Can I let my Britain passport lapse?

[Puffinshop]

I'm a dual citizen living outside the UK but I visit the UK regularly. My British passport is about to lapse. I hold another EEA passport.

I know that if I can't show a valid British passport I'll have to pay for an ETA now. But that's only 10 pounds for 2 years whereas a whole new passport, applying from overseas, is 120 pounds for 10 years.

I know you're supposed to enter the UK on a British passport if you have one, but am I required to have one or can I just essentially behave as though I'm not a British citizen for the purposes of travel? We only go for short visits to see family, I don't need to live or work there.

@Puffinshop , I'm a dual British/Canadian citizen and always travel to the UK on just my Canadian passport. Thanks for starting the thread, I had no idea about the ETA that I'll need to apply for this year.

I am dual citizen and have travelled into UK on my non-UK passport due to name change etc and it was too short notice. This was before the ETA rule change, so didn't need a visa. British DH and DS went thru the UK line and I went through 'other' no problem. I didn't declare my UK citizenship at the border, told them we had come to bring DS to visit family (true) and we had return flights so no problems.
DS and I needed a GP while over, used NHS no probs due to citizenship (I had a NHS number already, he did not due to being born overseas).
Would be interested to know whether ETA changes this. We are intending to not renew DS passport once expires, as he can travel on his other one, and can get a new UK one when/if he wants to live or work in UK. Seems like a waste of money to get one with no intention to use it.

I think we need someone to apply for an ETA as a dual British/something else citizen and report back 😄

Maybe I'll give it a try.

For all the British citizens on the thread who don't understand the question - the ETA requirement is new. This is the first time my DP will have to get one.

If it wasn't for the ETA I would definitely let my British passport lapse and it wouldn't even be a concern! I know I could previously enter the UK as an Icelandic citizen because I've done it a few times (makes them less likely to get upset about our children's funny foreign names).

Argh I thought I was ok with this!

We are dual French/British. We have both passports. Until now we have ALWAYS just travelled on the French passports to make it easier. I have NEVER been asked to show my British passport even though my British passport mentions that I have a French one.

I live oversees and decided not to renew the expired British passports and just pay for the ETA as the postal service here is very expensive and unreliable. But after this thread I need to check that I will be allowed to have ETA 😭 especially as Ive just checked and my passport is valid but my 2 DC aren't. And I don't want to wait in different lines to them...

Ah shit, Ive only got 4 months to sort this.

Thanks for the headsup OP!

Yes. For me it was the ETA requirement that finally got me to renew my British passport. Couldn't face the hassle of trying to negotiate my way in without it (even if I'd be allowed to do that...)

So actual info here. I did the ETA web chat and asked the agent your question

basically the ETA application asks you to list all your nationalities, and i am guessing that if you list British it will stop your application and tell you you dont need an ETA..although I didnt actually do the application.

it looks like you will have to either renew your British passport or do the risky dance with Border Control of trying to enter on your expired British passport

separately as a British citizen with dc born abroad, I got all of them British birth certificates (born abroad edition ) even though everyone kept telling me that their British passport was sufficient as I know that if they lose that passport or it gets stolen etc its a complete nightmare for them to be able to prove their Britishness to get a new passport and they would need their parents detail/passports to re establish their citizenship..and what happens if we cant drop everything to do that, or are dead.

we have used their British birth certificates on several occasions so far, so I would say if def worth getting them…especially of you arent getting your dc a British passport yet. If they apply for one in the future its easy if they have a Brit birth certificates and will have to involve you and lots and lots of paperwork of they dont have one

Brilliant, thanks! Probably should have just done that myself, sorry. But I thought there are so many dual citizens on here someone might already know!

Bugger, my UK passport has been expired for a few years and now I have to apply for a new one?

In your shoes I would just renew it. Simple process

I always thought it doesn't which passport you use as long as it is the same one when entering and leaving. My UK passport expired in 2018 and I haven't bothered renewing it.

@PoorLion I hope so, because I have barely recovered from the agony that was renewing my Canadian passport 2 years ago against a background of post-Covid backlog

But it's likely you need an ETA to travel to the UK on a non-British passport as of this spring or earlier.

And it seems we can't legitimately get an ETA as British citizens, which leaves us with two options:

1. Lie on the ETA application - risky and illegal.
2. Get a British passport. Sigh, so be it.

Ive just been back on the site. It says you dont NEED one as a British citizen. Proof required = valid passport. It doesn't say that you CANT HAVE an ETA.

Im thinking - what if I had never gotten a British passport for my DC? They would have to have an ETA. Even though they are British citizens. So whats the difference if they have an expired British passport?

Ugh I am so confused. I just started an ETA application and got right through to the payment and it only asked me to declare the nationality of the passport I intended to travel on.

I don't think it was going to ask me about other nationalities.

It's an absolute money-spinner for governments, a scam basically.

No I don't think that was the right application actually.

I wouldn’t let it lapse. £120 for 10 years and zero hassle sounds like a good deal to me.

Thats what I thought. Until we moved overseas and a postal application is very much a HUGE hassle with high potential to lose the original passport.

I'm waiting til we're back in Europe to renew DCs passports. But we re going to the UK befofe then....

Belfast lost my application for the kids' first passports between the front desk where they were signed for and the sixth floor where they never turned up 🙄

I can't answer your question, but just out of "you knever know-ness" maybe it's worth keeping!!! I have dual nationality and always keep my ID up to date, just because, you never know!!!!

I and my dual national DC travelled to the UK for years under a French passport, not even owning a British one. Never a problem.

The ETA is a pain.

No, there is no law that says that a British citizen has to enter on a UK passport - the only exception being if you live in the UK as you have to be able to demonstrate the right to reside, and as a citizen that can only be done with a UK passport or something called "Certificate of Entitlement". This is a stamp that the Home Office puts into your other passport - but it costs several times more than a passport and has to be renewed each time the passport is renewed, meaning sending the new passport to the UK Home Office each time, so hardly worth it.

As an aside, EU citizens who have naturalised as British have faced this issue as their Settled Status becomes invalid as soon as you become a citizen - you can't hold immigration status in a country where you're a citizen. (Settled Status used to remain visible on the system for a long time, even though no longer legally valid, but these days the system seems to update really quickly after the naturalisation ceremony, so it's important to get the UK passport asap).

Until now it's been fine for, say, a British citizen living in Germany to use their German passport when visiting the UK as a tourist. But with the new ETA this will probably no longer be possible, as the same rule applies: you can't hold immigration or visa status as a citizen. So officially you shouldn't be able to apply for an ETA visa waiver as a citizen. Whether the system will actually detect this or not is a different story but I wouldn't risk it.

Actually, if they ever live in the UK they MUST have a valid British passport, as that's the only way to prove Right of Residence (well there is something called a Certificate of Entitlement which is a stamp the Home Office puts in the other passport but it costs way more than a passport and has to be renewed each time the other passport is renewed, meaning sending the new passport to the HO each time...)
It was different for dual EU citizens living in the UK before Brexit - they could enter the UK on their other passport just fine. But now they have to show that they have Settled Status - which UK citizens can't hold.
And now, with the UK introducing ETA and the EU ETIAS visa waivers, both passports will be needed. You can't legally hold immigration status for a country where you're a citizen.

I meant that now with ETA and ETIAS both passports will be needed regardless of whether you live in the UK or not.