Critics of UK passport changes say it’s a ‘money-grab’ dressed up to protect borders and could be unlawful

Dual nationals returning to Britain will be barred from entering the country without a valid British passport, under new rules taking effect next week. Photo / Getty Images

Dual nationals returning to Britain will be barred from entering the country without a valid British passport, under new rules taking effect next week.

Previously, dual-national Britons had been able to use their second nationality passport to enter the United Kingdom but the new electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system, starting on February 25, means this is no longer possible.

Instead they will have to show a valid British passport, which costs about £100 ($225) for an adult to renew, or pay £589 ($1330) for a certificate of entitlement to attach to their second passport. Both documents take several weeks to obtain.

Neither British passports nor certificates of entitlement are automatically issued to people who obtain citizenship, which means some dual nationals have never applied for them, even if they have lived in the UK for decades.

The entry requirements for dual nationals are being overhauled as part of wide-ranging changes to the immigration system, which the British Government says will streamline and modernise the UK border.

Criticism over cost

Last November, the Telegraph revealed that the concerns of expat Britons about the updated rules centred around the cost, inconvenience and principle of the policy change.

Mike Thompson, a Leicester-born businessman, who is planning to return to the UK with his wife this May, claimed it was a breach of the 1971 Immigration Act, which says British citizens should be allowed to enter the country “without let or hindrance”.

“They are going beyond the terms of the Immigration Act of 1971, which is a slippery slope,” he said.

In a letter to the Telegraph, Mark Thornton, a British-Canadian national, said the Government was “perpetrating an injustice” on those holding dual nationality.

“Since I intend to visit the UK simply as a tourist to see family and friends, do not intend to stay longer than six months, and do not intend to exercise any of the rights requiring British citizenship, there is absolutely no reason why I should not be permitted to come to the UK with an ETA, except the punitive action of the British Government,” he said.

“If I did want to exercise the rights of a British citizen, like voting, that would be a different matter. I hope the Government can be persuaded that its intransigent policy is simply a mistake.”

‘Millions will be affected’

Mike Briggs, also a dual Canadian-British national, said: “Whichever route I take will cost way more than an ETA, which is ridiculous or just a money-grab from a government desperate for more income. This will affect millions of people who have emigrated.”

The Home Office is standing by its changes, saying that without a passport or certificate of entitlement “carriers cannot verify they are a British citizen, which may lead to delays or refused boarding”.

“Public information advising dual nationals to carry the correct documentation has been available since October 2024 and a substantive communications campaign about the introduction of ETA has been running since 2023,” a spokesman said.

“This requirement applies to all British citizens regardless of other nationality and is the same approach taken by other countries, including the United States, Canada and Australia.”

Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.