Forthcoming changes to the United Kingdom’s passport rules may cause disruptions for dual citizens but are essential to bolster national security, the country’s government has said.<\/p>\n
Announced in November, the new regulations prevent British and Irish dual citizens from entering the UK with a passport of the other country they hold citizenship of, unless they obtain a certificate of entitlement (COE) or have a valid UK passport.<\/p>\n
‘Ten-pound Pom’ vows to boycott UK over passport changes<\/a><\/p>\n “Ten-pound Poms” say they are part of a cohort being unfairly targeted by the UK’s new regulations for dual citizens.<\/p>\n Australian British citizens, for instance, would be required to either have a British or Irish passport (costing about $190), a COE (costing $1,100) or renouncing their UK citizenship altogether and travelling on their Australian passports with an approved electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which costs about $32.<\/p>\n The ABC has heard from hundreds of people<\/a> who say the changes have caused them confusion and frustration and put short-term travel plans in jeopardy.<\/p>\n In response to a list of detailed questions sent by the ABC, Australia’s British High Commission defended the new rules, saying they reflected many other countries’ approach to border security.<\/p>\n “These changes relate directly to the UK’s move to a more streamlined, digital immigration system which will be quicker and more secure for the millions of people who pass through the UK border each year,” it said in a statement.<\/p>\n “The introduction of ETAs \u2026 helps prevent the arrival of those who present a threat to the UK.”<\/p>\n ETAs are only a requirement for travellers from 85 visa-exempt nations<\/a>, including Australia, who do not hold British or Irish citizenship.<\/p>\n The changes also mean children who were born outside the UK and hold dual citizenship by descent, but have never had a British passport, will also now need a British\/Irish passport or COE before travelling to the country.<\/p>\n “This requirement reflects the UK’s updated border processes rather than a change in their citizenship status,” the British High Commission said.<\/p>\n COEs will start being issued digitally from February 26 and only need to be paid for as a one-off.\u00a0<\/p>\n The certificate would be registered permanently against an applicant’s UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account online.<\/p>\n Emergency allowance for people travelling at short notice<\/p>\n Many Australians with trips already booked to the UK have expressed concerns the three-month turnaround between the passport rules’ announcement and enforcement does not allow sufficient time for the issuance of new British passports, leaving them with the far costlier option of COEs.<\/p>\n What we know about UK entry requirements for dual citizens from February 25<\/a><\/p>\n Hundreds of confused UK and Irish dual citizens in Australia have written to the ABC with questions around the new changes for entry requirements into the UK. Here’s what we know.\u00a0<\/p>\n Passport processing times remain unchanged at three to six weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Applications for COEs are made online, require an appointment at a visa application centre (located in all Australian capital cities except Darwin), and take up to three weeks to be finalised.<\/p>\n For dual citizens who are outside the UK and need to travel back urgently but cannot renew or replace their passports in time, the British High Commission pointed to the existing provision of an Emergency Travel Document (ETD).<\/p>\n The eligibility rules for an ETD are:<\/p>\n People who have never held a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006 may still qualify for an ETD in exceptional circumstances, including funerals or unexpected births, government advice states.<\/a><\/p>\n Travel for holidays or weddings is not considered urgent.<\/p>\n ETDs are only valid for a single one-way or return journey and permit travel through a maximum of five countries.<\/p>\n The UK already had ETD allowances in the above circumstances and they have not been amended to mitigate the issues surrounding the changed passport regulations.<\/p>\n Children of British nationals urged to check citizenship status<\/p>\n Australian British nationals travelling to the UK from February 25 have been urged to ensure they have a valid British passport or COE to avoid being denied boarding, or assess their eligibility for ETDs.<\/p>\n Holders of only an Australian passport must apply for an ETA at least three days before departure. The digital permit must be received ahead of flying to the UK and is not granted on arrival.<\/p>\n Read more about the UK passport changes:<\/p>\n British citizenship is normally automatically passed down one generation to children born outside the UK if one of the parents is a citizen at the time of birth.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n