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If you are a British or Irish citizen and you also hold citizenship of another country, you'll need to ensure you travel on a UK or Irish document from 25 February 2026.
What is changing?
The UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme was initially introduced with an implementation period, but will be fully enforced from 25 February 2026.
During the implementation period, if you hold British or Irish citizenship plus an ETA-eligible citizenship, you can use the passport of your other citizenship to enter the UK. Once the implementation period ends, this will no longer be possible.
Why can't I keep using my non-British/Irish passport and get an ETA?
UK government advice states that if you are a British or Irish citizen, you are not eligible for an ETA. This means you should not apply for one, even if you hold an additional ETA-eligible nationality.
If I'm affected, what should I do now?
Before you next travel to the UK, you should obtain one of the following documents:
- A valid British passport;
- A valid Irish passport; or
- A valid passport for another country you are a citizen of, containing a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in the UK.
If you seek to travel without one of these documents, you may not be allowed to board and will need to have additional identity checks to verify your citizenship before being allowed through UK passport control.
We would recommend taking action as early as possible, and ahead of the Spring peak in passport applications ahead of summer travel.
Note that if you are a British citizen, you would need to decide whether to apply for a certificate of entitlement or a UK passport because you can't hold both at the same time.
Reminder: what is an ETA?
An ETA is digital permission to travel to the UK for short stays of up to six months. It applies where a traveller's nationality is included on the ETA national list and they do not already have any existing UK immigration or nationality status. This list includes EEA citizens, Americans and other non-visa nationalities. For further information on ETAs, see our earlier article, UK ETAs: Who needs one and when.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
