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ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Old Feb 17th 2026 | 7:32 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian
Well you could just ignore the policy and apply for the UK eTA and if approved usually within minutes then they would travel on their Canadian passport. Use the E Gates on arrival and pray the machine doesn’t pick anything up or refer you for an examination.

You would probably end up with a bollocking but the vital question is WOULD they deny entry?

I do not advocate for breaking any Immigration rules but hey many do and take their chances.
Dual nationals will not be even allowed to obtain an ETA. To be fair, the UK is only doing what Canada, America, and Australia are doing.

This is what the BBC is saying:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2d9yk2kpjo


Last edited by Johnboyuk; Feb 17th 2026 at 7:35 am.
 
Old Feb 17th 2026 | 8:01 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat
Neither of my kids have British passports. Having to obtain them just to enter the bloody country is a PITA. I'm curious as to what happens if we pitch up, me on my UK PP and them on their Canadian ones (assuming I get them an ESTA). Canadian passports go through the e-gates so do they just breeze through? Or does their age trigger a secondary inspection I wonder. The UK Govt doesn't know they are British citizens yet because I've never applied for a PP for them.
Depends how old they are, the EE gates have a minimum age. And I guess that to get the ETA you'd have to sign it and not declare their British citizenship which isn't ideal, it is a legal declaration after all.

It's exactly the same for Canadian citizens living in the UK, their children have to get Canadian passports too to go the other way.
 
Old Feb 17th 2026 | 3:21 pm
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by christmasoompa
Depends how old they are, the EE gates have a minimum age. And I guess that to get the ETA you'd have to sign it and not declare their British citizenship which isn't ideal, it is a legal declaration after all.

It's exactly the same for Canadian citizens living in the UK, their children have to get Canadian passports too to go the other way.
Not quite, children born overseas from Canadian parents have to “claim” their citizenship first from what I understand. So they wouldn’t need a Canadian passport until they claimed it through jus sanguinis. The UK’s automatic approach is more convenient sure, but not helpful in this instance.
 
Old Feb 17th 2026 | 4:24 pm
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat
Neither of my kids have British passports. Having to obtain them just to enter the bloody country is a PITA. I'm curious as to what happens if we pitch up, me on my UK PP and them on their Canadian ones (assuming I get them an ESTA). Canadian passports go through the e-gates so do they just breeze through? Or does their age trigger a secondary inspection I wonder. The UK Govt doesn't know they are British citizens yet because I've never applied for a PP for them.
This is the digital age. Even if you fart, they will know about it.
 
Old Feb 17th 2026 | 4:32 pm
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by CanadaJimmy
Not quite, children born overseas from Canadian parents have to “claim” their citizenship first from what I understand. So they wouldn’t need a Canadian passport until they claimed it through jus sanguinis. The UK’s automatic approach is more convenient sure, but not helpful in this instance.
Canada has now extended automatic citizenship to children born outside of the country of Canadian parents as of 15 December, 2025.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/...e%20country%22.
 
Old Feb 21st 2026 | 3:27 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by GiantSantaCruzer
Can they renounce British citizenship? (No idea, I'm not being facetious but I know US citizens can renounce in certain circumstances...seems like the nuclear option though!)
Renounce a viable and good citizenship in a great country all because of the need to apply for a passport? What kind of nonsense is this?
 
Old Feb 21st 2026 | 5:15 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by GiantSantaCruzer
Can they renounce British citizenship? (No idea, I'm not being facetious but I know US citizens can renounce in certain circumstances...seems like the nuclear option though!)
Yes of course they could renounce. Bit drastic though, as well as expensive and potentially long-drawn out. I have a friend in Aus who renounced his Brit citizenship many years ago because he was offered a position with a very high security clearance. He had no intention of returning home so wasn't really bothered about long term implications, but he said it did take a good while to come through.
 
Old Feb 24th 2026 | 10:22 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

So I just got my new Canadian Passport at the beginning of Feb. my UK passport expired years ago. I applied for my ETA and it was approved and my husbands is good till 2027.

if the ETA is approved could we still have a problem?
 
