Entering the UK- or going to happen now

So you’re not a British citizen? Why would you expect special treatment because you were once?

I expect if you felt that you were in danger in Australia and needed asylum, your case would be considered along with everyone else in the same situation. Wouldn’t recommend a small boat from Australia, though ….

Why would you need to show a UK passport when you have an Australian one? I don't understand that

Quite. You’re a tourist. Just show your Australian passport 🤷‍♀️
Anti-immigrant rage bait?

The rules have changed as of end of February and Uk has caught up with the rest of the world Basgetti and Grandmabatty
Now you will have to show a Uk passport or a certificate of entitlement to enter Uk
It costs £94 to get a Uk passport and more for a certificate of entitlement
Uk is just catching up the rest of the world we are late to the game Nana8

Grandmabatty

Why would you need to show a UK passport when you have an Australian one? I don't understand that

I wondered that, too.

I can't imagine why someone who could afford a flight from Australia to France would want to risk her life on a 'small boat' from Calais for the last 20 miles or so of a trip to the UK. Unless it is some sort of publicity stunt, of course - but what could the motive be? 🤔

The Calais comment was cruel and nasty Nana8
Many people have two passports for various reasons my grandkids have a British and an Irish passport which makes it easier for travel in Europe They pay double for the privilege

I don't understand why you are annoyed. You are obviously happy in Australia, you have a passport. No reason you can't come to the UK if you want to as a tourist.
I don't really get Calais and small boats, you don't have to risk your life to come here.

I dont think anyone is getting Nana8s anger
The rules for Uk have changed and she can no longer get into Uk on her Australian passport alone

If you really want to come to the UK, you need to pay for the passport if you can afford the fare here plus insurance you can afford the passport.
To be fair I dud not know the rules had changed.

It is changing end of Feb rafiagran It’s basically equivalent of a visa to now get into Uk wherever you are from or born

My son in the US has always had both US and UK passports since he became an American citizen. The cost of a British passport is about a tenner a year, one hundredth of the cost of a return flight at the moment. That seems a bargain, to me.

It is the same for our son. He has Spanish nationality and has to renew his UK passport before he can visit.

I am a Canadian citizen and travel to the UK on my Canadian passport. I was born in the UK. I know we are required to apply for an ETA.(electronic travel authorization ). But does anyone know if I also need a British passport as well as my Canadian passport? I keep getting different information.One report says the ETA is enough if I am entering the country for a short time as a visitor which I will be but then I read something else that says I must renew the British passport. Any information greatly appreciated,thank you.

So the problem is: if you have the right to a UK passport but choose to travel (i.e. enter the UK) on another passport, you are breaking some new rule.

What I don't understand is, how do they know that you have a right to the UK passport???

I hurried, like hundreds of other Brits living in Germany, to get a German passport before the UK left the EU because according to German law, you can only have dual citizenship if the second passport is also EU. Shortly after, they changed the law and now anyone can have dual citizenship. DOH!

When I travel to the UK I show the German passport on passing through passport control in Germany and the UK one at passport control at the UK end of the journey.

lamedos13 my understanding is that you need one or the other you cannot travel on your Canadian passport alone, you either have a Canadian plus British passport or you have the new ETA
My son is in this position as he has lived in NZ nearly 30 years
Renewing his British passport is cheaper than getting an ETA and probably a lot less trouble
It’s not a new rule completely jacky UK has just caught up with the rest of the world it seems, so it’s new for us. My understanding is it’s similar to the modern equivalent of a visa
*
When I travel to the UK I show the German passport on passing through passport control in Germany and the UK one at passport control at the UK end of the journey.

Many people have two passports my daughter got her children their Irish passport (their Dad was Irish) through leaving the EU and they use it the same as you, another grandchild has a Belgium and British passport.
It’s not easy, bit of a minefield

Having just had a look I may have been told the wrong price as according to ‘chat’ and ‘google’ it’s cheaper to get an ETA than a British passport
“An ETA currently costs £16 and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years or until the holder's passport expires – whichever is sooner. Other application services may charge a higher fee than the UK Government.”

DD who is married to an Australian and has citizenship there has always retained a UK passport as well as her Aussie one.

Her 3 children have dual nationality and have had a British passport as well as an Aussie one since they were 18.

If ever they all came here on holiday, it would just be her DH who would need an ETA then, the same as if we went there.

Perhaps Nanna should have retained a UK passport also?

You'd have to be very quick to organise your small boat in Calais because your Australian passport would only give you 90 days to stay and get sorted! You may find there's a long waiting list for a passage across the Channel! I can recommend Decathlon in France for waterproofs and life jackets. There's bound to be a branch in Calais.

I don’t understand the fuss. An ETA to enter the UK is £16 for 2 years. An ETA to get into Australia is £12 a year so pretty much the same.
Personally I would never have given up my British passport.

I don’t know why you are so angry or even surprised. This is the situation the other way round

UK citizens traveling to Australia for tourism or business (up to 3 months) must obtain an electronic visa, typically the free eVisitor (subclass 651) or the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) (subclass 601) via the app. Applications are made online or via app, usually requiring no embassy visit. Other options include Working Holiday visas (subclass 417) for ages 18–35

This seems to be the situation for other nationalities visiting the UK
Visitors from other countries to the UK generally require a "Standard Visitor visa" for stays up to 6 months, costing £127, applied for online up to 3 months before travel. Many nationalities may instead need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) (£16) for short visits. Requirements vary by nationality; check eligibility via GOV.UK

Presumably you CHOSE to become an Australian citizen.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Looking into all these answers prompted me to look into my 'settled status' proof. It's a few years since I organized this.
Warning! Settled status and proof of.. exists totally and only online!
That explains why I could not locate my official document in my files, only a copy!!
So now i need to go into my gov.uk account to check what email and what tel number I used and/or update...which is a legal requirement apparently.
And which i need to travel in and out of the UK without major hassle..

I don’t want a British passport but they will not let me enter the UK without one. My granddaughters also have to show a British passport because their mother is British born. They don’t want a British passport,either but they want to go on holiday there. What sort of a country does that sort of money grabbing act? I am furious and I think I will tell them to go straight to Europe and avoid the UK. They have never been there before, very sad that young people have to fork out hundreds of dollars for nothing.Passports are not cheap. Further to the insult, a friend who is going over for a parent’s funeral in Scotland and was born there has to show a UK passport. It is costing $800 and he can’t afford that. Horrible nasty people.

Bluebelle you are wrong, we contacted the official British passport office and I am right as from end of Feb 2026. I don’t expect an apology.