Entering the UK- or going to happen now

An ETA (broadly equivalent to the ESTA needed for the USA) is simply a document which allows you to travel. It is for conducting security checks before you arrive. On arrival, final entry permission still has to be granted by border officials. An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK. I said that upthread.

British citizens do not need an ETA because they hold an automatic right of abode in the UK. As citizens, they are exempt from immigration control and do not require permission to enter,

Dual British citizens also have a legal right of abode and can enter the UK, but from 25 February 2026, they do not have an automatic right of entry without specific documentation. They must present a valid British passport, Irish passport, or a foreign passport with a certificate of entitlement.

A certificate of entitlement is not the same an an ETA. The former confers right of abode. It serves as formal proof of the right of abode for individuals who do not hold a British passport but have the legal right to live/work in the UK.

Eligibility is for Commonwealth citizens who met specific criteria before 1983 (e.g., parent born in the UK) or for British subjects. It is issued by the Home Office (Form ROA) and currently costs £550.

The policy was designed by the previous government bring UK border procedures in line with similar, existing systems in the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-and-borders-bill-electronic-travel-authorisation-factsheet/nationality-and-borders-bill-electronic-travel-authorisation-factsheet

Graphite

I am looking at UK government information which is dated January 2026 which explain the strict enforcement of the regulations from 26 February 2026 for people who have dual citizenship - British and another country.

The graphic is from an Australian travel site:

www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/united-kingdom

After reading that, why would anyone want to visit!!
😲

^I understand it's more expensive than a second passport.
It's called a Certificate of Entitlement and proves your "Right of Abode" in the UK.^
The final option is to give up your "Right of Abode in the UK" - the UK currently charges £372 to renounce British citizenship (at an embassy, in person).

But why?

Most of those with dual nationality want to come for a holiday, visit family, perhaps elderly parents, not right to abode. They are being penalised.

Why should they give up their British citizenship? They might want to come back to live here for some reason.

It seems like someone used a sledgehammer to crack a nut, or hit the wrong nut.

I can see why nanna8 is so annoyed.

Rosie51

I thought personal attacks on posters was against GN guidelines?

Nobody is attacking anybody- 🥄 - just don't.

I honestly don't think it's really very complicated!
🤷

Every major international flight now begins with a computer checking for a digital "permission to travel" record linked to your passport number.

If you are British and coming to the UK you now need to use a UK passport UNLESS you have obtained the passport stamp/sticker in your Australian passport that Graphite tells us about.

I understand it's more expensive than a second passport.
It's called a Certificate of Entitlement and proves your "Right of Abode" in the UK.
The final option is to give up your "Right of Abode in the UK" - the UK currently charges £372 to renounce British citizenship (at an embassy, in person).

So those with dual nationality are to be penalised as they cannot use an ETA plus Australian passport to come here but an Australian can.
I thought I understood it, but no, it is so ridiculous it surely cannot be true.
Who thinks up this red tape and 🐂💩

It is beyond ridiculous.

I am looking at UK government information which is dated January 2026 which explain the strict enforcement of the regulations from 26 February 2026 for people who have dual citizenship - British and another country.

The graphic is from an Australian travel site:

www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/united-kingdom

Rosie51

Allira from the link Graphite posted

A British dual national travelling on a foreign passport is not supposed to use any of those. They would be ineligible for an ETA, eVisa or immigration permission due to their British citizenship.

Surely that means she can't just travel on the Australian passport with an ETA. My son has dual British/Canadian citizenship so I assume the same would apply to him. I'm thoroughly confused..........

I read a government link and it didn't say that, so it is very confusing.

That sounds quite ridiculous and designed to cause confusion.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

This is an exhausting thread!
Several of us have tried to explain the new rules - but maybe not everyone is reading the whole thing!

I thought personal attacks on posters was against GN guidelines?

