Travelling to the United Kingdom has just gotten a lot more complicated for Australians with British dual citizenship.<\/p>\n
In the past, Australians with British or with Irish citizenship could use the passport they preferred when flying into the UK.<\/p>\n
From next month, however, new changes will mean dual citizens will be \u201cexpected to\u201d<\/a> use their British passport to travel to the UK.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what you need to know, and how much the changes will cost.<\/p>\n How are British passport rules changing?<\/p>\n According to UK law, anyone with British or Irish citizenship has an automatic right to enter, live and work in the UK \u2013 meaning they don\u2019t need to pass through immigration.<\/p>\n For years, dual citizens living in the countries that don\u2019t need a visa to enter the UK \u2013 like Australia, New Zealand and Canada \u2013 could travel using their other passport (while subject to some checks at border control to prove their British or Irish status).<\/p>\n But from 25 February this year, the UK\u2019s Home Office will begin strictly enforcing new pre-departure checks that are tied to its electronic travel authorisation<\/a> (ETA) system.<\/p>\n Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/a><\/p>\n The ETA, introduced in phases since 2023, is a digital screening process for visitors from visa-exempt countries<\/p>\n But British and Irish dual citizens are not eligible for an ETA, meaning they must travel using their British or Irish passport \u2013 or have a certificate of entitlement in their other passport.<\/p>\n What do dual citizens have to do now? <\/p>\n British dual citizens have three options to enter the UK \u2013 renounce your citizenship, show a current British passport, or show a certificate of entitlement of the right of abode, which is an official document attached to a person\u2019s foreign passport.<\/p>\n It\u2019s much more expensive, however, to apply for a certificate of entitlement ($1,182 AUD) compared with a new British passport ($190 AUD for adults).<\/p>\n People with an urgent need to travel before 24 February \u2013 when the crackdown comes into effect \u2013 should be allowed to fly to the UK by applying for an emergency travel document (as long as they have a valid passport for a non-visa national country).<\/p>\n Passengers walk through the ePassport gates at UK border control at Stansted Airport. Photograph: Alex Segre\/Alamy<\/p>\n While there is no official data showing how many dual Australian-British citizens live in Australia, the changes are likely to impact tens of thousands of people.<\/p>\n According to the Department of Home Affairs, 12,674 people from the UK became citizens last year. There are 964,000 people born in England living in Australia according to the ABS, however that includes people on temporary visas.<\/p>\n How will the new ETA system impact Australian citizens?<\/p>\n Australians heading to the UK for a holiday or work trip are required to fill out some details<\/a> well before they travel in the US-style digital permit system.<\/p>\n