British Dual Citizens: Passports, UK Entry and ETA

The legal right to enter and the documents needed to board a flight are related but different questions. A simple "yes, use any foreign passport" answer leaves out the important preparation.

The normal document options

GOV.UK identifies a valid British passport, a valid Irish passport, or another valid passport with a certificate of entitlement proving right of abode. Check the official ETA exemption and dual-citizen guidance. Do not describe an ETA as an alternative for a British citizen.

Some circumstances need a separate check

The current GOV.UK dual-citizenship page describes limited arrangements involving an expired British passport alongside another eligible passport, and particular circumstances after naturalisation under the EU Settlement Scheme. These are not blanket permissions for every dual national. Check the stated conditions and any carrier discretion rather than assuming a foreign passport alone is sufficient.

Certificates of entitlement

A certificate is evidence of right of abode, not a visitor visa. Check the current application, document and passport-linkage rules. Do not rely on an old article's fee, processing estimate or assumption that all certificates are physical stickers. Consult official right-of-abode guidance before applying.

Children and different British nationalities

A child may have British citizenship even without having applied for a British passport. Check nationality where it is uncertain. Also distinguish British citizenship from other forms of British nationality; do not infer identical entry rights from the word "British" on a document.

Before you travel

• Confirm your citizenship and the passport you will use.
• Read the current official proof-of-status requirements.
• Resolve any passport, certificate or immigration-record mismatch before departure.
• Contact the carrier about an exceptional arrangement rather than assuming boarding is assured.

Read our ETA eligibility guide for the separate visitor framework and ETA versus visa guide for context. This is general information, not a guarantee of boarding or an individual nationality assessment.