23/01/2026
This is a long but very important read for anyone who ever held a British Passport.
****** New Update***** 22 January 2026 . Key changes. Certificate of entitlement amendment. This is a start, now valid for life, not the life of the passport
Additional information on UK Entry Requirements and Electronic Travel
Authorisation (ETA)
Thank you for contacting the British High Commission regarding the UK’s Electronic
Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirements and their impact on British citizens, including
those who hold dual citizenship.
Further to your enquiry, please see below our further guidance to ensure your travel to the
United Kingdom is as smooth as possible. We are providing this additional advice based
on commonly asked questions we have received since our letter on 19 January, and in
response to our social media videos, which can be found by following:
UK in Australia – Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | X
What is happening?
From 25 February 2026, all dual British citizens will need to present either a valid British
passport or certificate of entitlement to avoid delays at the border. We strongly advise
dual British citizens to make sure they have a valid British passport (or certificate of
entitlement), to avoid problems like being denied boarding when travelling to the UK
from 25 February 2026.
To renew your passport, visit: Apply online for a UK passport - GOV.UK
To apply for a certificate of entitlement, visit: Prove you have right of abode in the UK:
Apply for a certificate of entitlement - GOV.UK
From 26 February 2026 UK Visas and Immigration will start issuing certificates of
entitlement in digital format. There will no longer be a need to apply and pay again for a
certificate of entitlement once the passport that contains it expires, you will simply need
to notify UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) of the new passport details through a UKVI
account. Those who might be thinking of applying for a certificate of entitlement rather
than renewing their passport can be reassured that it is due to move to a “pay once”
model, with subsequent passport updates done by the customer online.
Further guidance on how to apply for a certificate of entitlement proving you have the right
to live and work in the UK is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/formroa-
guidance
To understand whether you are British: British citizenship and nationality - Contact UK
Visas and Immigration for help - GOV.UK
If you are an Australian citizen without dual British citizenship, you can apply for an ETA
here: Apply for an ETA - GOV.UK
For information on travelling to the UK as a dual citizen: Dual citizenship - GOV.UK
For further questions, please contact UK Visas and Immigration: Contact UK Visas
and Immigration for help - GOV.UK
Frequently asked questions
I am arriving in the UK before 25 February. I am affected by this change?
The UK will not be enforcing Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirements at the UK
border until 25 February 2026. After that date, UK Border Force and airlines will be
operating in line with the advice above. Visitors from 85 nationalities, including Australia,
the United States, Canada, and France, will not be able to legally travel to the UK without
an ETA from 25 February 2026. So Australian citizens will require an ETA to travel to the
UK from that date, and dual British-Australian citizens should have a valid British
passport or certificate of entitlement.
Children of British citizens and questions of descent
I am British. My children were born in Australia. Do they need a British passport to
travel to the UK?
British citizenship is normally automatically passed down one generation to children
born outside the UK. You should establish whether your children are British (Check if
you’re British – GOV.UK) and if they are, you should apply for a passport or certificate of
entitlement (or their parent should on their behalf). The overriding message is that as a
dual national, you must travel to the UK using either a valid UK passport (or Irish
passport), or any other valid passport (e.g. Australian) with a certificate of
entitlement. If in doubt as to your citizenship or your family’s circumstances, use Check
if you’re British – GOV.UK. You can also Contact UK Visas and Immigration for help -
GOV.UK.
You cannot renounce British citizenship until you are 18 years old in most circumstances.
Give up (renounce) British citizenship or nationality: Overview - GOV.UK
If you’re a British citizen, you can live and work in the UK free of any immigration controls.
So my children are automatically British?
Automatic citizenship operates by law, provided you meet the requisite conditions at the
time of your birth. You can read more and check your family’s individual circumstances
using the links provided here: British citizenship and nationality - Contact UK Visas and
Immigration for help - GOV.UK
We cannot advise that you travel on an ETA if you are British. You should travel with a valid
UK passport (or Irish passport) or Certificate of Entitlement.
What about Australian citizens who may be British but have had no formal
interaction with the UK Government to “claim” it?
If you are a British citizen automatically, then there is no interaction needed to “claim” it.
You are British by operation of law. This is set out here: Check if you’re British – GOV.UK
Automatic citizenship operates by law, provided you meet the requisite conditions at the
time of your birth. Contact with the UK Government, or not, doesn’t affect it and a
passport confirms your citizenship, it doesn’t grant it: the law does.
There is a formal process to renounce any form of British nationality held. It currently
costs £482. Guidance is here: Give up (renounce) British citizenship or nationality:
Overview - GOV.UK
So I am or my child is a dual citizen automatically?
You do not need to apply for dual citizenship. As above, if you meet the conditions at the
time of your birth, you are automatically a British citizen.
The Australian Citizenship Act (2007) is different in that, although it operates by descent
in similar circumstances, it requires an application to become a citizen.
I’ve applied for and been granted an ETA in the past that doesn’t expire until after the
25 February, but I am (or think I am) British. Can I use this?
We cannot advise that you travel on your existing ETA if you are a British citizen, even if
the ETA has not yet expired. You should travel with a valid UK passport (or Irish passport)
or Certificate of Entitlement.
Can I get a refund?
There is no provision for refunds of ETAs once submitted.
Provision for Urgent Travel (Emergency Travel Documents – ETDs)
If you are outside the UK and need to travel urgently, you may be eligible for an Emergency
Travel Document (ETD). An ETD allows British nationals abroad to travel if they cannot
use their UK passport and must travel within 6 weeks. This includes situations where the
passport is lost, stolen, damaged, recently expired, or otherwise unavailable.
For more information visit: Travel urgently from abroad without your UK passport: Who
can apply - GOV.UK
Eligibility generally requires that:
• You are a British national outside the UK
• You must travel within 6 weeks
• You cannot renew or replace your UK passport in time
• You have previously held a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006
People who have never held a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006 may qualify
for an ETD only in exceptional circumstances (e.g., funeral of a close relative).
For full details see:
Travel urgently from abroad without your UK passport: Who can apply - GOV.UK
For further questions, please contact UK Visas and Immigration: Contact UK Visas
and Immigration for help - GOV.UK
Yours sincerely,
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION CANBERRA
