British travelers holding dual nationality are facing unexpected travel disruptions due to recent changes in the UK’s dual nationality rules. Sarah Schloegl, a Scottish mother from Aberdeen, found herself stranded in Alicante, Spain, when she and her 11-month-old baby were denied boarding on a Ryanair flight back to the UK.
The issue arose because the baby, who holds dual citizenship, lacked the necessary documents mandated by the updated Home Office regulations. Since February, airline carriers have been instructed to refuse boarding to dual nationals presenting only their non-UK passports unless they also provide a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode—a document that currently costs £589.
This policy change was introduced to close a loophole that previously allowed dual nationals to exploit visa-waiver privileges of their non-UK passports. The UK government argues that the new rule simplifies identity checks for carriers, especially as Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETAs) will soon become mandatory for travellers from 85 visa-exempt countries.
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However, advocacy groups such as The 3million and British in Europe have criticized the policy for poor communication and argued that it disproportionately affects families with mixed nationalities, particularly young children.
Schloegl expressed her frustration: “My baby was born in the UK, lives in the UK, yet she wasn’t allowed to enter the UK even with me, her British mother. Both our children were born in Scotland, and my husband has settled status. It’s the kids and young people holding dual nationality who are most impacted.”
Monique Hawkins, head of policy and advocacy at The 3million, highlighted the lack of compassion in the policy’s enforcement: “The Home Office promised a compassionate and pragmatic approach to travellers facing genuine difficulties. Refusing boarding to an 11-month-old baby is the opposite of that.”
Despite presenting a scanned copy of the baby’s UK birth certificate and an Austrian passport issued by the Austrian embassy in the UK, officials denied the child entry. When the registry office in the UK confirmed the baby’s birth details, authorities still insisted, “No, she’s not allowed into the country,” Schloegl recalled.
This situation underscores the challenges faced by dual nationals under the new regulations and raises calls for clearer communication and more flexible solutions from UK authorities.