New dual nationality rule

[Poxette]

I am British, I grew up in Britain with my British family. I have a British passport.

I now live in Norway. DH is Norwegian, our DC were born here and have Norwegian passports.

Is it really true that DC need to get British passports for us to travel to the UK?!

I’m surprised this already wasn’t a requirement. We have always done this for our kids anyway, just common sense, no?

Yes, it is definitely true. From someone who needs to renew her children's passports!

Does anyone know what the situation is for dual UK/Irish citizens? I know Irish citizens can enter the UK with an Irish passport but if you’re also British are you obliged to use your British passport?

Why is it “common sense”? Lots of people don’t want to bother buying an expensive document for
a country that they don’t live in, and might visit only rarely.

When you live in a safe, completely stable world where your country can't cease to exist (and you, therefore, become stateless) in the blink of an eye, that may be true. Many people take advantage of as many passports as they're entitled to, for the safety having options provides.

I do not agree it’s common sense. My MIL is a dual citizen but has lived in U.K. for 45 years. She has no living relatives in Germany where she was born, is registered disabled in her late 70’s and has never had any issue whatsoever using her British passport. Why would she go to Germany every 5-10 years to renew her German passport when she has no other reason to travel there/would struggle due to her disability?

None of this was ever a problem while we were in the EU so I also never thought to register my children as dual citizens in my homeland - what was the point when we fully intend to live and die in the UK?

The more I think about this the more insane it sounds. Can they really refuse us entry to EU because our EU passports have expired?
I became a British citizen to avoid all of this, paid over £2000 and revised my butt off to pass the tests. I’m not saying this was wasted time (due to me now needing to travel in on British passport) but …. SERIOUSLY??

As for my kids, I cannot get the time off work/school in time to get their dual citizenship and EU passports resolved because the process will take months.
I have no intention or wish to lie on important documents - but can we seriously be banned entry to the EU based on not having an EU passport? Seriously?

Honestly, I’m surprised you’re even asking. (Dual national children here too btw).

If you have two passports, you’re supposed to always have both when travelling.

If your dcs only have an EU passport, they should expect to be treated like an EU citizen. That means paying the entrance tax, like everyone else.
If they’ve ever had a British passport, then when they cross the border, they will show up as dual citizen (you have to send ALL your passports when you get yur British passport). So yes will be expected to show a valid British passport.

But tbh there is NOTHING new there. Just the application of Brexit and the ETA

Australia has this. You need both. I don’t understand why it is a big deal. Carry both passports and renew them when they have nearly expired

@Vallmo47 your MIL can ask to not be a German citizen anymore if that’s much of an issue.

And yes it’s all linked to brexit. I’m really surprised people are still discovering the natural consequences of it.
Because it’s really not hard to see that no border official can just know someone is British/german just because they said so and wo valid Id tbh.

What about Spanish passports where the names are different?

apparently the name has to be the same on both passports but Spain doesn’t accept the concept of taking your husbands name.

my British passport is Mrs Firstname Marriedname

my Spanish passport is Ms Firstname Maidenname Mothersmaiden name

my kids Spanish passports are Firstname Husbandssurname Mymaidenname and their British passports are only Husbandssurname.

what a bloody mess

It’s a big deal unless you live near your embassy. If you don’t, the renewal of a passport is an expensive and time consuming thing to do.

I appreciate that but a lot can be done online. And once you have the renewal it’s more straightforward.

Because they’d have to apply for a visa waiver and one of the declarations is that you’re not British!

Spain doesnt allow dual nationals though so how’s that going to work…?

Also it’s only every ten years. Not too arduous

I'd suggest contacting the British embassy in Norway rather than discussing it with unqualified strangers online.

I didn't think Norwegians could have dual citizenship?

They can be dual/more than dual citizens.

Well every days a school day. My kids were born in Ireland to an Irish mum and English dad never knew they were considered British citizens until I read this thread🤯

She could enter the EU and stay due to being an EU citizen so they need to track, not sure why she would need to go to Germany to get it though you can apply for passports from abroad.

It’s not related to Brexit it’s just implementing the same rule that most other countries have in order to track who is entering and leaving the country. If you enter on a foreign passport and then don’t leave because you’re a citizen then it looks like you’re an illegal immigrant.

My Australian cousin is complaining about this despite Australia having exactly the same rule for years. My friend had to get an Australian passport to visit Australia because his dad is Australian, even though he has never lived there.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/13/dual-nationals-denied-entry-to-uk-british-passport-border-control

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/16/border-rules-dual-nationals-discriminatory-women-passport-names-campaigners-say

couple of good arguments in these pieces about why it may ‘just be common sense’ to some of you, but is actually a real problem for others.

news today in any case is that UKgov are advising expired passports can be used as evidence, tho ofc this is not so reassuring for those without any.

If your children are British, they need to enter on their British passports.

As an American / naturalised Briton, I am super surprised by people finding this rule strange. I have always had to show both my and my (dual national) children's relevant passport at each border.

Just googled. It's been allowed since 2020 so still quite new.

Incorrect in my case. Swedish law means I have to be there in person both to apply and collect passport. I could apply at the embassy but appointments are scarce to say the least and there are Swedes living in UK who have been trying to get an appointment daily for several years but who have been unsuccessful. It’s actually easier to travel to Sweden for most people in order to renew - having said that, all it takes is a turn of bad health (cancer treatment, mental health breakdown, disability) and if you are not physically or mentally fit to travel, your passport will sadly expire and you are in a tricky position.
In an ideal world, after having lived and contributed to the UK for over 20 years and even taken the final step to become a British citizen, I truly feel I should be allowed to see myself as British and use my British passport accordingly to enter and exit. This is my home - the fact that I was born elsewhere shouldn’t always come back to haunt me.

I have 3 passports as I need two of them to enter that specific country. Both those nationalities pass down one generation so my kids will have 3 passports eventually - one country they’ve never visited so we haven’t done it yet. We’ve all always had 2 and I didn’t realise until now that this wasn’t typical for multinational families. It’s a logistical faff for sure as you need to send the passports off for the other ones applications so you have to time the renewals carefully. And kids expire so quickly!

My Scottish born and raised children will have American passports - and - will have to file taxes in the states too which is ridiculous. Luckily both nationalities only pass down once so if they have children they will just be British.

id assume they’d know as whatever paperwork you have to fill out for visas usually ask about your parents information. So it’s difficult to lie.

Kids renewals are every 5 years and can only be done in person. They’re closing our embassy so we will have to spend hundreds to get us all to London every 5 years. Twice over as we have two kids. So that’s thousands in their lifetime. Not really nothing.