Entering the UK- or going to happen now

Allira

^In fact I can honestly say that I don't know anyone with dual nationality who hasn't got both passports.^
Unless their citizenship application and subsequent granting of such is current.

I haven't bothered to renew my British passport. If I travel I use mt Irish one. Not sure if that would be a problem so I suppose I should find out if I ever plan to go anywhere. I suppose I could always fly back via Ireland.

I was one of those. Live in Germany and at the time of the Brexit vote only had British nationality. there were over a million of us in Europe who did not have a vote. MYOB????????? It was very much our business!!!!!!!!

My mother came to the UK in 1947 eventually gaining British citizenship.
She had no say in German politics or administration nor did she expect to.
OP got the facts right but her interpretation was that of someone who wanted to have her cake AND eat it.
British passport holders? ? No problem (except perhaps for going home to Australia)
Australian passport - “visa” or ETA or whatever it is called for all other foreign nationals.
Easy way to- to hold both current passports.

BlueBelle

Exactly RosiesMawagain what’s all the fuss?
Nana8 has obviously not read up about things at all and is letting her rage run away with her on little information
If you can’t afford £16 Nana8 then I don’t think you ll be wanting to pay the airline prices to get here.

A case of stamp feet anger over nothing

You and Rosie are misinformed. I checked. She is not allowed to get an ETA.

Here it is from the horses mouth, the |UK government.

<https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta-guide-for-dual-citizens>

You really need to read this .

I am a Brit (living in uk), and I had NO IDEA this was being done by UK to British/Australian dual nationals. No bloody wonder nana is up in arms.

<https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta-guide-for-dual-citizens>

Nanna8 has stated she does not want to hold dual nationality involving 2 passports

butterandjam

BlueBelle

Exactly RosiesMawagain what’s all the fuss?
Nana8 has obviously not read up about things at all and is letting her rage run away with her on little information
If you can’t afford £16 Nana8 then I don’t think you ll be wanting to pay the airline prices to get here.

A case of stamp feet anger over nothing

You and Rosie are misinformed. I checked. She is not allowed to get an ETA.

Here it is from the horses mouth, the |UK government.

<https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta-guide-for-dual-citizens>

You really need to read this .

I am a Brit (living in uk), and I had NO IDEA this was being done by UK to British/Australian dual nationals. No bloody wonder nana is up in arms.

I misunderstood too, that is why I asked for one of my posts to be deleted.

In fact, are UK citizens with dual nationality being discriminated against, as they have to buy a UK passport at great expense and often inconvenience instead of being allowed to apply for an ETA like other Australian citizens?

It all seems very odd and in fact discriminatory.

I agree butterandjam

According to AI
Yes, if you have dual citizenship, you generally need two passports (or a passport and another valid ID) because you must use the passport of the country you are entering or leaving to prove your right to be there, which means showing your home country's passport for entry/exit and your other country's passport for travel to that country. You use the passport that demonstrates your right to enter that specific country, often requiring you to carry both and use them strategically for flights and border crossings to avoid issues like denied boarding or delays
I am trying to find out how much a UK passport would cost and I don’t know the Australian $ exchange rate, but $800 sounds a lot to me.
I have just found this
Adult British passport applications by Australian residents cost from 120 pounds, plus a 19-pound courier fee, amounting to about $280.

Are these facts accurate?

The worst thing is for my grandchildren. They are being forced to get British passports which they have never had and do not want. Ridiculous.

nanna8

The worst thing is for my grandchildren. They are being forced to get British passports which they have never had and do not want. Ridiculous.

Part of message from DD:

"This is causing a great amount of upset as many don't keep passports up-to-date or travel on their Australian passports."

British citizens who apply for Australian citizenship are being penalised because they have to keep their British passport up-to-date at around £100 each time or for proof of British citizenship at around £500+.

🤔

Allira

^Because if you come with British citizenship you can stay and work and are entitled to all the benefits of being a British Citizen.^

Well, that's a new one on me.

If any of my British family come to stay and need a GP they are entitled to emergency health care because the UK has a reciprocal arrangement with Australia. That is what we have been told. It is not because they are British citizens, they have to register as visitors.
They would not be entitled to benefits nor a pension unless they had paid the required NI for a SP.

I did Google it and got that answer about dual citizenship entitlement from 3 or 4 different legal sites. Athilaw was one, afraid I can’t remember the others.

But obviously you have direct knowledge so I bow to that.

No wonder it’s confusing 🙁

My son who is a dual Canadian/British citizen hasn't been back to Britain in 20 years. His British passport has long since expired. If he needed to come back in an emergency, say to see a dying parent, why should he have to pay an extortionate amount that he wouldn't be liable for as any other Canadian citizen, or keep renewing a British passport that he ordinarily never used? The lack of any empathy on this thread is so sad.

No wonder it’s confusing 🙁

I'm confused as well Lazarus.

DD has a friend who does not keep her British passport up-to-date because she doesn't come back to the UK, her parents visit her as they have more free time. Presumably she will now need to as she can't use her Australian passport to come here in an emergency.

