Under the current system, British dual nationals whose second nationality is from a country that does not require a UK visa can enter the UK using their non-British passport.
However, this will change from 25 February 2026.
From that date, dual nationals will no longer be able to travel to the UK solely on their foreign passport. Instead, they will need to present either a valid British passport or a new digital certificate of entitlement linked to their foreign passport. A certificate of entitlement is an official document issued by the UK government that acts as proof of your legal right to live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions. Without one of these documents, they may be refused permission to enter the UK.
British passports and certificates of entitlement are not issued automatically when someone becomes a British citizen. As a result, some dual nationals (even those who have lived in the UK for many years) may never have applied for either document.
Both documents can take several weeks to process and involve fees. An adult British passport costs about £95, while a certificate of entitlement costs £589.