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.

I agree. All this angst seems a bit strange to me - if I had dual nationality I'd use my UK passport to enter the UK and my eg German ID card to enter Germany. I have a friend in Germany with both nationalities and she does exactly that.

I don't know why you wouldn't? If you eg have a husband with a British only passport he can use the EU channel with you at EU airports so it's not like you have to leave him to langush in the "all others" queue when you go to an EU country. But I guess that hasn't been a consideration the other way round as you can use the e-gates in the UK if you have an EEA passport.

Still hate Brexit though and am still ranting about it 10 years later. But I suspect I'd be ranting far less if I were lucky enough to have an EEA passport.

Whot???

NI citizens are UK/British citizens because that part of Ireland is part of the UK (and has been since the late 1100c (?) )

They have to have UK PP as they may not be Irish citizens.

Because not all countries recognise it. As a Spaniard I am not allowed to hold other nationalities, there is no dual nationality, once i am Spanish i renounce other nationalities I am NOT allowed to be Spanish and maintain another passport. In practice people do because nobody check but it is not permitted and can result in your Spanish nationality being removed.

I don't know but I assume they would now need a UK passport.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10344/#:~:text=A%20British%20dual%20national%20travelling,due%20to%20their%20British%20citizenship.

I am confident that this advice is wrong (or there is other relevant information not revealed here).

Your cousin's adult children born outside of the UK have the right to British citizenship but are not British until they apply to be. They are not required to have British passports as they are not at this time British citizens.

You can be British without ever having held a passport

Would anyone actually know you were a uk citizen if you weren't born there and hadn't held a passport for 9 years? I mean, I have never applied for this visa, can you just do it as your other nationality basically if you don't have a current valid uk passport? The house of commons link I posted earlier suggests it's people with a current valid uk passport.

All citizens of NI are entitled to both British and Irish citizenship.

They don't need a British passport (if they prefer to only hold an Irish one) and effectively requiring them to do so to travel would be highly imflammatory.

Which is why these new provisions couldn't apply to people who hold dual British and Irish citizenship.

I see that you may be right.

You can also use a certificate of entitlement" that gets entered in your non-uk passport, but that also costs more than £500.

Sorry you are correct being a UK citizen and born in NI gives a right to Irish citizenship and the common travel area provides for free movement. Its NI born non-citizens who have to have a right to remain and proof of living in NI ☺️

I enter the UK on my UK passport but leave on the US passport. It has to match the passport on my booking, which is always the US one as it is illegal to leave the US on a different passport, even if you have one. The airline wouldn’t let me on using my UK passport because for one thing, I don’t have an ESTA.

My point was airline T&C and border control are different. I know the airline do the checks and send the data to the US and for UK airports the the ticket is used to get airside along side a passport.

But US border control happens after you land ( or if you get ICEed)
It was just a question of the fine print in the laws

Sometimes when I fly from the uk to the states there’s an extra thing - so American officials checking paperwork in the queue as well as the airlines. It’s not every time though so vaguely mysterious. Last time he wanted to see both sets of passports - no idea why really!

Still really confused about this but I think it's about people who have a current valid uk passport and another nationality. If you technically have uk nationality but no way to prove it (like a current valid uk passport) then you can basically travel as the other nationality with the visa. If you maintain two passports you will need to present the uk to enter.
It can't mean anyone who is technically a citizen through birth but has another as well needs a uk passport because many countries don't allow that. Spain asks me to renounce other nationalities when i take citizenship and does not allow me to keep other nationalities.
Some people don't even know they are technically British through a parent if they were born abroad and have never applied for a uk passport.
The house of commons link I posted earlier references those with a current valid uk passport.

The question is though, I guess you have to tick no other nationalities on the form or you risk getting asked for your uk one at the border? Even if you have never had one?

If you are a US citizen in the US thats a 4th(?) Amendment search and possible unlawful detention. I know that BC has "extra" powers in the US.
But if it is happening in the UK its highly unlikely to be possible under US law.
Not that most people would object or go to court to fight it.
As I said technical points of law

Still totally confused...the UK government department seems incapable of providing unambiguous information...whatever...I'm going to bite the bullet and renew my passport, even though I would rather not give them my money.

ETAs are designed to be a pre clearance exercise and give the UK the ability to prevent some people travelling. It’s permission to travel to the UK and not a ‘visa’ which is far more onerous to secure.
If the UK was to grant an ETA to someone who is British they would effectively be applying control to someone who cannot be controlled as they have an absolute right to enter.
You absolutely have every right to enter the country if you’re British (don’t even need a passport technically) but you have to prove it to the carrier before you can board a flight or a ferry. Zero carriers will let you travel without either a UK passport or an ETA or visa or some other evidence of admissibility. Because they will be fined.

