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.

Does anyone know how it works for EU nationals (settled status) travelling back to the UK?
I have (only) an EU passport and settled status in the UK. When I visit the EU and return to the UK, I don’t think I need a ETA but have not really looked into it yet 🫣.
I’ll make sure I’ll take both EU and UK passports for the dcs as we normally only use the UK passports when travelling

https://www.gov.uk/dual-citizenship

Very scant guidance.

Why do you not get UK citizenship?

Yes I know that - I'm an Irish Historian as it happens. But I wanted to naturalise so here I am.

My British passport has expired. I have an Irish passport which I've been using to travel in and out of the UK. Does this mean I need to get my British passport done again?

Because people may have now to renounce their original citizenship and that was the one thing we would never do.

Because it‘s a highly complicated and expensive process.

I know I have done it!
Personally I find it too risky living in the UK with a permanent visa, things can always change and you never know. Not being a citizen will never give you the same protection.
“may” doesn’t mean they have to.

We also did it because I don‘t trust the government as far as I can throw them.

Germany changed the rules again but that wasn‘t clear for a while so I know some people who are still holding out.

This is going to be a massive pain for us, we have a baby DD who was born in the EU. So we are going to have to get translated and notarized copies of birth certificates etc.

She has a perfectly good passport but it seems because she has a parent that was born in the UK she needs to have a British passport, whereas if she had EU parents only she could still visit Britain without any problems.

Technically the UK doesn't even know she exists.

It’s not such a pain. It’s the same process for children born in the UK to a EU parent.

having two passports is a massive privilege, I wish people would stop whining about a bit of paperwork. Your child will have opportunities others can only dream of.

Is is cheaper/easier to register her via the foreign birth register process as it gives her an official UK birth cert?

I was planning to , a few years ago. I passed the citizenship test etc but was then advised by an immigration solicitor to hold off as I had not had private health insurance for a year when I wasn’t working or claiming benefits. We were living off my (British) husbands salary at that time whilst I was looking after 2 dcs.
I could have lost the £1500 if it was turned down.
I do want to apply again but need to save up as it’s gone up to £1700 😳…

No, that will make the whole process even more expensive. Thank you for the suggestion though.

I'm only just finding out about this but as I understand it children who have never had a UK passport could travel on their other passport and an ETA.

Really? That would make my life so much easier. I was getting worried about the summer holidays to be honest.

I get the feeling this is going to cause a problem long run for lots of people who have two passports and aren't meant to.
An example: if you apply for Spanish, Austrian or Croatian citizenship as an adult, you are supposed to then renounce your British citizenship. Many people applied after brexit as they wanted to keep their EU rights, but never denounced UK citizenship as there was no way to prove they hadn't done it. They kept both, and enjoyed the rights of both (and I have to say fair enough, it wasn't them that voted for Brexit and the impact was extraordinary on them).
But now, if they are flying to the UK, all passport control has to do in that country is ask for proof of an ETA. Don't have one, clearly still have a UK passport then! Its going to close a loophole that many have exploited for a long time.

No.

Some News sources are confusing the issue by referring to "British" passports but others are saying, correctly, dual citizens will need a UK or Irish passport.

Requiring all NI citizens to hold a British passport would be insanely stupid and damaging.

OK a question.

DD was born in Spain where we live and has British citizenship through me and Spanish through DH and being born in Spain. She had a uk passport as a baby but when it expired at age 5 we never renewed it. Spain does not allowed dual nationality with the uk and there is nothing on her passport to show she is British (born in Spain). I am assuming she can travel on her Spanish passport when she does her school English trip to the uk in the summer? The UK would have no idea she's not just Spanish I am guessing?

What if they have had a uk passport as a baby but don't have a current one?

@Havanananana thank you for posting. My British passport has expired and I didn’t bother renewing it as I have an Irish passport. This thread was the first I’d heard of this, and I was getting worried until I read your post.

Also, I grew up in the UK but have since taken Spanish nationality. Spain does not allow dual nationality with the uk. If i renew my uk passport they can remove my Spanish nationality. So i cannot maintain a uk passport. Does this mean I can never visit again?

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-06-23/61951

Answered my own question. You can't get the visa if you have a VALID UK passport. So if you once held one but now do not or have never held one you can use your other passport and get a ETA.

I've JUST got Spanish citizenship through "ley de memoria" and was told I wouldnt need to give up my British citizenship. I haven't travelled on it yet but it does make me nervous. I'm also in the process to get my 2yr olds and newborn Spanish passport at the same time as my newborns Uk passport. I'm worried that we will have difficulties at passport control

Technical issue
But if you pass through border control going out of a country you are a citizen of you should leave on that countys PP and only give your other PP to the country you are entering.

So it would be up to the exit control having a lawful right to search you /your other documents /airline ticket /for proof of your right to land in the UK rtc as is imposing a restriction on your right to leave your (new) country.

Not saying it cant be done but it may raise a civil liberty question over citizenship provisions.

You aren't asked to give up the passport although you do "renounce all other nationalities" as part of the swearing allegiance bit (mine was just signing a piece of paper ". But nothing more happens than that, the UK doesn't know you have" renounced" anything. I have let my uk passport expire. I haven't had a uk passport for well over 7 years. DD hasn't since she was 5 (14 now).