Australian media estimate that up to 250,000 Australians who hold British or Irish citizenship by descent risk being turned away from UK flights after 25 February 2026. Under the new ETA regime, British and Irish citizens are exempt—but only if they can prove that citizenship by presenting a valid UK or Irish passport (or a Certificate of Entitlement). Travelling instead on an Australian passport will require a visa or ETA, which the system will refuse because UK citizens are ineligible.
The story has triggered a surge of frantic calls to travel agents and the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA). Some travellers discovered only at airport check-in that they are legally British, forcing costly trip cancellations or emergency applications for UK passports that can take weeks and cost more than AUD 1,000 once courier fees are included.
Amid the confusion, VisaHQ can streamline the process: its dedicated UK page (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) lets travellers verify whether they need an ETA, a visa, or should instead secure a UK passport or Certificate of Entitlement, and the company’s support team can coordinate application paperwork, courier logistics and tracking to minimise last-minute disruptions.
Elderly passengers have been hit hardest: one Melbourne couple, both in their seventies, learned they held right of abode through a late parent and had to abandon a long-planned family reunion in London. Consumer advocates have called for a grace period or a lower-cost temporary certificate, but the Home Office says the rules were published well in advance and carriers have no discretion.
For corporate mobility programmes in Australia, the case study is a warning to screen for latent British nationality when booking staff on UK trips—particularly those with UK-born parents or grandparents—to avoid travel-day surprises and reputational damage.
The episode illustrates the broader global-mobility challenge: as borders digitise, citizenship data buried in family histories suddenly matters, and employers must adapt their due-diligence processes accordingly.