Yes, but if you admit to being British they will require a passport but some nationalities don´t allow you to keep second passports, so it´s puts you in an impossible bind. Spain for instance does not allow naturalised citizens to keep other passports (unless it´s a country with recognised dual nationality, the UK is not) so the UK can´t expect me to maintain a current uk passport, because my other nationality doesn´t permit that.
As I understand it, for the UK I am always British even if my passport has expired. But Spain does not permit me to renew my UK passport as I renounced other nationalities when I took it.
So I am guessing it hinges on whether you have a "current valid uk passport".

Nope you should have complied with the Spanish citizenship requirement and told the UK you were giving up UK citizenship (by paying the fee🙃)

https://www.gov.uk/renounce-british-nationality

You only have a right to hold the UK States property (its not "your" PP ) if you are a citizen.

I don’t agree. It is not in Britain’s best interest to encourage its own citizens to give up their nationality here, just because Spain insists on their own policy. We want as many of our citizens to send their kids to uni here and to settle here in the future as workers. This is against the backdrop of a birth rate crisis.
Switzerland, for example, that always knows how to look after its own interests has launched a big programme to keep in touch with its citizens abroad. It has been earmarked a priority.

As such, it is not in our best interests to let paperwork damage our relationship with our own fellow citizens. I suspect any teething issues will eventually be solved by further Home Office guidance.

What about under 18s who can't renounce their citizenship?

I don't hold a uk passport though if it's expired.

Most countries recognise that children cant make adult decisions and allow dual birth citizenship to the age of majority.

You would have to check if Spain has such rules

I sent a query to the uk gov last year when ETAs first came into use - below is my question and their response. Things have moved on with the new announcement - but even last year it wasn’t clear - it had been easier to just use our German passports since brexit.

i also asked immigration at Birmingham airport about it (in April last year)- they couldn’t understand why I’d choose not to use my uk passport to travel to EU despite stay restrictions and stamps etc - also not a helpful response!

My question: Im trying to work out if I need an ETA. I’m a dual UK/EU citizen residing in the EU. I normally travel on my EU passport. When traveling to the UK after April, will I need an ETA if I travel on my EU passport? Should I exit EU on EU passport and enter UK on UK passport? Does my UK passport need to be valid?

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: ETA Customer Contact <[email protected]>
Date: 16. January 2025 at 11:00:04 CET
To:
Subject: Do Not Reply: Resolution Centre - Do I need an ETA?
Reply-To: [email protected]

Dear ,

Thank you for your email enquiry dated the 15 January 2025 regarding Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

We understand you would like clarification on whether you require an ETA as a dual EU and British national.

If you are a dual citizen with British citizenship, you do not need an ETA. You prove your permission to travel using your valid British passport or other passport containing a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in the UK.

If you have booked travel using another passport, you should carry your current British passport or the passport that contains your certificate of entitlement to the Right of Abode. If requested, you can present this passport to prove your right to enter the UK to your carrier or at the border. This will help to avoid complications or delays when you travel.

When travelling to the UK, we would recommend that you always carry a valid British passport or other passport containing a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.

Passengers seeking to rely on an expired UK or Irish passport to establish a permission to travel may be delayed before travelling, or even denied travel by their carrier (eg. your airline).

Should you require further information about ETA, please go to www.gov.uk/guidance/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta. If you would like to speak to a live agent via webchat please go to ukimmigration-support-webchat.homeoffice.gov.uk/eta live agents will be available 09:00 – 17:00 GMT Monday to Friday.

You can also submit a further question using the online enquiry form www.ask-question-about-electronic-travel-authorisation.homeoffice.gov.uk/start
UKVI is keen to continually review and improve its service to our customers. To help us to do so, we would be grateful if you could complete our customer survey homeoffice.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dmzhkWRLMQmIoES

Please note we cannot deal with any enquiries/replies sent directly to this mailbox.

Yours sincerely,

[(Edit) @OrangeBlossomsinthesun
Sorry did not quote you🙈]

As others explained its not the PP that is the issue but citizenship.

You have a citizenship right to enter the UK the PP just an expedited streamline method of establishing who you are and that you are a UK citizen.

If you were not a citizen you would never had a right to hold a PP.