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By Goli Innocent
British children born overseas could be denied entry into the United Kingdom from February 25 under new passport rules introduced by the government.
Under the changes announced by the Home Office, dual British citizens including children and babies must travel with a valid British passport or obtain a “certificate of entitlement” costing £589. Without either document, they could be refused boarding or stopped at the UK border.
Anyone born abroad to a British parent automatically qualifies for dual citizenship and cannot renounce it until the age of 18. As a result, affected children cannot rely on the new electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme, which allows other foreign nationals to visit the UK for up to six months for £16.
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The Home Office said the rule applies even when a child is travelling with a parent who holds a British passport. While Border Force officers may exercise discretion, officials warned that dual nationals without proper documentation risk being denied entry.
A government source said the move is part of efforts to modernise Britain’s digital border system and help authorities distinguish dual British citizens from visa overstayers. The department added that the certificate of entitlement will now be valid permanently, meaning applicants only need to apply once.
A Home Office spokesperson said the certificate should be a last resort, stressing that the government prefers British citizens to apply for passports. “Public information advising dual nationals to carry the correct documentation has been available since October 2024 and a substantive communications campaign about the introduction of ETA has been running since 2023,” the spokesperson said, noting that the requirement mirrors policies in countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia.
