A major rule for Australians travelling to the United Kingdom will come into effect this week.
From February 25, Australian-British and Australian-Irish dual nationals must enter the UK on a valid British or Irish passport.
If travelling on another passport, travellers will need a Certificate of Entitlement – a document placed in your passport that proves the holder has the right to stay in the UK – which costs around $1,130 to apply for.
Dual nationals will not be eligible to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or a visa, and may be stopped from boarding flights without the correct documentation.
The strict new entry rule also applies to dual nationals who live permanently in Australia and usually travel on an Australian passport.
It could also impact Aussies who are unaware they’re also British citizens through descent – British citizenship by descent is automatic if you meet the conditions.
Dual citizens must now fork out around $190 for an adult British passport, apply for the COE, or renounce their British citizenship for $968 in order to travel.
Many have slammed the move as ‘confusing’ and say it leaves travellers ‘completely in the lurch.’
Australian-British and Australian-Irish dual nationals must now enter the UK on a valid British or Irish passport, and return on their Australian passport
The UK’s Liberal Democrat party’s shadow immigration and asylum minister, Will Forster, said the changes to the passport rules involved a ‘lack of planning and haphazard communication’.
‘Many who don’t currently hold a British passport find themselves stranded abroad, having to stump up potentially huge sums of money and face long waits just to get back home,’ he said.
‘Whilst they sort out the chaos, the government should allow a grace period, as many dual nationals are in heart-breaking circumstances, unable to visit ill family members or attend weddings and funerals.
‘They must also urgently provide a low-cost, affordable alternative to the current system.’
For Aussies travelling to the UK, you can check what documentation you will need on the UK Government website.
Eligible visitors who take connecting flights (transiting) and go through UK passport control need an ETA.
Those transiting through Heathrow and Manchester airports who do not go through UK passport control do not currently need an ETA.
An ETA currently costs around $30 and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years.
