New UK entry rules require dual nationals to carry British passports or pay £589

British citizens with dual nationality now face a £589 charge if traveling without a UK passport

The UK government has implemented strict new border regulations that prevent British dual nationals from entering the country using only a foreign passport.

As of April 2026, travelers holding both British and foreign citizenship must present either a valid British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement, which currently costs £589.

The Home Office has officially changed the entry requirements for British citizens who hold second nationalities. Previously, many dual citizens residing abroad entered the UK using their non-British passports, such as those issued by the US or EU member states.

Under the new enforcement, this practice is no longer permitted, and airlines may deny boarding to those without proof of British status.

British nationals must prove their right of abode from April 2026

According to the UK Government, the right of abode must be proven by a specific document to allow entry into the United Kingdom.

For those who do not wish to maintain a standard British passport, the only alternative is a Certificate of Entitlement. This certificate, which is placed inside a foreign passport, has seen its price rise to £589.

The policy shift is part of a broader effort to digitize the UK border and ensure all entrants are correctly categorized. This follows the recent expansion of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, which now costs £20 for all visa-exempt foreign visitors.

"The fee for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode is part of our commitment to ensuring the immigration system is self-funding," the Home Office stated in a recent fee review.

Dual-national families face financial loss

The current tightening of UK border controls has created a high-stakes "documentation trap" for dual-national families with mismatched surnames across passports. For instance, a UK-born child with two surnames on an expired British passport and only one on an EU passport may find their renewal blocked by HM Passport Office until the foreign document is updated to match.

Because new regulations mandate that British dual nationals must present a valid UK passport or a £589 Certificate of Entitlement to enter the country, these families face a catch-22.

One family mentions:

”A simple surname mismatch between two countries has escalated into months of admin stress, financial loss, and fear about being separated at the border from the country our daughter was born and raised in."

They cannot travel abroad to fix the name discrepancy without risking being denied re-entry, yet they cannot obtain the necessary UK travel documents because of the discrepancy itself, often resulting in canceled travel and costly legal hurdles.

What this means for travelers to the United Kingdom

If you’re a dual citizen of the UK and another country, you must enter on your British passport, or apply for Certificate of Entitlement, which currently costs £589.

Travelers are being warned that even if they have entered the UK on a foreign passport for decades, the new digital systems at the border will now flag them as British citizens who lack the required documentation.

In practice, the UK Border Force may detain you for a "secondary examination." Officers must manually verify your citizenship using internal databases. This process can take several hours, during which you are kept in a holding area while they confirm your identity and status.

British dual nationals are advised to renew their UK passports as soon as possible to avoid high costs and issues at the border.