Britons living in the UAE and elsewhere received a last-minute reprieve on 20 February 2026 when the UK Home Office changed the documentation rules for its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. Until the change, carriers had been instructed to deny boarding to British dual nationals who could not present a **valid** UK passport when travelling to Britain after 25 February. Many UAE-based Britons had let their UK passport lapse because they normally enter Britain on their other nationality’s passport, which did not previously require a visa. Immigration lawyers warned that thousands risked being turned away during the peak Ramadan/Easter travel window. Facing mounting criticism from airlines and expat groups, the Home Office said carriers may now accept an **expired** British passport “at their discretion” provided the traveller also shows a valid foreign passport. The alternative—applying for a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode—costs £580 and can take weeks, whereas an online ETA costs £10 for UAE residents. Although branded a “small victory”, the concession is temporary and places the onus on airlines to verify identity with the government’s carrier-support hub. Mobility managers moving staff between the UAE and the UK should therefore: • Audit employees’ passport validity well before summer travel. • Warn staff that passport renewal backlogs still exceed five weeks in some regions. • Budget additional time and cost for family members who are also dual nationals. For UAE companies with large UK travel volumes, the episode underscores the importance of tracking nationality data—something many expense tools still overlook. Expect tighter airline documentation checks as the ETA expands to other nationalities later in 2026.
Source: The National
