More Brits are being banned from their flights home due to confusing new passport rules
NEW passport rules that came into force earlier this year are STILL catching people out, with one mum recently left stranded abroad.
Brits who are dual national passport holders – thought to be as many as 1.2million – can no longer use their foreign passport to enter the country.
Since February 25, the change in rules meant that anyone with dual nationality has to use a valid British passport when arriving into the UK.
Anyone without this must instead have a certificate of entitlement, which costs £589.
Passengers trying to enter the country by plane, ferry or train without either of these risks being banned from travelling.
One British woman was recently caught out when she was trying to travel from Copenhagen to Manchester with her two children, only to be stopped from boarding her flight.
Colette Bjorn-Alderson, who has lived in the UK for 28 years, had been in the Danish country since April, but was returning to the UK with her six-week old and 23-month old for a friend’s wedding.
However, her two children only had Danish passports which meant they didn’t have valid travel documents for returning to the UK.
She told The Times that she felt “unwelcome in my own country” after being turned away from the flight.
Colette sent photocopies of her documents to the Home Office – but ultimately the decision was made that the family could not fly.
Not only has she been left £1,000 out of pocket, she said the only way to get UK passports for them while in Denmark can take up to three months, while the certificates take eight weeks.
She added: “It was a nightmare. I’ve cried a lot.”
Others have been caught out too. In June a dad-of-two, Kyle Harris, was refused boarding onto his booked flight from Kefalonia in Greece to the UK.
He only had an American passport with him at the time.
Another holidaymaker with dual nationality was refused to board a plane home after a trip to Amsterdam after having the incorrect documents.
The new rules are in line with the electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which also launched on the same day.
Any non-British national must now pay for the £16 ETA to enter the country.
Lasting up to six months, it is a requirement for people who are from destinations such as Europe, the US and Australia.
Anyone who is a dual national cannot apply for an ETA under the new rules.
