Since April, the UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) has been required for EU/EEA nationals, with the UK government warning this week that it will soon start barring entry to those who don't have the correct document.
You can read the full explanation here, but ETA is basically a visa waiver that must be applied for online in advance of your trip. It costs £16 and lasts for two years.
UK nationals are obviously exempt, as is anyone travelling on an Irish passport, but all other nationalities now need the ETA. But what about Brits who have German spouses and/or kids?
German spouse
There are very few exemptions to the requirements for an ETA, and being married to a UK national does not qualify you for an exemption unless you are a dual national (more on that below).
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Individuals with a visa for the UK or who have UK residency (eg EU citizens who have Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status) are exempt from the requirements.
Otherwise it is required for all EU or EEA citizens, including those married to a Brit.
German kids
ETA has no exemption for under 18s and all children will need one, even babies. The cost for under-18s is £16, the same as for adults.
As with adults, children who are dual nationals are exempt, assuming they are travelling on their UK passport.
Due to a bilateral UK-Germany agreement which came into force on November 4th this year, children travelling to the UK as part of a school trip are exempt from ETA requirements, although in this case the school will be responsible for getting a group authorisation to enter the UK.
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Dual nationals
Children of UK citizens, even those living in Germany, are entitled to British citizenship, while it's not uncommon for the spouses of Brits to take UK citizenship.
The situation for dual nationals is far from clear. If a dual national does not have a valid UK or Irish passport, however, it seems they may face difficulties and could be denied boarding.
For those who have a current, valid UK passport, it's probably easier to use that to avoid any confusion.
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