From 25 February 2026, British citizens travelling to the UK are expected to prove their status with a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode held in a non-UK passport. The change accompanies the full rollout of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme and chiefly affects dual nationals who have previously travelled on a non-UK passport.
The new requirement
Under the right of abode rules, a passenger claiming the right to enter the UK is expected to produce a British citizen passport, a British subject passport endorsed with the right of abode, or a certificate of entitlement. Carriers — airlines, ferry operators, and rail services including Eurostar — check status before boarding, because British citizens are exempt from the ETA and cannot obtain one.
A dual national travelling only on a foreign passport no longer has a straightforward way to demonstrate British citizenship to a carrier. The documentation rule is intended to close that gap and allow carrier liability systems to distinguish British citizens from foreign nationals who require an ETA.
The certificate of entitlement
For travellers without a current British passport, the alternative is a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. GOV.UK states that a certificate application costs £589 — considerably more than a standard adult passport application — and can take several weeks to process. From 26 February 2026 the Home Office issues certificates of entitlement in digital form rather than as a sticker placed in a passport. A digital certificate lasts indefinitely and does not need to be reapplied for each time a passport expires.
Unlike a passport, a certificate of entitlement serves only to evidence the right of abode for UK entry; it is not a travel document for other destinations.
Temporary carrier discretion
The Home Office issued temporary guidance to carriers in late February 2026 setting out a short-term transitional measure. Under that guidance, a carrier may allow a passenger to board on production of an expired British passport issued in 1989 or later together with a valid passport from a non-visa national country, where the biographic details match.
The Home Office describes the measure as transitional and at the discretion of individual carriers; it does not replace the requirement to hold a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. Carriers may also contact the Home Office carrier support hub, which can confirm British citizenship for travellers who hold a digital record on the immigration system. The guidance does not state how long the discretion will remain in place, and travellers are subject to the decision of each carrier.
Who is affected
Commentators and the House of Commons Library have identified several groups most affected by the change:
- British citizens living abroad who have allowed a UK passport to lapse and have relied on another nationality for international travel.
- Travellers whose names differ between a UK passport and a foreign passport — for example after marriage, divorce, or where local law requires a change of surname — creating a mismatch with UK records. Campaigners have noted this disproportionately affects women.
- Children born abroad who hold only the passport of their country of birth despite an entitlement to British citizenship that has not yet been registered.
- Travellers needing to move at short notice for family emergencies or business, for whom standard passport processing times may be too slow.
Criticism and concerns
The change has drawn criticism from expatriate groups, who point to the impact on citizens who have not maintained UK passports, and from campaigners who highlight the disproportionate effect on travellers with name discrepancies. Travel-sector representatives have warned that uncertainty at check-in could lead to delays or denied boarding for citizens who are entitled to enter the UK.
Wider context
The measure forms part of the UK’s post-Brexit border approach, which emphasises digital status verification, carrier liability for checking permission before boarding, and pre-travel clearance rather than checks on arrival. The ETA scheme reaches full enforcement for non-visa nationals on 25 February 2026, and the documentation rule for dual British nationals sits alongside it.