Travelling to the United Kingdom has just gotten a lot more complicated for Australians with British dual citizenship.
In the past, Australians with British or with Irish citizenship could use the passport they preferred when flying into the UK.
From next month, however, new changes will mean dual citizens will be “expected to” use their British passport to travel to the UK.
Here’s what you need to know, and how much the changes will cost.
How are British passport rules changing?
According to UK law, anyone with British or Irish citizenship has an automatic right to enter, live and work in the UK – meaning they don’t need to pass through immigration.
For years, dual citizens living in the countries that don’t need a visa to enter the UK – like Australia, New Zealand and Canada – could travel using their other passport (while subject to some checks at border control to prove their British or Irish status).
But from 25 February this year, the UK’s Home Office will begin strictly enforcing new pre-departure checks that are tied to its electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system.
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The ETA, introduced in phases since 2023, is a digital screening process for visitors from visa-exempt countries
But British and Irish dual citizens are not eligible for an ETA, meaning they must travel using their British or Irish passport – or have a certificate of entitlement in their other passport.
What do dual citizens have to do now?
British dual citizens have three options to enter the UK – renounce your citizenship, show a current British passport, or show a certificate of entitlement of the right of abode, which is an official document attached to a person’s foreign passport.
It’s much more expensive, however, to apply for a certificate of entitlement ($1,182 AUD) compared with a new British passport ($190 AUD for adults).
People with an urgent need to travel before 24 February – when the crackdown comes into effect – should be allowed to fly to the UK by applying for an emergency travel document (as long as they have a valid passport for a non-visa national country).
While there is no official data showing how many dual Australian-British citizens live in Australia, the changes are likely to impact tens of thousands of people.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, 12,674 people from the UK became citizens last year. There are 964,000 people born in England living in Australia according to the ABS, however that includes people on temporary visas.
How will the new ETA system impact Australian citizens?
Australians heading to the UK for a holiday or work trip are required to fill out some details well before they travel in the US-style digital permit system.
The permit, which can be applied for online or through an app, will set you back £10 (around $20) and lasts for two years. Passengers should apply for the ETA at least three days out from their travel date.
If you are transiting through the UK – even if you are not going through border control – you also need to apply for an ETA.
Why has this change been made?
A House of Commons research briefing noted if a British dual national booked a flight using only their non-British passport, airlines wouldn’t know they were exempt from immigration control.
“There isn’t a specific legal requirement for British citizens to travel on a British passport,” the briefing read. “But in practice, pre-departure checks for UK-bound travellers make it difficult to travel to the UK without one.”
The briefing noted “people who can’t provide satisfactory evidence of their eligibility to come to the UK may be denied boarding, due to transport operators’ concerns about being fined for bringing inadequately documented passengers to the UK”.
That’s because airlines are required to check if a passenger has obtained an ETA before that person boards the plane.
The briefing continues that British dual citizens have been advised to travel using their British passport for “many months”, but the “transitional arrangements would end in early 2026”.
