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Dual citizens with expired passports

340 replies

Disturbedisanunderstatement · 27/02/2026 04:40

Don’t know if there is a thread on this already so happy to join an existing one if that is the case.
Posting in Aibu for traffic. Don’t care if iabu or not. I just need to fly to the UK next week and UK passport is expired.
I could fly almost anywhere in the world on my eu passport so it is ironic I am technically locked out of my country of origin but that’s where I have a work meeting spontaneously scheduled for next week. I would literally fly in the morning and out on the evening.

Anyone else in a similar position?

Apparently these airlines are accepting expired passports:

British Airways
easyJet
Lufthansa
Singapore Airlines
United
Virgin Atlantic

Anyone actually had success with this yet? Or works with the airlines and can confirm passengers will be allowed to travel?

Easyjet | The Independent

The latest breaking news, comment and features from The Independent.

https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/easyjet

OP posts:
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6
Wallywobbles · 28/02/2026 06:57

I have heard of the change but even the passport checker at Eurostar hadn’t heard of it at the end of Jan. I’m a dual passport holder so now I’ll have to have both when I travel to the uk. Which reminds me I will need to get a new one soon. That’s going to be interesting.

FuckRealityBringMeABook · 28/02/2026 07:01

ThatOrThis · 28/02/2026 06:43

To be fair, I've seen it reported in mainstream news for the last month or so, almost every couple of days

The mainstream news where? In the UK, where lots of dual citizens don't live?

BillyNoProblems · 28/02/2026 07:18

I am a dual passport holder and landed at Heathrow from abroad this morning, I entered through the automated gates using my EU passport with no issues. Let me straight through, didn't ask for anything else and I don't have an ETA for my EU passport.

Natsku · 28/02/2026 08:02

FuckRealityBringMeABook · 28/02/2026 07:01

The mainstream news where? In the UK, where lots of dual citizens don't live?

Certainly hasn't been reported in the English language news in my country

Natsku · 28/02/2026 08:04

BillyNoProblems · 28/02/2026 07:18

I am a dual passport holder and landed at Heathrow from abroad this morning, I entered through the automated gates using my EU passport with no issues. Let me straight through, didn't ask for anything else and I don't have an ETA for my EU passport.

So you weren't questioned by the airline when leaving the other country for not having an eta?

OnTnnn · 28/02/2026 08:22

Natsku · 28/02/2026 08:04

So you weren't questioned by the airline when leaving the other country for not having an eta?

Maybe it was Irish

SemiRetiredLoveGoddeess · 28/02/2026 09:39

Wasn't there talk about doing away with Dual Passports or making them much harder to get a few years ago.

Seems to me, that you can all sorts of Pass Ports through very tenuous links to past generations of long deceased relatives.

It has become a racket and is a way of claiming and changing Citizenship when it suits people. A convenient way to get residence and benefits for their children and relatives.

This needs to stop

OnTnnn · 28/02/2026 09:45

SemiRetiredLoveGoddeess · 28/02/2026 09:39

Wasn't there talk about doing away with Dual Passports or making them much harder to get a few years ago.

Seems to me, that you can all sorts of Pass Ports through very tenuous links to past generations of long deceased relatives.

It has become a racket and is a way of claiming and changing Citizenship when it suits people. A convenient way to get residence and benefits for their children and relatives.

This needs to stop

The UK allows dual citizenship so there's that.

StarlightLady · 28/02/2026 09:52

SemiRetiredLoveGoddeess · 28/02/2026 09:39

Wasn't there talk about doing away with Dual Passports or making them much harder to get a few years ago.

Seems to me, that you can all sorts of Pass Ports through very tenuous links to past generations of long deceased relatives.

It has become a racket and is a way of claiming and changing Citizenship when it suits people. A convenient way to get residence and benefits for their children and relatives.

This needs to stop

It has become a racket and is a way of claiming and changing Citizenship when it suits people. A convenient way to get residence and benefits for their children and relatives.

What is your source of this information?

FuckRealityBringMeABook · 28/02/2026 10:03

I will disregard all opinions on dual nationality from someone who can't spell passport

Brefugee · 28/02/2026 10:10

Natsku · 28/02/2026 06:01

What?? How are you supposed to copy it then??
Its alright for me, I still have a key for my old workplace that has a colour photocopier so I can just pop in after work and copy myself.

for DH we sent his German passport because we'Re not under time pressure. It added to the cost, but i do have to say that for our simple renewals it was very quick (mine took a week, his a little longer because they didn't like his first photo, and then they didn't like his photocopies)

For my DD it is slightly more complicated because she mislaid her British passport, so had to find someone to confirm her identity (tip to anyone: it doesn't have to be a UK national, but they do have to fulfil a whole list of criteria about professions etc. And of course they do need to be able to speak english and let you give the passport office their details.) And then she found the passport, so is now waiting - 2 weeks and counting, for them to get into the system so she can send both passports to the UK)

I also want to add that some PP are being gleeful about other people's difficulties and scathing that they missed this info. Again for the hard of thinking: a) it has never actually been a requirement to keep up your UK passport and b) the fact that it has caught SO MANY people on the hop should be a clue. The blithe "give up your UK citizenship" is laughable, as are the revolting comments along the lines of "why should your foreign-born kids get to be British" etc. Quite unedifying and unhelpful.

I was given a leaflet as i drove through passport control in France last February stating that the ETA was being rolled out and EU passports would need one from April. No mention of dual citizens.

