London’s Heathrow Airport usually smells of overpriced coffee and nervous excitement. But this week, the air feels a bit more like a pressure cooker. If you’re one of the millions of people who hold a British passport alongside another one—maybe Australian, American, or European—your travel world is about to hit a brick wall.
The “fudge” is officially over.
For years, dual nationals have been playing something of a shell game at the border. You’d flash your foreign passport to the airline to get an inexpensive ticket, then if anyone asked at the UK border, you’d wave a birth certificate or an outdated British passport. It was messy, but it did the trick.
And as of Feb. 25, 2026, that particular shortcut is going to be wiped out from the system. The Home Office is pulling the trigger on a “no British passport, no entry” policy that is catching thousands of people off guard. Honestly, it’s causing a right mess. If you don’t have the right digital “permission” on your passport, the airline’s computer simply won’t let you board. No arguments, no exceptions.
The ETA Trap: Why Your Foreign Passport Won’t Save You
Here’s the thing. The UK has rolled out the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). It’s a £16 digital permit that visitors from countries like the USA or New Zealand need to enter. It sounds simple enough, right?
The crazy part is that British citizens are legally ineligible for an ETA.
The system is designed to recognise you as British. So, if you try to apply for an ETA on your American passport, the Home Office computers will flag you. They’ll see you’re a citizen and block the application because “citizens don’t need permits.”
But then, when you get to the airport in New York or Sydney, the airline sees you have a foreign passport without an ETA. They don’t care that you have a British birth certificate in your carry-on; their system says “Denied.” It’s a classic Catch-22 that’s leaving families stranded.
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The £589 “Right to Enter” Fee
So, what are your options? Well, they aren’t exactly cheap. If you don’t want to carry a British passport, the government says you must get a Certificate of Entitlement (CoE). This is a digital record (it used to be a sticker) that proves you have the “Right of Abode.”
But here’s the kicker: it costs £589.
Compare that to the £16 an American tourist pays for an ETA, and you can see why people are fuming. As reported in a recent Times of India investigation into the travel chaos, families are panicking because they’re essentially being asked to pay a “loyalty tax” just to visit their own relatives.
Look, if you’re planning a trip in March or April, you’ve got two choices:
- Renew your British passport immediately. It’s the cheapest long-term fix.
- Bite the bullet and pay for the CoE. Just be aware that it can take up to eight weeks to process.
UK Entry Options for Dual Nationals (Effective 25 February 2026)
| Feature | British Passport | Certificate of Entitlement (CoE) | Foreign Passport + ETA |
| Suitability | Best for regular travel | Best if you can’t get a UK passport | Not available for British Citizens |
| Initial Cost | ~£88.50 (Standard Adult) | £589 | £16 (System will reject citizens) |
| Validity | 10 Years | Lifelong (Digital record) | 2 Years (Not for dual nationals) |
| Processing Time | 3–6 Weeks (approx.) | 4–8 Weeks | Minutes (But blocked for you) |
| Airlines Accept? | Yes | Yes (Must be digitally linked) | No (Boarding will be denied) |
| Key Benefit | Cheapest & easiest method | Proves Right of Abode on foreign ID | N/A |
The “Mismatched Name” Crisis
There’s another layer to this drama that is hitting women particularly hard. In countries like Greece and Spain, naming laws are different. You might have your maiden name on your Greek passport and your married name on your British one.
Campaigners have been shouting from the rooftops this week, calling the new rules discriminatory. Because the Home Office systems now require perfect digital alignment, any slight mismatch in names can cause the system to reject your right to travel. As The Guardian noted on 17 February, some elderly expats who haven’t updated their “blue” passports in decades are finding the mountain of paperwork almost insurmountable.
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What About the Irish?
Now, there is one bit of good news. If you’re a dual British and Irish citizen, you’re in the clear. Thanks to the Common Travel Area, you can still use your Irish passport to hop back and forth across the Irish Sea or into the UK without any of this digital faff. For everyone else? You’re in the line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still travel on my foreign passport if I arrive before 25 February?
Yes. The “hard” enforcement begins on the 25th. If you arrive on the 24th, all’s well. If you arrive at 1 a.m. on the 25th, you might have a problem.
What is the “UK passport rules dual citizenship” keyword I keep seeing?
It is the requirement that British citizens must present and use (or at least have with them) a British passport or Certificate of Entitlement to the right of abode when entering the United Kingdom.
Is there a grace period?
Not yet. The Liberal Democrats have called for one, but as of mid-February 2026, the Home Office is standing firm.
How long does a digital Certificate of Entitlement last?
In a surprise update this week, the government announced that digital CoEs will now be lifelong and can be linked to your new foreign passports for free. It’s a small mercy after paying that £589 fee.
The bottom line? Don’t leave it until you’re standing at the check-in desk to find out you’re barred from your own country. Sort your British passport now, or prepare to be very light in the wallet.
Are you going to risk it with an old birth certificate, or are you joining the queue at the passport office?
