On Wednesday April 2nd the UK expands its Electronic Travel Authorisation to include EU, EEA, Swiss and Norwegian citizens, but as travellers begin to make their applications for the electronic visa waiver, some British dual-nationals have encountered a problem that is effectively barring them from entry to the UK.
But a quirk of the online application process, some people who have dual nationality for the UK and another country, but don't have a valid UK passport, are caught in limbo.
Dual nationals with British or Irish citizenship should be exempt from getting an ETA - but only if they have a current and valid UK/Irish passport.
But if their UK passport is expired or lost meaning they are forced to travel on their "other" passport, then it appears they need to apply for an ETA, although the official UK advice remains confusing.
When they apply for an ETA they have to say whether they have "other nationalities" but it doesn't give them the option of including British.
This effectively leaves them having to either not mention they are British as some readers say they have done and get the ETA or according to the official advice - simply renew their passport or get a certificate of entitlement to travel.
How the process works for dual nationals
In principle, dual nationals should be able to choose which passport to travel on - unlike the US, the UK does not require its citizens to use their UK passport to enter the country.
The passports of dual nationals are not 'linked' for border control, so you are treated according to the passport that you present.
But although UK-European dual nationals should theoretically be able to choose to travel on their European passport, the website and app that processes ETA applications does not appear to allow this.
As applicants go through the questions and upload their documents, they reach one asking 'Add any other nationalities you have, including any you have had in the past'.
Readers of The Local who are dual nationals have reported that the website or app does not allow them to declare being British as 'another' nationality.
One reader noted that applicants face "having to lie on their ETA application and chancing it" or make sure they renew their British passport in time, or apply for a UK passport if they have never had one.
Despite requests from The Local the UK's Home Office has also not responded to our questions on how dual nationals with out of date British passports should proceed.
Although they have pointed us to a factsheet which states:
- "We recommend that all British citizens travel on a valid British passport to avoid unnecessary delays at the border. UK passports can be renewed at GOV.UK."
And...
- "We recognise that the introduction of the ETA is a substantial change for British dual citizens of ETA eligible nationalities, and they are currently permitted to travel on their non-British passport while the scheme is being implemented."
This last point suggests British dual nationals can travel on their foreign passport, however it still doesn't say if they need an ETA.
Interestingly the fact sheet also states:
- "In the future, all dual British citizens will need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement to avoid delays at the border. We will make it clear when this change will be enforced."
The Local has asked for more clarification from the Home Office whether this represents a change in UK law and whether it forces all UK dual nationals to travel on their British passport.
Anyone travelling on an European passport without an ETA will be turned back at the border, or denied boarding to their flight, train or ferry, unless they can show a valid UK or Irish passport.
ETA began to be rolled out in late 2024, starting with a small group of non-EU countries and then expanding to include all non-EU citizens from the beginning of January.
The ETA must be applied for online in advance of travel, it costs £10 and lasts for two years - find full details HERE.
Why would dual nationals not have a UK passport?
Having citizenship of a country and having a valid passport is not the same thing. There may be any number of reasons why dual nationals would not have a UK/Irish passport, some of the most common ones are;
- The passport is being renewed or has been lost of stolen - one of the great advantages of being a dual national is that if one passport is off being renewed, or has been lost/stolen you can simply use the other one while you are waiting
- The passport has expired - if a UK passport has expired and the dual national uses their other passport to travel, they may feel that it is not worth the cost to renew it. Renewing a UK passport from overseas costs £101 for adults and £65.50 for children
- They never had a passport - this is especially relevant to UK nationals who live abroad and have had children there. Their children are entitled to British citizenship, but if parents want a UK passport for their child they will need to apply, and pay the fees. Not all parents feel that this is worth it, or want to pay the fees, so it's not especially unusual to find Brits living abroad who had children who are British citizens, but have never had a UK passport.
- They gained dual nationality of a country that forced them to relinquish their British passport.
Have you had issues with the ETA app or website? Share your experiences in the comments section below
Comments (5)