Allira from the link Graphite posted

A British dual national travelling on a foreign passport is not supposed to use any of those. They would be ineligible for an ETA, eVisa or immigration permission due to their British citizenship.

Surely that means she can't just travel on the Australian passport with an ETA. My son has dual British/Canadian citizenship so I assume the same would apply to him. I'm thoroughly confused..........

She has to come here using her British passport, but as she is refusing to renew her British passport, she basically won’t be coming, and as she blames Keir Starmer 🤣🤣🤣🤣she ll probably vote for the first time in 50 years 🙄🙄

Rosie51

My understanding is that as a dual Australian/British citizen nanna8 cannot travel on her Australian passport with an ETA, she must either get a new British passport or pay circa £400 to renounce her British citizenship. I don't see how that cost for renouncing citizenship can be justified.

No, Australian citizens with Australian but not British passports can come here for holidays but need to apply for the Electronic Travel Authority, valid for two years, first.

She has dual nationality which is allowed. Not all countries allow this.

nanna8.
Do you want to visit the UK ?,if not why worry,if you do well unfortunately it's the price you have to pay,life's too short to stress

My understanding is that as a dual Australian/British citizen nanna8 cannot travel on her Australian passport with an ETA, she must either get a new British passport or pay circa £400 to renounce her British citizenship. I don't see how that cost for renouncing citizenship can be justified.

Graphite

OP says she has an Australian passport. To get an Australian passport, you need to prove your Australian citizenship.

She says she can vote in UK elections. If that is true then she must mean she has also retained her British citizenship.

In that case, she has dual citizenship.

Twice I gave posted this link now. Here goes for a third time:

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10344/#:~:text=their%20digital%20UK%20immigration%20permission

From 25 February 2026, the Home Office will be fully applying the ETA requirement. The Home Office is advising British dual citizens to make sure they have a valid UK or Irish passport or certificate of entitlement if they will be travelling on or after that date. If they don’t, they may not be able to board their transport to the UK.

That is what OP has been told and is annoyed about but as I have already explained, it is to do with the changes brought in by the 2022 Nationalities and Borders Act and not a change by the current UK government.

OP appears to be holding Keir Starmer personally responsible🙈

Australia was added to the list in November 2024.

That is what OP has been told and is annoyed about but as I have already explained, it is to do with the changes brought in by the 2022 Nationalities and Borders Act and not a change by the current UK government.

Yes.

However, more countries have been added in the last year, at least one announced and implemented immediately last April, causing confusion and chaos, as I posted earlier, and the rest coming into force on 25th February.

OP says she has an Australian passport. To get an Australian passport, you need to prove your Australian citizenship.

She says she can vote in UK elections. If that is true then she must mean she has also retained her British citizenship.

In that case, she has dual citizenship.

Twice I gave posted this link now. Here goes for a third time:

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10344/#:~:text=their%20digital%20UK%20immigration%20permission

From 25 February 2026, the Home Office will be fully applying the ETA requirement. The Home Office is advising British dual citizens to make sure they have a valid UK or Irish passport or certificate of entitlement if they will be travelling on or after that date. If they don’t, they may not be able to board their transport to the UK.

That is what OP has been told and is annoyed about but as I have already explained, it is to do with the changes brought in by the 2022 Nationalities and Borders Act and not a change by the current UK government.

CariadAgain

Quick check - about 39% of people currently have the same definition of British as I do - ie asking about the parents nationality.

Job done.

Quick check - about 39% of people currently have the same definition of British as I do - ie asking about the parents nationality.

What 39 % of people think does not make it true.

39% of people might think that unicorns roam the earth, but it doesn't make it true.

Apart from the fact that 39% is way below a majority of people the question remains “Which people?”
People down the pub? CariadAgain’s friends and family? Sun readers?
Perhaps the FACTS are more useful.
Job not quite done.

Hope you have a large pot of tea (or coffee) when you wake up, nanna8!
😁

Message withdrawn at poster's request.