New passport rules in the UK mean that dual Irish-Australian and British-Australian citizens may need to either renounce their citizenship or fork out for a new passport to enter the country.
The news is not welcome for those who are already spending hundreds on Australian passports, which are among the most expensive in the world. A 10-year Australian adult passport costs $422.
From 26 February 2026, British border security will enforce its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). It’s not a visa, but it is a kind of visa waiver.
ETAs cost about $20, and you need a valid passport and email address. Once you have one, it is valid for two years (or until your passport expires) and allows for multiple entries of up to six months at a time. You can apply for it online or via the UK ETA app.
However, if you have British or Irish citizenship, you don’t need to apply for the ETA. But you will need to prove your British or Irish citizenship at the border. This means you will need either an Irish or a British passport or a certificate of entitlement for the UK.
This news has led to outrage around the internet, as before this, dual British-Australian or Irish-Australian citizens were able to travel freely to the UK. Many don’t have British or Irish passports, as they didn’t need them, or they have let them lapse.
This has also led to a lot of questions around applying for passports and even renouncing citizenship. We’re breaking it down for you below.
Why are Irish citizens exempt?
First things first, the Republic of Ireland is NOT a part of the United Kingdom. The reason Irish citizens are exempt is due to the complicated colonial past of Ireland and Britain. However, Northern Ireland is still part of the United Kingdom (its full name is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Ireland gained its independence in 1922, but lost six counties in the north of Ireland in the process.
Therefore, the only land-border with the UK and Europe is on the island of Ireland. After Brexit, this was a political nightmare. In the end, the UK and Ireland retained freedom of movement across the invisible borders in the North of Ireland and by extension, the other countries in the UK: Scotland, Wales, and England. This is known as the Common Travel Area or CTA.
As an Irish-Australian, I am required to have an Australian passport in order to enter Australian borders, even though I am a citizen. Now this situation is flipped for Australian citizens with Irish or British citizenship hoping to enter the United Kingdom (I can still enter on my Irish passport, sorry friends).
How to get or renew a British passport?
Getting a new British passport could be the easiest way to get into the UK with these new rules. If you have already attained British citizenship, the process can be arduous (and expensive). You will need to confirm your citizenship by either birth (i.e. your British birth certificate or adoption certificate), descent (via a parent or grandparent), or registration/naturalisation (i.e. you applied and received citizenship).
Your documents need to be originals; photocopies will not be accepted. You may also need to provide your current foreign (i.e. Australian) passport.
Depending on when you were born and the citizenship status of your parents, you may also need to provide your parents’ birth certificate and their marriage certificates. You can find more information here.
Once you have gathered your documents, you can fill out the form and provide your passport photos (to the UK’s requirements), and pay the processing fee online. Apply here.
However, if you already have a passport, it’s just a matter of renewing it. Apply here.
A standard British adult passport costs £94.50 (approximately $189.77 AUD)
Be mindful of processing times. The UK Passport Office states that it can take up to 12 weeks for overseas applicants’ passport applications to be processed.
How to get or renew an Irish passport?
If you have Irish-Australian dual citizenship, these new UK entry rules could mean that getting a new Irish passport is the way to go. It’s a similar process to getting a British passport. Like with the British passport application, there are various documents you’ll need depending on where you were born and how you gained Irish citizenship.
You can find the full list on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade here.
Once you’ve gathered your documents, you can apply on the website and pay the fee here.
A standard Irish adult 10-year passport costs €75 (approximately $130.54 AUD). Again, be mindful of processing times.
How to renounce your British citizenship
If you don’t want to pay for a passport renewal or start the passport process, the other option is to renounce your citizenship.
Renouncing your British citizenship is not cheap. It can cost around £482 (that’s $966 AUD).
If you do renounce your citizenship, you give up your right to live in the UK and to UK consular protection. You can only renounce it if you have another citizenship or nationality, or are planning to apply for another citizenship.
You can find more information here.
How to renounce your Irish citizenship
Renouncing your Irish citizenship is fairly simple: fill out a form, get it witness and submitted. No fees are listed on the website. Find out more information here.
What is a certificate of entitlement?
A UK Certificate of Entitlement (CoE) to the Right of Abode proves you can live and work in the UK without restrictions. It is issued as a stamp in a foreign passport for those who have the right of abode but aren’t British citizens with a UK passport. You can apply for one on gov.uk and it costs around £589 ($1182.64 AUD).
