From 25 February 2026, airlines, ferry operators and rail carriers are applying stricter pre-departure permission-to-travel checks for passengers travelling to the UK. The change is linked to full enforcement of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme and wider use of automated carrier checks.
British citizens are exempt from the ETA requirement, including people who hold British citizenship alongside another nationality. However, dual British citizens cannot apply for an ETA at all, which creates a practical problem if the carrier’s system is expecting an ETA for the passport details entered into the booking.
The result is that lawful British citizens can be refused boarding if they present the “wrong” travel document details for the carrier’s automated checks. This guide explains what to do to avoid disruption and why this issue is arising now.
Stricter UK Entry Checks in 2026
The UK is shifting to a digital, pre-travel model. Carriers submit passenger data through interactive Advance Passenger Information systems and receive a permission-to-travel response before departure. From 25 February 2026, eligible visitors without an ETA are not permitted to board, and carriers are expected to enforce those outcomes.
British and Irish citizens are exempt, but the exemption only works in practice if the carrier can see recognised evidence of that exemption when it runs its checks. The Home Office has specifically warned dual British citizens to travel with a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode to avoid being denied boarding from 25 February 2026.
The key point is that the problem often arises before travel, not at the UK border. A person can be lawfully British and still fail the carrier check if the system sees a non-British passport and expects an ETA that the traveller cannot obtain.
Do British dual citizens need an ETA?
Dual citizens with British citizenship do not need an ETA. They also cannot obtain an ETA, even if they hold another passport from a nationality that would normally be eligible to apply.
That creates a narrow but important compliance point for travel: if you try to travel on your non-British passport and the system expects an ETA, there is no workaround because an ETA is not available to you.
When travelling to the UK as a dual British citizen, you need to prove British citizenship using one of the recognised documents set out in Home Office guidance.
A valid British passport
A valid British passport is the simplest way to satisfy carrier checks and UK entry checks. Home Office guidance states that dual British citizens should travel using a valid British passport.
If your British passport is expired or you do not have one, treat this as a travel risk from 25 February 2026 onwards. The exemption exists, but you still need a document the carrier’s system can recognise.
A certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in another valid passport
If you do not have a valid British passport, Home Office guidance confirms you can travel using another valid passport that contains a digital certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.
This is a physical endorsement placed in a passport and is recognised evidence of the right of abode. For carriers and border systems, it provides a clear exemption route where a British passport is not held.
There are planned changes to certificates of entitlement from 26 February 2026, so travellers relying on this route should check the current position and allow time for processing.
Documents that do not work for boarding checks
A certificate of naturalisation or registration is not a travel document and is not accepted as permission-to-travel evidence for boarding. Home Office guidance is clear that a British passport or certificate of entitlement is required for travel after becoming British.
Avoiding boarding refusals
Most dual citizens run into problems because of the way bookings and airline systems store passport details. The carrier check is tied to the passport data submitted for travel, so the document you use in the booking flow matters.
Booking with a non-British passport and being flagged for an ETA
If you enter your non-British passport details into the booking, the airline’s automated check may treat you as an ETA-eligible visitor and request an ETA. As a dual British citizen, you cannot obtain one, so the system can return a no-permission response and the carrier may refuse boarding.
The fix is usually simple in concept, but it has to be done early enough: ensure the booking and check-in are linked to your British passport details for travel to the UK.
Using different passports for different legs of travel
Some dual citizens use one passport for the outward journey and the British passport for the return to the UK. That can still work, but airline systems do not always handle different passport details cleanly across legs, especially if the booking is held under one document throughout.
Where the system does not allow two sets of passport details, you may need to deal with the carrier at check-in and present the British passport for the UK-bound leg.
Name mismatches and updated passports
Automated checks are sensitive to mismatches. If your British passport has a different name format from the booking, or you renewed your passport after booking and did not update the details, you can trigger a manual check or refusal to board.
Get ahead of this by checking that the passport details in the booking match your travel document exactly, including middle names and spacing, and update the carrier record in advance where possible.
Children travelling as dual British citizens
The same principles apply to children. If a child is a British citizen, the child cannot obtain an ETA and needs recognised British evidence to travel to the UK.
If a child travels on a non-British passport, you can expect the same boarding risk where the carrier system seeks an ETA.
What to do before you travel
These checks are now front-loaded, so the work needs to happen before you reach the airport or port.
Decide which document you will use to travel to the UK
If you hold a valid British passport, use that passport for UK travel purposes. If you do not, consider whether you need to obtain a certificate of entitlement in your other passport.
Do not assume you can travel on your non-British passport and obtain an ETA, because that is not available to dual British citizens.
Check your booking contains the correct passport details
Confirm which passport details are attached to the booking for the UK-bound journey. If it shows your non-British passport, change it to your British passport details where the carrier allows this.
If the carrier system does not permit an update online, contact the carrier or plan to attend check-in in person with the British passport. Leaving it to the gate is where problems escalate.
Carry both passports where you need them for other countries
If your non-British passport is needed for entry to your departure country or a transit destination, you can still carry it. The key is that the UK-bound carrier check should be satisfied by your British passport or certificate of entitlement evidence.
If you do not have a valid British passport, plan early
From 25 February 2026, the Home Office position is clear that dual British citizens should hold a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement to avoid boarding disruption.
If you are close to travel and cannot obtain a British passport in time, a certificate of entitlement route may be relevant depending on your circumstances, but it still requires lead time and an eligible passport for endorsement.
At the UK border
Even with an exemption, entry is never automatic. Border Force can still ask questions and apply admissibility rules. The key difference from February 2026 is that many issues will prevent travel before you ever reach the border.
Once you arrive, a British passport or certificate of entitlement is recognised evidence of the right of abode, and it provides the basis for entry as a British citizen.
