Australian Dual Citizens Entering UK after February

[Princess Fiona]

UK government quietly updates passport rules for dual citizens — again

Travellers with both an expired UK passport, issued in 1989 or later, as well as a valid passport from a country that can issue an Electronic Travel Authorisation, may now be allowed to enter the UK.

www.abc.net.au

For those who have an expired British Passport, however it still remains at the discretion of the airline.

If I had an expired British Passport I would no way be volunteering that at check in. I would hand over my valid Australian passport with the ETA in it and say nothing.
IME check-in staff always stuff it up even with valid multiple passports.
I work on the KISS principle and only show them the one I want to enter the country on,

 

[MEL_Traveller]

UK government quietly updates passport rules for dual citizens — again

Travellers with both an expired UK passport, issued in 1989 or later, as well as a valid passport from a country that can issue an Electronic Travel Authorisation, may now be allowed to enter the UK.

www.abc.net.au

For those who have an expired British Passport, however it still remains at the discretion of the airline.

The official source for this (Home Office website) has been posted above.

But there’s nothing on the Qantas website stating their policy on this.

TIMATIC still mentions expired British passport (post 1989), but will be interesting to see if this updates tonight. It should be current given departing pax today for arrival tomorrow.

 

[LondonAussie]

If I had an expired British Passport I would no way be volunteering that at check in. I would hand over my valid Australian passport with the ETA in it and say nothing.
IME check-in staff always stuff it up even with valid multiple passports.
I work on the KISS principle and only show them the one I want to enter the country on,

If you currently have an ETA that’s probably ok, but you can no longer truthfully obtain one if you don’t.

 

[Bugs]

I wonder if airline staff have been ‘trained’ in readiness for the 25th? Technically it’s for departures on 24th Feb as they arrive into UK on 25th Feb, for example QF9 PER-LHR.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I wonder if airline staff have been ‘trained’ in readiness for the 25th? Technically it’s for departures on 24th Feb as they arrive into UK on 25th Feb, for example QF9 PER-LHR.

Well… the qantas ‘visa and travel information’ page has a link to the IATA visa and document check. https://www.qantas.com/au/en/travel-info/travel-advice/travel-documents.html

It says this:

Dual Nationals Information​

Dual nationals from eTA countries claiming British citizenship must have:​

- A valid British passport; or​

- A valid Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode placed in a valid third‑country passport; or​

- An expired British passport (issued in 1989 or later) together with a valid eTA‑national third‑country passport, provided the biographical details match in both passports.​

So… given the IATA page is a direct link provided by Qantas, you’d be reasonable to assume Qantas will apply the discretion to allow dual citizens to travel to the UK with an expired UK passport.

I would be screenshotting that link and page if applicable to your circumstances, and checking back on the 25th.

The IATA page mirrors TIMATIC, which will be used by agents at chicken.

As for the other questions… whether existing ETAs get cancelled come midnight, or whether agents are going to probe whether kids are actually citizens…. still unknown.

 

[kelvedon]

The IATA page mirrors TIMATIC, which will be used by agents at chicken.

Only if accompanied by Mother Hen ?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Only if accompanied by Mother Hen ?

exactly!

 

[PineappleSkip]

TIMATIC, which will be used by agents at chicken

Those counters exist - It was quite confusing but I've previously been directed to the chicken counter in NZ

 

[Bugs]

Those counters exist - It was quite confusing but I've previously been directed to the chicken counter in NZ

Have any chickens crossed the Uk border yet?

 

[Flashback]

Have any chickens crossed the Uk border yet?

Well, it's only the 24th here.

 

[Bugs]

Wondering if any pax were denied boarding as flight arrives 25th

 

[lovestotravel]

Child 1 - Passport approved overnight and printed and will be posted today, so should arrive by Wednesday next week

Child 2- No update yet, but the last documents they wanted arrived 2 days after Child 1 - Hoping we get an SMS/Email tonight to say approved

14 days to go until we leave

 

[lovestotravel]

This was for Child 1

The delay between Documents received and Application approved was the request for more documents (handwritten letter to confirm maternal grandparents details) that was requested on 13 Feb 2026

 

[Rebus]

This was for Child 1

The delay between Documents received and Application approved was the request for more documents (handwritten letter to confirm maternal grandparents details) that was requested on 13 Feb 2026

View attachment 498826

Did you nominate someone in the UK or Australia to confirm their identity?

 

[Scarlett]

If anyone thinks a check in agent is going to spend more than 1ms on the UK border entry rules, they’re smoking something funny!

Receives passport.
Confirms ETA.
Prints boarding pass(es).

Maybe, just maybe, the supervisor might know something about the change.

Border rules are changing in multiple countries, every year. All the check in staff care about is what timatic says: the single point of truth on entry requirements. In this case, Aus passport + ETA.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If anyone thinks a check in agent is going to spend more than 1ms on the UK border entry rules, they’re smoking something funny!

Receives passport.
Confirms ETA.
Prints boarding pass(es).

Maybe, just maybe, the supervisor might know something about the change.

Border rules are changing in multiple countries, every year. All the check in staff care about is what timatic says: the single point of truth on entry requirements. In this case, Aus passport + ETA.

Indeed.

Unless current ETAs for dual citizens have been cancelled. We’ll need to see any data points in that.

 

[lovestotravel]

Did you nominate someone in the UK or Australia to confirm their identity?

UK - We know a few doctors