The UK has backtracked on requirements set by its new Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme, by telling British dual nationals they can use their expired British passports to avoid chaos during next week’s rule change.
The scheme has been described as simpler and better for security, despite coming at a small cost of £10 for UAE and Gulf visitors who previously enjoyed visa-free access to the UK.
For those able to present a current British passport there is no change.
However, the change has caused a scramble for dual nationals who had allowed their British passport to lapse, or had never obtained one. This particularly affects people who have British citizenship through birth, but have not obtained a British passport. They would now show up on computer checks as British and are therefore excluded from the ETA scheme.
Although the ETA scheme was introduced last year, it has not yet been routinely enforced.
However, as of February 25, all British nationals entering the UK will need to present a British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement, which costs £580, to the airline before boarding. An online passport application costs £94.50.
Previously, dual nationals could have entered the UK using their alternative passport either if no visa was required, or by presenting evidence of citizenship such as a birth certificate, expired passport or a naturalisation document.
One social media user seeking advice complained that some of the documents required to apply for a passport were no longer available because her parents emigrated to Australia in the 1960s when she was an infant.
“I entered Australia in 1968 as a 10-month-old infant. They [the Home Office] are asking me to provide the passport or travel document that I used to enter Australia with. My parents are both deceased. Does anyone know what I need to send them?” she wrote on a Facebook group for people renewing their UK passports.
On Thursday, following a backlash, the Home Office said it would allow airlines to accept expired British passports “at their own discretion”, in addition to a valid foreign passport.
Julia Cross, a campaigner who runs the expats group British in Greece, described the change as a “small victory”. “The phrase 'carriers could accept expired passports at their discretion' hardly fills anyone with confidence. But nevertheless, congratulations to everyone who campaigned on this issue,” she wrote in the group.
“Sounds like the airlines finally got fed up of doing the government's dirty work for them,” she said.
This followed suggestions from airline Ryanair that it would take steps to allow people to travel with expired passports on Wednesday, before the Home Office changed its policy.
In a statement, the airline said: “If a dual national claims to be British but cannot present a British passport, Ryanair will need to contact the UK government’s carrier support hub to verify their identity and confirm eligibility to travel – they will decide.”
Online forums have been awash with people seeking advice on how to renew their passports in time for a trip. There were also concerns for foreign-born British children who had yet to apply for their passports.
“The current furore has arisen because – unlike an ETA, costing £16 – a CofE [Certificate of Entitlement] is quite an expensive proposition, currently costing £589,” said Gary McIndoe, an immigration lawyer and founder of Latitude Law.
“The application process is also rather more involved than the few clicks needed to obtain an ETA, with supporting evidence of birth, registration, naturalisation or descent needing to be uploaded to a government portal,” he said.
“It add layers of stress to the application,” Mr McIndoe told The National.
The Home Office said of the rule change: “We recognise that this is a significant change for carriers and travellers, but we have been clear on requirements for dual British citizens to travel with a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement, in line with those for all British citizens.
“At their own discretion, carriers can accept an expired British passport as alternative documentation. Separately, individuals who have previously had a British passport can apply for an emergency travel document if they urgently need to enter the UK.”
Although an application for a UK passport may seem straightforward, for many it entails lengthy and costly bureaucratic procedures, such as obtaining birth and marriage certificates going back generations.
Another British couple living in Australia, where their daughter was born, were scrambling to apply for a passport for her before travelling in March.
They initially sent their UK passports, their birth and marriage certificates as well as their daughter’s birth certificate. They were then told they needed the wife’s parents' birth certificates and marriage certificates, as well as a signed letter.
“We’re heading back in March so time isn’t on our side,” they wrote, seeking advice on a Facebook group about UK passport renewals.
People who have ordered new copies of their birth and marriage certificates from Australia have complained they have been waiting more than five weeks. These cost £12.50 each, but those needing theirs expedited to receive the next working day pay £38.50, in additional to secure postage costs.
Some have suggested renouncing their British citizenship if they are also from countries that allow visa-free travel to the UK. Mr McIndoe described that measure as “drastic” and said it would have implications for anyone who returns to live in the UK in the future, and for their children.
British women with dual Spanish or Greek nationality who obtained citizenship after Brexit are among those affected, because of British rules requiring names to exactly match on the UK and second passports.
In Greece, women must keep their maiden name on official documentation which could be different if they use their husband’s name on a British passport, as is customary in the UK. In Spain, women carry their mother’s maiden name and father’s surnames on their official ID.
