There are calls for the British government to delay tough new border rules set to take effect in days.
From Wednesday, dual citizens of the UK and Ireland will have to follow new passport regulations when entering the UK.
Travellers with dual citizenship will need to present a British or Irish passport, or a certificate of entitlement at border control checkpoints and airlines will enforce the new rules prior to departure.
Dual citizens must use their British passport to enter the UK. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
The Australian government’s Smartraveller advice is that these requirements will be strictly enforced, and Australians with dual citizenship may not be able to board flights to the UK unless they carry the right travel documents.
The rules also apply from non-Australian departure points, including by international rail, coach or ferry, with carriers required to check that passengers hold valid UK entry permission before boarding under the new UK Home Office “no permission, no travel” system.
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The rules were formally announced by the UK Home Office last year but many say they only became aware of the change via news reports in recent weeks.
For many, the changes prompted a frantic search for documents needed to begin passport applications throwing long-planned trips into doubt, with critics slamming the government for poor communication.
Adding to frustrations, British passports and Certificates of Entitlement (COE) can take between three and six weeks to process.
Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) CEO Dean Long said the changes were “unethical” and he’d written to the UK Home Office urging them to extend the February 25 deadline.
“It is causing chaos … it’s an ill-thought-through strategy that has unfortunately created massive disruption for thousands of people,”
Mr Long said.
The British government said the new regulations were in line with other countries’ border policies and would strengthen national security.
Australian Travel Industry Association CEO Dean Long says the changes have already caused chaos. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
A holiday turned nightmare
For Laura Burke, from the New South Wales Central Coast, the rules have turned what should have been a joyful family trip into a logistical nightmare.
Laura, an Australian citizen born in England, booked non-refundable flights for a March trip to the UK with her husband and their two young children, including three-month-old Masie, for her step-father’s 70th birthday.
What she thought would be routine — applying for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) using their Australian passports — quickly turned into a last-minute scramble.
Dual citizen Laura Burke is still waiting on her daughter Masie’s British passport. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
“I was scrolling Facebook and saw a post about the new rules,” Ms Burke said.
“At first, I thought we could just get ETAs. But then I realised Masie and our older daughter are considered British citizens by descent, even if they’ve never held British passports, so they have to have UK passports too.”
She said efforts to reach the UK Passport Office and the British High Commission brought mixed responses and a lot of stress.
“I’d call one department and get told to call another,” she said. “No-one would give a straight answer.”
The family rushed to apply for overseas documents including the birth certificate of Laura’s father and her parents’ marriage certificate. They’re still waiting on British passports for their children.
“We still don’t know if we’ll get them in time,” she said.
“It’s incredibly stressful … you don’t want to cry, but it just means a lot, seeing family, meeting babies for the first time.”
Ms Burke says she found out about the new rules through social media. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
Race against time
Stephen Davis said his experience was similar.
Having left the UK decades ago, the Sydney Blue Mountains resident assumed he could enter the country on his Australian passport as he always had.
It was only after reading an ABC article outlining the new rules that he realised his fast-approaching trip to celebrate his friend’s 70th birthday was in doubt.
Stephen Davis faces an anxious wait for his British passport. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
“The travel agents I spoke to didn’t know, my British friends and family didn’t know. It makes you wonder how many others will get caught out,” he said.
He initially tried to get an Emergency Travel Document but his British passport, which expired in 2008, was considered too old, meaning he had no choice but to apply for a full passport renewal.
“It’s been incredibly stressful,”
he said.
Mr Davis thought he would enter the country on his Australian passport, as he previously had. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
“I’m relatively tech-savvy and persistent but I can’t imagine how challenging it would be for someone who isn’t,” he said.
“The lack of communication has been the frustrating part, it’s been incredibly difficult to get the information I needed, I’ve spoken to so many different people, webchats, it’s just been a nightmare.”
Industry warns of chaos
The ATIA has written to Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong about their concerns.
“We’re seeing significant disruption, cancellations and financial loss because people did everything right when they booked but have been blindsided by this change,” Mr Long said.
Mr Long says the association has written to Foreign Minister Penny Wong about their concerns. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
“Many people don’t even realise they are considered UK citizens until they’re confronted with these requirements.
“They need time to decide whether to renew their passports, apply for certificates, or renounce citizenship altogether.”
Anyone without a British passport or certificate of entitlement will be refused entry on flights to the UK. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
Confusion and calls to delay
Across social media and travel forums, frustration is mounting.
Hundreds of Australians contacted the ABC saying they feel misled, unaware of their dual citizenship status, or confused by contradictory online information about travel eligibility.
Some are even considering renouncing their UK citizenship to avoid the passport process, though doing so is neither straightforward nor inexpensive — the renunciation process can take months, involves significant fees, and may not be approved by the UK government.
The parents of dual citizens also cannot renounce their children’s British citizenship on their behalf — applicants must be over 18.
The British government said the changes were necessary as part of modernising border controls.
In a statement to ABC, the British High Commission said the updated rules reflect the UK’s move to a more digitised immigration system and are designed to improve security and efficiency.
Dual citizens will be required to carry both their Australian passport for exiting and entering Australia, and their British passport, for entering the UK. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
What travellers should know
Australians planning travel to the UK from February 25, 2026 should be aware:
- Dual British/Irish citizens must enter the UK on a valid British or Irish passport or have a Certificate of Entitlement.
- Dual citizens will be required to carry both their Australian passport for exiting and entering Australia, and their British passport, for entering the UK.
- Dual citizens cannot use an ETA or visa to enter the UK.
- Airlines and carriers will enforce the requirements at check-in, not just at border control.
- Processing times for passports and certificates can take weeks, so travellers should act now.
More information is available at the Australian Government’s Smartraveller site.
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