Dual nationals travelling to the UK

[tinydynamine]

A heads up for my fellow UK-other nationality dual nationals:
From the end of February, dual nationals travelling to the UK must use their UK passport when entering the UK. Since Brexit I have been using my German passport only. This will no longer be possible. I could be denied boarding at the airport. My son has only ever had a German passport. Through me he automatically has British citizenship which means he now also needs a British passport to the UK.

you have, up until the point everyone had to get ETAs, use your british passport to go anywhere in the EU as long as you show your German ID card. My DD who still has a valid UK passport does that.

There is zero need to have a UK passport if you have another passport that is equally (or more) accepted worldwide. For eg for me to go to Turkey with my German passport i don't need a visa, with my UK passport i do. Since my UK passport expired i have used my German one with no issues.

Until the UK government threw all their toys out of the pram for no reason.

plus going through the rigamarole of getting your photo accepted and sending the copies of your other passprot.

it's a pain in the neck, thanks to Brexit. And yes i am still salty about that bloody referendum that we weren't allowed to vote in.

Is it legal though? They can’t deny entry to their own citizens. You do not lose citizenship just because you do not have a passport. Has anyone challenged this in court?

But the passport is their proof of citizenship! You can't just rock up and say "I'm British"!

I’m a dual national (non EU) and that’s has always been the case.

If you are a citizen of an EU State your PP is recognised as a defacto visa to grant you entry into another EU state.

The UK voted to leave the EU and therefore leave the system which created te defacto visa so you can no longer use the UK PP in the same ways as your French PP.

If using a UK PP to enter a country which has border controls the holder (you) must prove that the border control rules have been complied with eg the correct travel documents have been issued

You cannot travel without a passport so I can’t see what law they’re breaking. No one is making anyone less British, we just aren’t a part of the EU travel restriction free area we throughly enjoyed previously (Brexit was so, so stupid imo - all this faff was utterly unnecessary)

The airline can set T&C on what they require to form a valid contract so its 100% legal for the airline to refuse boarding if the passenger cant prove the have the right to enter the other country.

If the OP turned up at Border Control and could prove she is a UK citizen then BC cant rely on a lack of PP to deport her from the UK

I’m Dutch living in UK and have a British passport too. When I fly to Europe I use my Dutch passport and when I return I use my British one. It’s the only way to do it.

Ireland and the UK have had a common travel area since (around) the establishment of the Irish State so that predates the EU

I live in the UK and my employer requires me to proof that I have the right to work here, by passport or visa. So I need the UK passport.

Thanks Havana - I know that already because DH is an Irish citizen and doesn’t need to get one for the UK. The question was more to confirm that this exemption still applies for UK/Irish dual nationals. Seems it does, which is extremely useful.

For the person who said it‘s only 90 quid so just do it - it may be 90 quid for you, but renewing a British passport from another country is significantly more expensive (does anyone have the current cost? I remember it being close to 200 euros a few years back). And not‘s not the main issue: it used to be the case that even renewals from abroad had to get confirmation of identity from another British citizen in one of the approved professions. That’s remarkably difficult for a lot of people if you don‘t live in a British bubble. The Irish would accept an approved professional of the local nationality, which is much easier. I think the rule for digital renewals has now changed and no longer requires a reference signature - at least I don’t remember doing one for my most recent renewal, which was expensive but way, way easier than in the past. I‘ll certainly be nudging DD to get one in addition to her Irish passport.
In the 1990s, international British passport renewals involved a hilariously stupid situation: you had to send off your old passport by post to get cancelled, and for weeks you then had no ID at all. It was sent back registered post, and in my country you have to show your ID to receive a package - but of course both passports, old and new, were in the package. It caused great consternation at the post office, but ultimately the manager agreed I could describe the contents in detail and then he would open it in my presence to check. It was a Kafkaesque process. So British passport renewals are traditionally something to be feared in this household. Very glad the system has improved now!

So a Brit residing abroad with dual nationality now has to pay more than a non Brit to visit his own home country? Can they not elect to get an ESTA at less cost than a passport? If not, can’t see how this won’t be challenged.

Irish passport holders don’t need an ETA to enter the UK. Do dual UK and Irish nationals now also need to enter the UK on their British passport? DD’s DP entered the UK on his Irish passport last June with no problems.

You can use an expired UK passport as proof of right to work in the UK.

At the time of the referendum you could register to vote in the constituency you were last resident in if you had been resident abroad for less than 10 years. Had you been non resident for longer? They’ve changed the rules now so that expats can be registered to vote in UK elections no matter how long they have been non resident. Usually by postal vote but nothing to stop you rocking up at the polling station.

I’m also a South African dual national and it never crossed my mind that the process would be different for other nationalities. I just assumed that if you had nationality of the country you were entering, that is the passport you should use on entry. My dual nationality (UK) allows me visa free access to many countries which are a pain to travel to on a South African passport. I think it’s actually illegal to enter South Africa on a foreign passport if you are a South African citizen and I’ve been advised that it’s better to show you ID than to enter on a foreign passport as a tourist.

This is Interesting but it would have been my assumption that on entering the UK at some point post brexit you would not be allowed to enter on a EU passport.

Until February you would have been able to get an ETA on an EU passport at about 10€ for 3yrs iirc. Now that loophole / option is being closed

I panicked for a moment as a lot of the newspapers are saying "must have UK" or "British" passport.

But it seems, as you say, that Irish passport holders are unaffected.

No.

Some info sources are confusing the issue but Irish passport holders are unaffected.

I’m Dutch living in UK and have a British passport too. When I fly to Europe I use my Dutch passport and when I return I use my British one. It’s the only way to do it.

I don't think you can have double nationality with a Dutch passport. That's my understanding anyway.

You can in certain circs.

So why can people not use an expired British passport to enter to prove they are citizens? If they have a valid passport from another country would that not be enough assuming the names on the documents match?

As far as I know, you can enter India as a non resident Indian with a lifetime document that does not need renewing. It’s completely unreasonable to insist actual citizens have to renew their British passport as well as a second valid passport. Especially for people with children which requires renewal every 5 years. Dual nationals have a right of access to their own country.

@tinydynamine - it’s really complicated for children though. Not all children of British passport holders have a right to UK citizenship? Some were born abroad and there are complicated factors with grandparents I thought. So are these kids just not going to be allowed in to visit family? What a mess! It is there an exemption for children?