Allira

British citizens who apply for Australian citizenship are being penalised because they have to keep their British passport up-to-date at around £100 each time or for proof of British citizenship at around £500+.

🤔

But a passport is valid for 10 years- is £10 an “extortionate” amount?

X post Rosie51

Yes, it is sad and worrying. Applying for renewal of a British passport in Australia is not a speedy process either.

More background to this:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-and-borders-bill-electronic-travel-authorisation-factsheet/nationality-and-borders-bill-electronic-travel-authorisation-factsheet

Quote:

Through the Nationality and Borders Bill, to fill the current gap in advance permissions, we will introduce an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme …

That bill was introduced by Priti Patel under the Johnson government to bring the UK in line with other countries and enacted in 2022 under Sunak.

I make the point because OP seems to want to blame Keir Starmer when this was already law before the change of government and was a necessary change anyway to bring the UK in line with other countries.

I ccanot stress this enough. The ETA has never been a document which gives permission to enter the UK. It is a document which allows someone who has passed the necessary criteria to get an ETA to travel. That is all it is. An electronic travel authorisation. Someone could arrive on an Australian passport plus ETA and be refused entry.

The roll out was always going to be phased: Gulf countries were first between Nov 2023 and Feb 2024 with the rest of the world and Europe in two phases from late 2024.

This from Time Out dated 7 January 2025 so over year ago.

Planning a UK trip? Australians will now need to apply for an ETA before travelling

Starting January 8 2025, all non-European travellers will need to apply for the new ETA. This applies to all Australians, including babies and children, with exceptions only for dual British or Irish citizens.

Those with dual citizenship have continued to be allowed to travel without an ETA but will now have to show a British passport before they can travel to prove they have right of abode.

The UK Home Office officially announced on 24 November 2025 that the "soft launch" period for the ETA scheme would end, with full, strict enforcement beginning on 25 February 2026

British and Irish dual citizens with other nationalities will no longer be able to use the "loophole" of using their other passport _without an ETA_; they will need a valid British or Irish passport.

Part of the change is to place an obligation on the carrier to check that those travelling have passed background checks which would indicate that the traveller might be admitted to the UK. I say might as an ETA does not guarantee entry. The difference is that someone with a British passport has an automatic right to enter the UK without having to pass any background checks before travelling. I would say that’s an advantage not a disadvantage.

A passport is valid for ten years. An ETA is only valid for two years.

A standard British adult passport for a dual citizen costs £94.50 if applying online from within the UK (£107 by paper). For applications from overseas, the cost is £120.50 plus a courier fee making a total of £143.51

Renewing a British passport in Australia is primarily done online through the GOV.UK website, costing £107 plus courier fees. The process requires a digital photo, your current passport, and a credit/debit card. Supporting documents must be sent via courier to the UK, with processing times taking several weeks.

X post.

Allira we're in the same position as your DD's friend's parents. We visit them once a year, they can't afford the time or money to bring the whole family over here. Why would our son keep an up to date British passport which he won't need until there's an emergency? As his old one has expired I don't know if he even still has it.

nanna8

The worst thing is for my grandchildren. They are being forced to get British passports which they have never had and do not want. Ridiculous.

Were they born in the UK nanna8? My grandchildren were born in Spain, English father, Spanish mother. They have never applied for British citizenship and travel on their Spanish passports. The rules seem to be very complex and depend on when they were born, but it might be worth checking.

Doodledog

How is it legal for people who don't live here to vote here? If they've lived abroad for years they can only have a partial understanding of the way the country currently works, and as has been said, don't have to live with the consequences of their vote anyway.

I'm not sure I even agree with the idea of dual citizenship. Maybe temporary emigrants/immigrants should keep the citizenship of their home country (as most do), and if/when they become long-term residents they should choose where their loyalties lie. I could be persuaded otherwise, though - it's not something I've thought about much, and it may be more complex than that.

Actually Doodledog we do very much have to live with the consequences of the vote. All our income comes from the UK and my occupational pension has always been taxed at source there. The decline in the exchange rate since Brexit is significant. We have the spreadsheets.
Not wishing to derail the thread, just pointing out that it isn't as simple as leaving the UK and knowing nothing about it.

Nanna, you are an Australian and not a British Citizen. Why would you not apply for a ETA to visit. They are just a few pounds. As a British Citizen I would have to do the same to visit your country.

I don't agree with dual passports decide where your loyalty lies.

Allsorts

Nanna, you are an Australian and not a British Citizen. Why would you not apply for a ETA to visit. They are just a few pounds. As a British Citizen I would have to do the same to visit your country.

Nanna8 is a British citizen and the new rules apply. This has been made very clear on the thread.

Allsorts

Nanna, you are an Australian and not a British Citizen. Why would you not apply for a ETA to visit. They are just a few pounds. As a British Citizen I would have to do the same to visit your country.

I’m not eligible for that. You have to get a passport. I seriously think some people on here have literacy issues. No, my grandchildren were not born in the UK but they still have to pay for and use a British passports if they want to visit. Stupid rule. Look, I have said how it is, I am not telling lies and I object to the people who are saying I am just making things up. End of.