Entering the UK- or going to happen now

My son cannot travel to the UK on his Canadian passport. I begin to think DAR is either thick or deliberately misunderstanding. Either way she displays total ignorance of the regulations.

DAR Why should my Canadian grandchildren who were born to one Canadian born parent and one naturalised Canadian parent be required to pay excessive sums to the UK to relinquish a citizenship they have not requested but has been imposed upon them by a country they've never lived in?

Rosie51

DAR Why should my Canadian grandchildren who were born to one Canadian born parent and one naturalised Canadian parent be required to pay excessive sums to the UK to relinquish a citizenship they have not requested but has been imposed upon them by a country they've never lived in?

Exactly my point and our situation. They changed the rules, they didn’t used to be that way. I wish my grandchildren had just organised to go round mainland Europe, easier and cheaper. Ignore the rude comments , it just shows a lack of empathy and understanding.

Nanna8 when you say ‘they changed the rules’ regarding citizenship by descent, who do you believe changed the rules (i.e. the law)?

I just don't understand why this is still causing such a lot of anger given it's virtually worldwide for dual nationals between countries.
It's not something the UK hasn't thought through and wasn't a recent idea.

It's everywhere for dual citizens.
Not just here.
It affects my family too.

My son has dual nationality and has TWO passports already to facilitate travel.
So does his wife who is NOT entitled to a UK passport but who is a dual national elsewhere has two for the same reason.

As people have repeated again and again, it's the responsibility of the traveller to make sure they have the right documents.
If people won't do that then they have the option to stay put (as nanna8 intends to).

I do understand that changes can be frustrating but if you were (say) a Australia/USA national it would already have been implemented and would now be "normal".

I've just checked the .GOV website anyone born in UK must have a UK passport from 25 February 2026. So if you want to visit UK you need a UK passport, your children if they were on your home country passport may also need a UK passport

It's very complicated, where you are resident may affect it too, allow a month plus for straightforward applications.

LizzieDrip

Nanna8 when you say ‘they changed the rules’ regarding citizenship by descent, who do you believe changed the rules (i.e. the law)?

The UK Government

The rules keep changing if you look at my links.

It's much easier for those originally from countries who do NOT allow dual citizenship. If you become a citizen of another country, your original citizenship is cancelled - automatically, without having to apply and pay a fee.
I met someone earlier today, originally from India but now a Canadian citizen. When he wants to visit his parents in India, he gets a visa and travels on Canadian passport. India does not allow dual nationality.

The aspect nobody is addressing is why is British citizenship compulsory for the children born in another country to one British parent and one foreign parent, who have no desire for it and haven't consented to it, requiring them to have a British passport for entry to UK? Why isn't their own national passport that's good for everywhere else in the world sufficient? If we insist that these children must have British citizenship against their wishes the honourable thing to do is allow them to rescind that citizenship at no or little financial cost to them.

It's not really "compulsory" - it's just automatic.
I suppose if the parents didn't want it for their children they could relinquish the right before the child was born.

Just as being born in America made you American in the past, irrespective of your parents.

Compulsory or automatic surely mean the exact same thing in this situation?

Just as being born in America made you American in the past, irrespective of your parents.
eh? How is that in any way the same, these children have the nationality of where they are born, they aren't being born in UK. Their parent was born in UK.

I don't understand what you mean by I suppose if the parents didn't want it for their children they could relinquish the right before the child was born. do you mean relinquish their child's right to citizenship? Or the parent should pay and relinquish their citizenship to protect their child from this compulsory citizenship?

Rosie51

DAR Why should my Canadian grandchildren who were born to one Canadian born parent and one naturalised Canadian parent be required to pay excessive sums to the UK to relinquish a citizenship they have not requested but has been imposed upon them by a country they've never lived in?

Citizenship laws operate automatically. Countries don’t ask whether a child “wants” the nationality if the statutory conditions are met. This is common globally:

Canada automatically grants citizenship by descent (with limits).
The United States grants citizenship automatically under certain conditions.
The UK does the same.

I would be suprised if their parents weren't aware of this.

The UK does charge a fee to renounce British citizenship (currently set by the Home Office). That fee applies even if:

The person never lived in the UK
Never held a UK passport
Never exercised the rights

The legal reasoning is that they are citizens under UK law, and renunciation is an administrative act. Whether the fee is excessive is a matter of opinion rather than fact - different people, different opinions.

