“It’s been really stressful”: Travel advisor navigates new rule for dual Canada-U.K. citizens

As of Wednesday, (Feb. 25), Canadians planning to travel to the U.K. must officially secure an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before entering the country.

The U.K. government says the application can be completed quickly through an online system.

However, this process is more complicated for dual citizens, and Canadians who also hold British citizenship—as well as travel advisors assisting them—are now scrambling to grasp and meet updated requirements.

Late last month, Tara Stringer, an assistant manager and senior travel advisor at Marlin Travel in Peterborough, ON, had just finished booking a trip to Manchester this April for a senior couple in their late ’70s when, about a week later, she hit an unexpected obstacle.

The issue? Anyone considered a dual citizen — such as someone born in the U.K., or in certain cases someone whose parents were U.K. citizens when they were born — cannot apply for an ETA. Dual citizens must instead obtain a U.K. passport if they want to travel there, reads a notice on the British government’s website.

The same requirement also applies to people who hold dual citizenship with Canada and Ireland.

READ MORE: UK visitors without ETA face denied boarding from February 25

Stringer’s clients, who were born in the U.K., have lived in Canada for more than 50 years and allowed their U.K. passports to expire. With their overseas trip just over a month away, they now need to obtain a new U.K. passport to comply with the updated travel requirements.

“We had no idea about this at all. It hasn’t been publicized very well – especially to Canadians,” said Stringer, speaking to PAX over the phone on Thursday (Feb. 26).

The process has been particularly stressful for Stringer’s clients who are older aren’t particularly “text-savvy.”

“It’s been really stressful for them,” Stringer said. “They’re travelling to Manchester to visit family. It could be one of the last trips they make.”

There are other options. Canadian dual citizens without a U.K. or Irish passport can apply for a “certificate of entitlement,” which verifies their right to live in the U.K.

However, the British government warns that the process can take several weeks and costs almost $1,000 (CAD).

For now, the only way for Canadians with dual British citizenship to guarantee entry into the U.K. is by presenting a valid U.K. passport.

In limbo

For Stringer, this meant initiating a lengthy process to secure new U.K. passports for her clients.

“Everything has to be mailed to the U.K,” she explained, saying her clients had to send every page of their Canadian passport across the pond to be processed.

At one point, one application was processed before the other, triggering some confusion about whether both clients’ U.K. passports would be approved.

Stringer said that issue has been resolved, but now she and her clients are in limbo as they wait for new U.K. passports to arrive by mail.

“We don’t know how long it’s going to take,” she said. “The whole process has added a lot of stress.”

The U.K. government made minor changes to its rules this week, stating that dual citizens may be permitted to enter the U.K., at their airline’s discretion, if they hold an expired British passport alongside a valid Canadian one.

However, one condition is that the expired U.K. passport must have been issued in 1989 or later.

“It is the carrier’s decision whether to allow you to travel,” reads a notice posted to the U.K. government’s website.

Still, that doesn’t inspire much confidence for travellers.

Stringer admits navigating the British government’s website has been challenging and only learned about the new rule for dual citizens through another client, who is Irish and had recently gone through a similar process.

“It’s stressful for me as well,” Stringer said. “I want to make sure my clients have the most accurate information.”

She’s speaking out “because I feel like it should be known.”

“Travel advisors read a million things every day. It’s sometimes hard to keep up,” she said.

“I am hopeful”

Despite the added headache, Stringer is confident that her clients will receive their U.K. passports on schedule.

“We still have five weeks or so, so I am hopeful,” she said. “The only other option is to move their trip, which will cost thousands of dollars.”   

After going through this process, she advises Canadians with U.K. heritage to verify whether they hold dual citizenship. The British government outlines its qualifications here. 

She also urges travel advisors to follow the same guidance when assisting their clients.

“Many clients who require U.K. passports aren’t aware they need them,” she said.

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