The Home Office has issued an eleventh-hour notice that could up-end half-term and Easter travel plans for hundreds of thousands of Britons who also hold a foreign passport.
From 25 February, UK border systems will go fully digital. Every traveller will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or a linked eVisa before they reach the check-in desk—everyone, that is, except British and Irish citizens. Dual nationals who long relied on the passport of their second nationality will therefore be locked out of the ETA system. Carriers have been told they must deny boarding to anyone who cannot present either a valid British (or Irish) passport or a “certificate of entitlement to the right of abode” attached to their foreign passport. The certificate costs £589 and can take weeks to obtain.
Amid the confusion, a one-stop advisory such as VisaHQ can be invaluable. The company’s UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) walks travellers through eligibility checks, helps secure electronic permissions and, where needed, facilitates applications for right-of-abode certificates—saving dual nationals from last-minute airport surprises.
The Guardian reports growing anger from Britons settled in Spain, Germany and elsewhere who never renewed—or never held—a British passport after Brexit. One British-Italian museum registrar discovered only this week that his return flight from New York lands after the cut-off and that a certificate cannot be issued in time. Parents of UK-born children registered overseas fear their youngsters could be stranded. Campaign group The 3 Million is lobbying for a low-cost, one-off waiver similar to Canada’s travel authorisation.
Officials defend the measure as the final step toward a “seamless digital border” that will allow advance security screening and automate carriers’ pre-departure checks. Internally, however, Border Force sources admit communication has been patchy because policy, IT delivery and public messaging were run on separate work streams. Airlines have asked for a temporary grace period but were told the date is fixed in law.
Practical implications for employers are immediate. Global mobility managers must audit assignees and business travellers who hold dual nationality, ensure they carry a valid British passport for trips after 25 February, or budget for the certificate. Mobility policies should also flag that certificates must be renewed with every new foreign passport, multiplying costs for frequent travellers and their families.
