I thought I'd post this as a PSA in case people were unaware that the UK is introducing an ETA scheme (like the US ESTA) where you will need to apply for permission to travel.

US Citizens are subject to the new scheme from January 8 2025.

For dual UK/US citizens who currently travel on their US passport you will need to have a valid UK passport to travel to the UK as it seems that we won't be able to get an ETA.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-fo...horisation-eta

Hopefully this helps to raise awareness before it turns into a problem for somebody!

So we will have to leave the US on our US passports and enter the UK on our UK passports? and visa versa coming back?

I always do.

If you’re a dual US/UK citizen and don’t have or don’t want a British passport, you just apply for the ETA as a US citizen traveling on your US passport. As a British citizen, you do not “need” an ETA, but without a British passport to prove your a British citizen upon entry (and to board the plane), you will need to get an ETA to attach to your US passport. There’s no rule stopping a dual British citizen getting an ETA if he/she wants to travel on a US passport.

Does your UK passport need to be current? I see it says "Prove your permission to travel using your British passport," and not valid British passport.
I can easily expect that the airlines will want your UK passport to be valid to avoid getting an ETA. I expect that we'll just travel on the US passport and get the ETA.

Will be good to hear about people's experiences.

I wouldn’t risk using an expired UK PP, because the airline probably would not let you board unless you have an ETA.

I always have, and before the prevalence of e-gates it made entering the UK easier as the lines for UK citizens were much shorter.

Exactly right. Airlines get heavy fines for not validating travelers right of entry so err on the side of caution.

So, is there now going to be a significant uptick in uk citizens abroad applying for their uk passports? I just updated my family on this news, and my daughter replied that she’d better get her UK passport renewed (she lives in US)

I can't think of a downside to having a UK passport anyway, if a dual. I certainly keep both of mine current and use/used the US one to enter and leave the US, as required, and generally speaking the UK one for everywhere else, including entering the UK.

Is that definitely the case, that it will be allowed? I can't think of another country that allows you to use a similar scheme if you're a citizen so it would be unusual if so. For instance, you can't get ESTA if you're a US citizen, Canada's ETA system says citizens can't use it, etc.

The US doesn't have exit checks so you don't really "leave the US on" any passport. What the airline reports to the US government doesn't matter because even if there is a mismatch, it won't affect your future entries as you will be entering the US on a US passport.

The US gov. website clearly states US citizens must exit and enter the US using a US PP. I would rather do that than try to skirt the rules.

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...Travelers.html

First, it requires US citizens to be "bearing" a US passport to enter or exit, not that they have to "use" it. The person in this case would be bearing a US passport. The US doesn't have exit checks so there isn't a place to "use" it anyway. Second, there are no penalties or consequences for violating that law. Even if the US government knows that a US citizen has entered or left the US without ever having a US passport, it does not affect their ability to get a US passport in the future. Even if a US citizen tried to enter the US without a US passport, if they manage to make it to a US port of entry, and the officer can verify their US citizenship to the officer's satisfaction, the officer must allow them to enter the US, and the person is not subject to any fine or other penalty.

As your signature states your advice is your personal opinion and is not legal advice. I prefer to take heed of what the requirements are on the US Gov website.


Requirements for U.S. Citizens Holding Dual Nationality

While the United States allows for dual (or multiple) nationality, there are some requirements that U.S. citizen dual nationals must follow, regardless of whether they hold another nationality:

• You must enter and leave the United States on your U.S. passport. You are not allowed to enter on your foreign passport, because U.S. law requires all U.S. citizens to enter and depart the U.S. on a valid U.S. passport. U.S. citizens are not eligible for a U.S. visa.

You seem to imply that there is some conflict between what it says on the website and what I said. There is not. Everything that it says on that website is consistent with what I said. So you can take heed of what it says on that website, and take heed of what I said. If you find any official source that contradicts anything I said, then I welcome you to point it out.