LONDON – UK Home Office issued warning to all British citizens holding dual nationality.From 25 February 2026 onward, entry into UK will only be allowed with a British passport. Travelers without one, no matter how long they have held British citizenship, will be denied boarding on planes, ferries, and trains.
The announcement sparked alarm among British citizens abroad, many of whom fear being stranded outside their own country due to the sudden implementation of these rules.
Under the new regulations every traveler arriving in the UK after 25 February must obtain “travel authorization”. Short-term visitors must secure an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) at a cost of £16. British dual citizens must show their British passport to enter. If they try to travel using another passport, they must obtain a £589 “Certificate of Entitlement”—labeled by many as “unfair” and a “hefty penalty”.
Some residents living in other EU nations expressed panic over her children’s upcoming travel plans, calling the last-minute rule changes “extremely irresponsible”.
Home Office says the policy is part of a “digital border system” aimed at creating a “secure and easy” travel system. European citizens’ rights group The Three Million has slammed the policy, urging the UK government to introduce a lower-cost alternative to the expensive certificate so that British citizens are not effectively barred from their own country.
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