UK dual-citizen entry changes: What you need to know

What are the UK dual citizen passport changes?

From February 25, a change will occur that affects all dual Australian-UK and Australian-Irish citizens entering the UK. All such passport holders must use their British or Irish passport when they enter the UK.

The new rule reflects a tightening of the UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme, an entry requirement for all non-UK or Irish passport holders that came into effect on January 8, 2025. An ETA costs £16 ($30.50) and you can apply online.

Temporarily, dual citizens with expired UK or Irish passports will still be able to enter on their Australian passports provided they have an ETA through their Australian passport and have their UK or Irish passport with them.

Previously, dual Australian-British and Australian-Irish passport holders could enter the UK on their Australian passport, provided they had an ETA, and that’s a loophole the UK government wants to close. In effect, the government is clarifying its position. British or Irish passport holders are not eligible for an ETA, therefore they must enter the UK on their UK or Irish passport.

The changes have caused much confusion among Australian dual-citizens planning trips to the UK.

Do I need to renew my passport if it’s expired?

The short answer is yes. However, the UK has since issued temporary guidance to say that you can enter the UK with an expired UK or Irish passport, as long as you also have a valid passport with an ETA (such as an Australian passport), and that your details match on both passports. The UK’s ETA guide for dual citizens does not state how long the “temporary guidance” will be in place for.

However, there is a risk involved. Since airlines are responsible for flying you back home if you’re refused entry to the UK, typically at their own cost, it is the airline that will determine whether your documents are acceptable or not. That can come down to the discretion of the particular staff member who views your documents upon check-in.

How do I renew my passport?

The renewal process is fairly straightforward. You can do it online at the gov.uk website. The cost is £94.50 ($190) for an adult, and £61.50 ($124) for a child. Irish citizens can renew their passport on the Department of Foreign Affairs Passport Online website at a cost of €75 ($131) for a standard 10-year Irish passport.

What is a certificate of entitlement?

An alternative to renewing your passport is to apply for a Certificate of Entitlement, which proves you have right of abode in the UK. But since this costs well over $1000, it’s much cheaper to just renew your passport.

How many people are affected?

A large number of Australians will be affected by the change. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, almost a million Australian residents were born in the UK. Some of those are here on a visa, and are not Australian citizens, and therefore not dual nationals. However, add the number of Australians born in the UK to the number of Australians who qualify for UK citizenship by virtue of their parentage and there are probably close to two million who are eligible for a UK passport.

Add to that the number of dual Irish-Australian passport holders and the total rises even further. In the year ending June 30, 2025, more than a million Australian residents returned from short-term visits to the UK. It’s likely that many of those visitors are dual nationals, with either British or Irish citizenship.

How do I know whether I am a dual citizen?

If you were born in the UK, then you’re most likely a citizen. If you were not born in the UK and one or both your parents were UK citizens, you might also be a citizen. If you’re a citizen, under the new rules you’re going to need a UK passport to enter the country. For those born outside the UK to a British parent, when and to whom you were born determines your citizenship.

If you were born on or after January 1, 1983, and your mother or father was a British citizen, it’s likely that you are automatically a British citizen. If you were born before January 1, 1983, and your father was British at the time, and married to your mother, you may automatically be a British citizen. If this applies, you do not need to go through an application process. You would only need to apply for a British passport to prove your citizenship.

The UK government has a website where you can check whether you are a British citizen or not.

However, if you were born in Australia to a British parent and had never applied for a UK passport or UK citizenship, would UK border control even know? For many Australians who are dual UK nationals, a UK passport might be an encumbrance rather than an asset (particularly since Brexit). In that case, it might be better to renounce your UK citizenship and check the UK government’s citizenship website which explains the process.

Electronic processing is fast becoming a fact of travellers’ lives. For the countries using it, electronic passport scanning makes it easier to track who is entering their country. For the traveller, it means shorter queues and faster processing at border control.