Starting February 25, 2026, all dual British citizens must enter the UK using a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement, ending the previous allowance to travel on foreign documents.
Dual British citizens traveling to the United Kingdom will be required to present a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement for entry starting February 25, 2026, under new Home Office rules. The change, part of the rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, ends a long-standing flexibility that allowed dual nationals to enter the UK using a foreign passport and other documents to prove their status. A Home Office spokesperson stated, “From 25 February 2026, all dual British citizens will need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement to avoid delays at the border.”
The mandate will impact all British-Irish dual citizens and others living abroad, who must now obtain a UK passport—costing at least £94.50—or a £589 certificate of entitlement to travel home. While British citizens are exempt from the ETA requirement, the Home Office cited streamlined security and digitization as reasons for the stricter pre-departure checks, noting carriers risk penalties for accepting non-compliant documents.