual nationals to show a UK passport when entering Britain are discriminatory against women, campaigners claim. From 25 February, dual nationals must present a British passport when boarding transport to the UK, or obtain a certificate of entitlement costing nearly £600. The requirement for names to exactly match on UK and second passports poses particular problems for women in Greece and Spain who took out citizenship after Brexit.
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 the grassroots organisation British in Greece said the rule is discriminatory and only impacts women.
The Home Office said people may be allowed mismatched names only in exceptional circumstances, but campaigners say the new rules have not been communicated and are causing confusion and stress. Cross called for a transition period of at least three months to allow affected Britons to adjust.
Stefanie, a British woman living in Spain for 25 years, highlighted another issue: Spain does not recognise dual nationals unless born to one Spanish and one foreign parent, and naturalisation requires renouncing other nationality. Many secretly hold British passports but fear producing them could risk losing Spanish citizenship. The rule change is part of wider efforts to improve immigration data gathering at the border.