Old Feb 24th 2026 | 11:20 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by Canniecanuck
So I just got my new Canadian Passport at the beginning of Feb. my UK passport expired years ago. I applied for my ETA and it was approved and my husbands is good till 2027.

if the ETA is approved could we still have a problem?
Nobody can say if you will still have trouble as there are several variables.

I doubt the Airline Staff who check you in will deny you boarding as you have the correct documentation i.e valid passport and ETA. Same as for security to get into the International Departure area and again at the gate check.

Now on arrival in the UK you can use the E gates and I doubt that will be a problem. The only problem you may have is if you see an actual officer on arriving in the UK and they notice your place of birth as being the UK.

Even if they do I don’t believe they will refuse you entry or report you for misrepresentation and just give you a bollocking.

Now of course it will be pointed out and this is an assumption that when filling out the online ETA application you did not declare that you had another citizenship besides Canadian i.e UK citizenship. I believe the question asks you do you hold any other citizenship besides the one you are applying under i.e. Canadian.

If you did then it just goes to show how vulnerable the system checks for ETA’s are as if they knew you had dual citizenship then the ETA would not and should not have been issued.

Let us know if and when you travel how you went on.
 
Old Feb 24th 2026 | 11:30 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by Canniecanuck
So I just got my new Canadian Passport at the beginning of Feb. my UK passport expired years ago. I applied for my ETA and it was approved and my husbands is good till 2027.

if the ETA is approved could we still have a problem?
When did you get the ETA? If it was a while ago and you didn't lie on the application, no worries. If you did lie on it, then that's different.
 
Old Feb 24th 2026 | 11:50 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by Canniecanuck
So I just got my new Canadian Passport at the beginning of Feb. my UK passport expired years ago. I applied for my ETA and it was approved and my husbands is good till 2027.

if the ETA is approved could we still have a problem?
Presumably you decided to omit that you are a UK citizen so, in effect, you lied. So I would think you may have an issue but would expect you to get your knuckles rapped but you cannot be denied entry is my understanding. Naughty girl may have to stand in corner.
 
Old Feb 24th 2026 | 4:21 pm
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Joined to watch the ETA threads although it is a shame there are so many of them rather than all the latest in one place.
It is the internet of course so lots of chaff and not much wheat but even so there is some amazing stuff. Suggestions to renounce citizenship or that you may be detained using terrorist legislation or even fined or delayed for hours.
We shall find out soon enough of course there must be people who have already checked in with arrivals after the deadline. I will be travelling myself at the weekend

Even the must travel with an up to date British Passport have been debunked with the latest a bit late in the day advice about expired passports being ok.
The ETA is all about identifying furriners. I think they are being pretty pragmatic about dual citizens with just a somewhat botched implementation. The stress has always been on may not be able to BOARD or TRAVEL not being denied ENTRY.

There are likely thousands of Brits who already have ETAs. I believe in the first implementation UK Citizen was an allowed choice (of course this may just have been an IT blunder if they outsourced getting a list of countries). When I got mine it was (and still is I think) just do you have any other citizenships. I don't think it is much of a stretch to interpret that as being no others on the list provided. As has been said place of birth is right there on most scanned foreign passports and in my case I had already made a UK passport application sending a copy of the US passport that now has the ETA. If they are not making the check and denying at the point of application they surely will not be when airlines query the data or when you hit the egates.








 
Old Feb 25th 2026 | 12:42 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

There's no ability to declare your British citizenship on an ETA application form and regardless British citizens are explicitly exempted from any penalties for deception in obtaining or attempt to obtain an ETA so there's no practical or legal impediment to prevent dual British citizens from obtaining ETAs on their second eligible passport and continuing to travel to the UK as they have done in the past.
 
Old Feb 25th 2026 | 3:42 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by BritInParis
There's no ability to declare your British citizenship on an ETA application form and regardless British citizens are explicitly exempted from any penalties for deception in obtaining or attempt to obtain an ETA so there's no practical or legal impediment to prevent dual British citizens from obtaining ETAs on their second eligible passport and continuing to travel to the UK as they have done in the past.
Thank you for this.
 
Old Feb 25th 2026 | 4:19 am
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Default Re: ETA in effect for Canadians 25 February 2026

Originally Posted by BritInParis
There's no ability to declare your British citizenship on an ETA application form
Wouldn't that would come under the question about other citizenships?
 

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