New UK border controls to be introduced this month mean travellers holding dual nationality could be denied boarding unless they carry a British passport.

Until now, anyone holding dual UK nationality with another country that does not require a visa to enter the UK could use their non-British passport for travel.

This privilege will cease for all those boarding flights, ferries or trains from 25 February, when tougher enforcement of the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is applied.

The ETA is a permission to travel to the UK for non-UK nationals, costing £16. The government says this scheme for non-visa visitors means “it is now more difficult for people with dual citizenship for the UK and a non-visa national country to use their foreign passport to travel to the UK”.

What Should I Do If I’m a Dual National?

The Home Office has been advising dual British nationals to travel on a British passport or use a ‘certificate of entitlement’ for some time.

A certificate of entitlement is a digital stamp attached to a foreign passport, designed to prove an individual has the right of abode in the UK. However, this will set you back £589, compared to £94.50 for a UK passport.

According to a House of Commons Library briefing, “in practice it hasn’t been strictly enforcing the ETA requirement for non-visa nationals, to allow people time to adjust”. The government says that “those transitional arrangements will end”.

The Home Office now says travellers must now ensure they have a valid UK or Irish passport – or a certificate of entitlement – if they are travelling. It warns: “If they don’t, they may not be able to board their transport to the UK.”

The document goes on to say that “people who can’t provide satisfactory evidence of their eligibility to come to the UK may be denied boarding due to transport operators’ concerns about being fined for bringing inadequately documented passengers to the UK and the way the UK’s advance screening of travellers operates.”

However, it adds that anyone with an urgent need to travel “might be able” to apply for an emergency document, including instances where they cannot renew their British passport in time.

Irish citizens can still travel freely, as they are exempt from the ETA scheme if they have an Irish passport.