NotSpaghetti Sun 15-Feb-26 09:27:54 Like you, I just do not get this attitude. But, it seems, it will always be the case on GN.

NotSpaghetti

It's not really "compulsory" - it's just automatic.
I suppose if the parents didn't want it for their children they could relinquish the right before the child was born.

Just as being born in America made you American in the past, irrespective of your parents.

Just as being born in America made you American in the past, irrespective of your parents.
That's not the same. These children were not born in the UK.

I don't get the attitude that there is no problem with this for some people.

But I do try to state my case without slinging insults at others.

Reply to Allira Sun 15-Feb-26 15:09:26

People may have a "problem" but isn't it the parent's job, hopefully involving older children as a life lesson, to sort it out?

Grandparents complaining on GN won't change anything or ease the situation. If anyone just wanted information it was offered early on in this thread.

Well, this Thread is still thriving. Maybe more than 'information' was being sought?

Maremia

Well, this Thread is still thriving. Maybe more than 'information' was being sought?

Indeed.😂😂

Maremia

Well, this Thread is still thriving. Maybe more than 'information' was being sought?

What information was that Maremia. I'm happy to look for any that is reasonably requested.

Maremia

Well, this Thread is still thriving. Maybe more than 'information' was being sought?

I posted three relevant link in an earlier post.

If anyone wants them reposted I will.
They show how confusion could arise.

And yes, I still think anyone with a valid passport coming here on a short visit should be allowed to use that passport and an ETA.

I agree Allira any valid passport and an ETA.
When a family all have valid foreign passports they could all pass through the same immigration channel. With some having to use a UK passport but the ‘foreign’ parent not being eligible for one, that parent is isolated and must go through a separate immigration channel. How welcoming, how very family friendly!

I'm sure there are many couples and families with different nationality passports, they may or may not have biometric passports, so just stay together and go through the manual passport checks.
It's all hassle but that's part of modern travel if it takes longer you will probably still have to wait for baggage to come through.

David49

I'm sure there are many couples and families with different nationality passports, they may or may not have biometric passports, so just stay together and go through the manual passport checks.
It's all hassle but that's part of modern travel if it takes longer you will probably still have to wait for baggage to come through.

If, buts, maybes.

Lots of comments from those who do not have this problem and are not frequent fliers, I imagine.

If you are a frequent flier you have already learned that all countries are different, all airports are different, the automatic gates may or may not be operating.

2 weeks ago I travelled home through Heathrow no queue at immigration bags, on the carousel in 5 mins, other times it's taken an hour. You just have go with the flow

Rosie51

Summysoom

I’m a Canadian with dual citizenship. About 10 years ago, arriving in Ottawa to visit my dad, I was told by a very rude border guard that I had better apply for a Canadian passport soon. Turns out, as a native Canadian I could no longer enter Canada on my British passport and I wasn’t allow to use an ETA.
It cost me a fortune as I had to pay for a new copy of my birth certificate as well as the passport application which cost twice as much as a domestic application. I was very cross but as I needed to visit my dad regularly it was necessary.
I hardly ever go to Canada now but have to apply for a renewal soon just in case I do need to travel there. It does seem unfair but what the UK is doing is not unique.

Maybe it's not unique, that doesn't make it right. Do your children if you have any, (please don't feel obliged to answer if you'd prefer not to), also have Canadian citizenship and therefore a necessity for a Canadian passport imposed upon them, whether or not they want or request it?

My sons were born in the UK but thinking that I was doing them a favour, organised Canadian citizenship for them when they were about 2 years old. I thought that it would give them options for working abroad if they wanted. My younger son did work for a summer in Edmonton so it did come in handy as he didn’t have to apply for a visa.
Although they have both had Canadian passports, I believe they have let them expire. As they were not born there, I have suggested that they renounce their Canadian citizenship as they are well established in the UK with wives, children and good jobs. I do wonder if I could do that too although I’m not sure if I want to.
I have just started the process of renewing my Canadian passport and I am quietly simmering with rage at having to do this again.

David49

If you are a frequent flier you have already learned that all countries are different, all airports are different, the automatic gates may or may not be operating.

2 weeks ago I travelled home through Heathrow no queue at immigration bags, on the carousel in 5 mins, other times it's taken an hour. You just have go with the flow

Oh good.

Hope that's par for the course at the moment.