Overseas applications for United Kingdom citizenship and passports nearly tripled to more than 300,000 in the first quarter of 2026, driven by a strict policy change requiring all British and Irish dual nationals to use those specific passports for entry, according to UK Home Office figures published by RNZ.
Policy Shift Catches British-Heritage Migrants by Surprise
New Zealanders with British heritage or families faced unexpected travel disruptions at the start of the year when they learned they could no longer travel back to the UK using only their New Zealand passports. Beginning in late February, all British and Irish citizens were mandated to use a British or Irish passport to enter the country. According to UK Home Office data reported by RNZ, the British passport office recorded more than half-a-million applications in its system, marking the highest total on record.
For numerous New Zealanders, the requirement revealed citizenship status they didn’t know they possessed. The policy shift coincided with the highest number of UK citizenship applications on record in the 12 months leading to March. During the first three months of the year, 118,000 individuals applied—nearly double the volume recorded during the same period in the previous year. Data from the UK’s 2021 census underscores the scale of dual nationality potential, showing New Zealanders were the most likely migrants to hold dual citizenship at 49.2%, closely followed by South Africa at 49.0% and Australia at 47.4%. Furthermore, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office found that at least 80% of New Zealanders hold some British ancestry, surpassing even Australia.
Real-World Travel Experiments and Border Enforcement Questions
Despite the official mandate, dual nationals reported navigating travel to the UK without British or Irish passports, hindered by high application and postage costs or difficulties tracking down required documents. Travelers frequently questioned whether border staff possessed any mechanism to detect whether a New Zealand passport holder also held UK citizenship.
To test the system, traveler Steve Horrell conducted a real-world experiment, flying to London using a New Zealand passport alongside an ETA visa-waiver obtained the prior year for $37. He packed a newly purchased UK passport—costing $320 including postage—as a backup. According to Horrell’s account to RNZ, two airport check-in points raised no questions regarding his dual citizenship, and he passed through the Smart Gate at Heathrow border control without encountering issues.
“I was actually very angry that my New Zealand passport was just accepted and I got the big green tick to enter the country,” Horrell stated in a formal complaint filed with the British Home Office, noting that his new British passport stayed unused in his travel wallet. Questioning the effectiveness of the checks, he asked how the system failed to flag his valid UK passport, describing the policy as a money-making scheme designed to process travelers through automated gates without requiring manual staff checks. After receiving only an automated acknowledgement in May promising a 20-working-day response, Horrell sent follow-up emails and characterized official warnings about third-country passport restrictions as fearmongering.
Official Guidance and Future Travel Scenarios
The UK Home Office stated that British and Irish citizens are no longer eligible for ETAs, placing the onus on travelers to secure appropriate travel permission. Official advice maintains that airlines decide whether dual citizens may travel using an expired UK passport alongside a valid New Zealand passport. While the British government termed the expired passport option a “short-term transitional measure,” the timeline for its expiration remains unconfirmed. Legal commentary from an immigration lawyer on the UK law website Free Movement suggests that ETAs issued to British dual citizens prior to online updates remain valid.
House of Commons library research highlights speculation that some dual nationals might continue using foreign passports by withholding their British citizenship. According to the research, individuals who have never resided in the UK can automatically acquire citizenship through parents by operation of law without ever interacting with the UK government. Without a central register of British citizens or dual nationals, transport providers and passport control staff cannot identify dual nationality unless travelers volunteer the information, as place-of-birth details alone cannot confirm citizenship status. The Home Office emphasized that while British citizens will not be detained or separated from families at the border, carrying a valid UK passport or certificate of entitlement remains the most reliable way to ensure smooth transit.
Meanwhile, implementation of the European Union’s €20 (NZ$39) ETIAS visa waiver continues to face delays. Originally scheduled for the final quarter of this year, authorities previously promised to announce a specific launch date several months in advance, leaving uncertainty over whether the rollout will meet its anticipated timeline.