'Punished for having dual citizenship': Brits in Germany angry over UK passport rules

Brits are being told that from February 25th – the end of the Electronic Travel Authorisation system (ETA) 'tolerance period' – they will only be able to enter the UK if they have a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement.

The rules are causing problems for dual nationals who have not renewed their UK passport and choose to travel on their other passport, because they are not able to apply for the ETA. 

As The Local has reported, British authorities have suggested that travellers without the correct paperwork could be turned away at the border, or even unable to board their flight. 

READ ALSO: Will British dual nationals really be forced to have a valid UK passport from February?

Now more British people in Germany have criticised what they see as unfair rules. 

A 37-year-old dual British-German national, who asked not to have her name published, said she was caught out at the end of last year ahead of a planned trip back home to the UK.

The Berlin-based writer, whose British passport had expired, was planning to travel to the UK on her German passport as she has done previously. Under the new border system, which came into force in stages last year, she had planned to get the ETA visa waiver.

"A few days before, I went online and tried to apply for the ETA and realised it doesn't allow you to click that you are a dual national with British citizenship."

The woman then tried to contact the British Embassy in Berlin to ask for advice without success. Her mum then contacted the Home Office in the UK on her behalf.

"They told my mum that I should have sorted it out, that I should have renewed my passport and that I would have to get an emergency travel document," she said.

"But the thing is it was already so late that it wasn't clear if I would get the emergency document in time if I applied for it. In the end I was so stressed that I didn't travel."

Up until February 25th, a transition period meant travellers from EU/EEA areas were generally not turned away from the UK border if they didn't have an ETA or the correct paperwork. But from this date, the rules get stricter. 

The dual national in Berlin described the changes as "stressful, unclear and unfair".

"Why should you be effectively punished for having dual citizenship or treated differently?" she said, adding that her husband, an Italian citizen, just needs to pay €20 for an ETA.

"Whereas I'm a British citizen and just because I haven't renewed my passport I have to go through all of this. I will have to get my passport renewed to go back. It's a very bad and confusing system."

READ ALSO:  'A money making racket' - Angry British dual nationals blast UK passport demand

Britons in Germany have been sharing their confusion on social media. 

"I'm really confused here," wrote one person on Reddit. "I'm a dual national (German and UK). I only have a valid German passport with an ETA. If I want to enter the UK for a week as a tourist, am I now obliged to have a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement?"

Another person posted on Facebook: "The UK government has now come up with a new way to punish dual citizenship expats."

Information campaigns are running in Germany to warn non-British travellers that they need an ETA to enter the UK.

A spokesperson from the British Embassy in Berlin told The Local: "The message for Germans and Brits abroad is that from February 25th, German nationals will not be permitted to travel by plane to the UK if they do not have an ETA for travel to the UK, and British nationals will need to present a British passport to their airline before boarding.

"It was always officially the case that dual nationals should enter either country on the respective passport [i.e. German passport to enter Germany, UK passport to enter the UK], but this was not always strictly enforced.

"It is now imperative that British nationals with German citizenship acquire a British passport or proof of entitlement to enter the UK."

The spokesperson reiterated that dual GB/DE nationals "must travel between the UK and Germany with both passports".

What else should I know about the ETA?

The ETA is a visa waiver that non-British and Irish travellers need to apply for before their trip to the UK. It costs £16 (around €18) and lasts two years. 

Since its roll out in 2025, there's been confusion over what applies to British dual nationals. Our sister site, The Local France, has reported extensively on these issues, stating that communication from the British government has changed several times, while some British government bodies are giving different information to the UK's Home Office.

A recent House of Commons note states: "The Home Office is advising British dual citizens to make sure they have a valid UK or Irish passport or certificate of entitlement if they will be travelling on or after that date (February 25th). If they don’t, they may not be able to board their transport to the UK."

Essentially, people who have a valid UK passport and a German passport – or other citizenship – are being told they will only be able to enter the UK with their British passport or a certificate of entitlement.

Dual British-Irish nationals can use either passport to enter. 

British citizens without a valid UK passport can choose to renew their passport. It currently costs around £108 to renew it from abroad.

People can also apply for a certificate of entitlement which costs £589. Both processes take several weeks or months in some cases.

READ ALSO: 'My four-month ordeal renewing a UK passport from Germany'

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