There are so many ways to contact people who have been caught in this. Not limited to: people in receipt of a UK pension, a leaflet could have been included in any number of written updates they get. Anyone in receipt of a military pension, ditto. I don't hang around "expat forums" and i barely read the UK news because it simply does not apply to me.

notimagain · 28/02/2026 10:24

@Brefugee

"There are so many ways to contact people who have been caught in this. Not limited to: people in receipt of a UK pension, a leaflet could have been included in any number of written updates they get. Anyone in receipt of a military pension"

Agree.

HMG and their various agencies can and do communicate by post with Brits abroad when it suits them...HMRC certainly have no trouble posting out annual tax returns and all that follows to addresses outside the UK when it suits them.

Zemu · 28/02/2026 10:34

SemiRetiredLoveGoddeess · 28/02/2026 09:39

Wasn't there talk about doing away with Dual Passports or making them much harder to get a few years ago.

Seems to me, that you can all sorts of Pass Ports through very tenuous links to past generations of long deceased relatives.

It has become a racket and is a way of claiming and changing Citizenship when it suits people. A convenient way to get residence and benefits for their children and relatives.

This needs to stop

It only passes down one generation, from parent to child. This will always be necessary, because a child doesn’t necessarily become a citizen of a country just by being born there.

So if you couldn’t inherit your parent’s citizenship, then you could have children born without citizenship of any country.

Hesma · 28/02/2026 10:46

Which EU country? If Ireland then you’re OK as we are exempt

BillyNoProblems · 28/02/2026 11:22

Natsku · 28/02/2026 08:04

So you weren't questioned by the airline when leaving the other country for not having an eta?

@Natsku - I travelled from the US to the UK so not asked about ETA. But thinking about it, 10 days ago I travelled from Italy to London using my EU passport at border control in both Italy and the UK, and the Italians didn't ask anything. And no issues entering the UK on EU passport with no ETA.

Only reason I use EU passport at UK border is because my British passport stopped being readable by the automated gates, a low quality batch apparently

Natsku · 28/02/2026 11:26

BillyNoProblems · 28/02/2026 11:22

@Natsku - I travelled from the US to the UK so not asked about ETA. But thinking about it, 10 days ago I travelled from Italy to London using my EU passport at border control in both Italy and the UK, and the Italians didn't ask anything. And no issues entering the UK on EU passport with no ETA.

Only reason I use EU passport at UK border is because my British passport stopped being readable by the automated gates, a low quality batch apparently

Ok that's interesting

Nearly50omg · 28/02/2026 11:40

You need a visa to use with your eu passport then or get an emergency appointment to renew your uk passport

Bauds1 · 28/02/2026 20:37

It’s nuts. My situation is; I and older two DC were born in Uk, DH and youngest DC were born in Nz. We all are Nz citizens and have Nz passports, but now I and older DCs will have to spend money to get Uk passports to visit relatives, costing $100’s and hassle, when we already have Nz passports.

Thechaseison71 · 28/02/2026 21:15

Bauds1 · 28/02/2026 20:37

It’s nuts. My situation is; I and older two DC were born in Uk, DH and youngest DC were born in Nz. We all are Nz citizens and have Nz passports, but now I and older DCs will have to spend money to get Uk passports to visit relatives, costing $100’s and hassle, when we already have Nz passports.

But if you didn't have the NZ passport despite being citizens) and only the British one then it's exactly the same for you to enter NZ.

So what's the difference?

Kiwi09 · 28/02/2026 21:33

Bauds1 · 28/02/2026 20:37

It’s nuts. My situation is; I and older two DC were born in Uk, DH and youngest DC were born in Nz. We all are Nz citizens and have Nz passports, but now I and older DCs will have to spend money to get Uk passports to visit relatives, costing $100’s and hassle, when we already have Nz passports.

Won’t your younger DC born in NZ also need a UK passport if you were born in the UK?

NotAnotherScarf · 28/02/2026 21:49

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 27/02/2026 04:47

Because of a change in the law that came into effect this week. British citizens can only enter UK on their British passport.

But she's not a British citizen because she has another countries passport and as such can use that, or am I missing something?

OnTnnn · 28/02/2026 22:29

Bauds1 · 28/02/2026 20:37

It’s nuts. My situation is; I and older two DC were born in Uk, DH and youngest DC were born in Nz. We all are Nz citizens and have Nz passports, but now I and older DCs will have to spend money to get Uk passports to visit relatives, costing $100’s and hassle, when we already have Nz passports.

A flight from NZ is expensive enough

PeppyBrickQuoter · 28/02/2026 22:45

NotAnotherScarf · 28/02/2026 21:49

But she's not a British citizen because she has another countries passport and as such can use that, or am I missing something?

She is a British citizen regardless of whether she can use another passport. The UK don’t issue visas of any kind to a British citizen and that’s how it’s always been. It’s just now they are requiring EU nationalities and American/Australian/NZ nationals to apply for eta’s or evisas and obviously if you have British citizenship you will be declined one. It’s how it’s been for literally every dual national that isn’t the above countries

NotAnotherScarf · 28/02/2026 22:48

PeppyBrickQuoter · 28/02/2026 22:45

She is a British citizen regardless of whether she can use another passport. The UK don’t issue visas of any kind to a British citizen and that’s how it’s always been. It’s just now they are requiring EU nationalities and American/Australian/NZ nationals to apply for eta’s or evisas and obviously if you have British citizenship you will be declined one. It’s how it’s been for literally every dual national that isn’t the above countries

Thanks for explaining it.

So the UK has put it's foot down and your British first or nothing...ok... personally in theory I don't disagree but practically it's not an easy thing to negotiate

Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 01/03/2026 07:13

If it helps anyone, I have a family member, theoretically a UK citizen by descent, who was just granted an ETA on their foreign passport.

So if you are willing to be a bit flexible with the truth in your application, there are no checks in place to confirm that you are in fact a dual citizen and need a UK passport.

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