Dual Nationals Face Entry Issues as UK Passport Rules Change

(MENAFN) Jelena, a British-Latvian dual national, could be denied entry to the UK when she returns from a “holiday of a lifetime” in South America later this year.

She is among those affected by upcoming changes to UK passport rules for dual nationals, set to take effect on 25 February. The government says the changes are part of wider reforms designed to streamline and modernize the UK border, but for Jelena, who has lived in the UK for 16 years, they feel like a “betrayal.” Others in similar situations have told reporters the rules are causing significant worry and frustration.

Previously, dual nationals whose second citizenship is from a country not requiring a UK visa could enter the country using their foreign passport. From 25 February, that will no longer be allowed.

Instead, travelers must present either a British passport or a new digital version of a certificate of entitlement attached to their second passport. Without one of these documents, dual nationals could be refused entry to the UK.

Neither British passports nor certificates of entitlement are automatically issued upon acquiring citizenship, meaning some long-term residents have never applied for them. Both documents take several weeks to process and involve significant costs: around £100 ($122) for an adult British passport and £589 ($718) for a certificate of entitlement.

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