Millions of British citizens live overseas.  But for the million-plus with dual citizenship, things are about to get trickier—and potentially more expensive—when returning back to home shores.

British and Irish dual nationals will soon only be able to enter the U.K. using their British or Irish passport, or with their foreign passport as long as they have an accompanying, paid-for Certificate of Entitlement.

Why Are The U.K. Dual National Passport Rules Changing?

This change comes as part of the U.K.’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation rollout - https://www.gov.uk/eta. Similar to the U.S.’ ESTA scheme, ETA requires visitors to the U.K. who don’t need a visa to buy a £16 (around $22) digital authorization permit, valid for two years.

This means citizens from countries like the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and member states of the EU and Schengen area can visit the U.K. and stay for up to six months no matter if it’s for vacation or work.

As the ETA will be mandatory for all overseas passports from these countries, British dual citizens entering the U.K. on one of these passports would also require an ETA. But, as the U.K. government website states, “You cannot get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) if you’re a British or Irish dual citizen.” Hence the enforcement of these new passport rules.

When Do The New Dual National Passport Rules Come Into Effect?

Currently, British Citizens holding dual nationality with any of these countries can enter the U.K. using their foreign passports without an ETA.

As of February 25, 2026, that right disappears as the Home Office enforces new rules of entry. British and Irish dual nationals will only be able to enter the U.K. using their British or Irish passport, or with their foreign passport as long as they have an accompanying Certificate of Entitlement, which costs nearly $800 at current exchange rates.

It’s worth noting that if you enter the U.K. without an ETA before February 25, you can stay beyond this date without having to obtain one. Though you will need one on your next visit.

Who Is Affected By The Changes To The U.K. Right Of Entry?

For dual nationality Brits who have their U.K. passport on hand, it’s a relatively minor inconvenience. They’ll simply have to make sure their passport is valid and make sure they use that to travel—both when leaving their country of residence and entering the U.K.

The problem is for those Brits who only have a foreign passport and no proof of British citizenship. Without that passport, there’s no way for them to legally enter the U.K. They can’t get an ETA and so will be denied boarding when they try to fly or boat their way in.

If you were born overseas to British parents and have never owned a British passport, the law states you must register your citizenship and get a British passport before entering. In practice it’s likely many people will check to see if they’re already registered as a U.K. citizen - https://www.gov.uk/check-british-citizenship/born-outside-the-uk-or-stateless and if not, just obtain an ETA and travel using their foreign passport. Doing so will put them at risk of getting caught out at immigration, however.

What Do U.K. Dual Citizens Need To Do To Enter The U.K.?

You have three options:

  1. Use your British or Irish passport to travel to the U.K. In the U.K., it costs £94.50 (around $130) to renew your passport and takes up to three weeks. An Irish passport costs €75 (around $90). If you live abroad, it will cost more and take longer, depending on where you are.
  2. Get a “certificate showing right of abode,” also known as a Certificate of Entitlement to use alongside your foreign passport. Incredibly, this costs £589 (nearly $800) and will need to be renewed each time you renew your passport.
  3. Renounce your British citizenship and travel as a citizen of your home country with an ETA. While that may sound drastic, if you have no British passport and don’t have emotional or familial connections to the U.K., it could be the simplest option.

One small loophole comes if you need to travel in an emergency. In certain cases, you can apply for an emergency travel document—it’s valid for just one trip and costs £125 (about $170).

Do The Changes To Entry Affect Dual Citizenship Status?

Happily, no. These changes are purely about passport and entry and the U.K. still fully recognizes the right of dual nationality citizens to live and work in the U.K.