New UK border rules mean dual citizens can no longer enter Britain on a New Zealand passport or ETA from February.
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The UK High Commissioner to New Zealand says controversial changes restricting how dual citizens can enter the UK are being made to secure Britain’s borders.
The UK’s top Wellington diplomat, Iona Thomas, told Ryan Bridge TODAY the changes are about streamlining and digitising border processing, bringing the UK in linewith places like the US and its ESTA system.
From February 25, British and Northern Irish expats around the world, including those holding dual citizenship in places like New Zealand and Australia, will only be allowed in to the UK using a British passport.
The changes mean affected citizens will no longer be able to enter with their New Zealand passport and the recently introduced electronic travel authorisation (ETA).
The rules remain as they are for non-British visitors (e.g. New Zealand nationals), who will continue to need an ETA (which costs $37) before travelling to the UK.
“The UK wants to make sure that our border is more secure ... that we have greater information about travellers and about those people who are entering the UK so we can make sure that anyone who poses a threat or a risk, we have more information about that,” she said.
From February 25, dual NZ-UK citizens will only be able to enter the UK using a British passport. Photo / Getty Images
Thomas clarified that the rules aren’t changing because UK expats pose a threat, but because of a structural overhaul in how the UK defines and verifies identity at the border.
“This is a global change that we’re making across the world and that’s the motivation behind that. It will affect people in every single country, which includes New Zealand.”
The changes may push the price of travel to the UK even further up for dual citizens and Kiwis born there, with a British passport - valid for 10 years - costing £120 ($273).
And with applications done online, Thomas urged travellers to review their citizenship status online and travel with the right documentation to avoid any hold-ups at the British border.
“There are no set timeframes for passport processing because everybody’s application will be different and have individual circumstances. But what’s important is that people check their eligibility,” Thomas said.
“If anyone has UK citizenship, they will need to travel on a UK passport. They won’t be able to travel on a New Zealand passport.”
The latest census in 2023 identified there being over 208,000 UK citizens living in New Zealand, although the number is likely more.
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