A UK passport warning has been issued after an elderly Brit, 93, was barred from entering the country under new travel rules.

The introduction of an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) requirement means that people with dual citizenship for the UK from non-visa national visitors can no longer use their foreign passport to travel to the UK.

This includes British dual national in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

The Home Office acknowledged that introducing the ETA scheme has significant implications for some British dual nationals.

One 93-year-old felt the wrath of this as she is not allowed into the UK without a British passport, despite being born in the country, as she holds a Canadian passport, reports a local news outlet.

The elderly woman warns: "It doesn’t matter that I’ve lived in Canada for decades, hold Canadian citizenship and travel on a Canadian passport.

"If I want to go to England, I now need a British one too."

Despite British dual nationals being alerted of the change since Octiber 2024, many appear to have been unaware of the Home Office’s advice until it received media coverage in early 2026.

The Home Office has rejected calls to apply additional grace periods or transitional measures.

However, it has issued temporary guidance to transport carriers about the possibility of accepting alternative documents from British travellers.

Airlines can allow someone to board a flight if they show an expired British passport issued in 1989 or later and a valid passport for a non-visa national country, if the biographic details match.

According to the Home Office this is a “short-term transitional measure” which is at the discretion of individual carriers and doesn’t replace the requirement to have a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement.

The government says UK Border Force staff will take “a compassionate and pragmatic approach to travellers who experience genuine difficulty while this process settles” ahead of the summer holiday season.

Mike Tapp, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, has given assurances that enforcement of the ETA requirement will not result in dual citizens who arrive with incorrect documentation being detained or families being separated at the border.