Guidance

Electronic travel authorisation (ETA): guide for dual citizens

How to prove your permission to travel to the UK if you're a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship (or right of abode).

• From: UK Visas and Immigration
• Published: 29 May 2025

Overview

An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) gives permission to travel to the UK to visit for up to 6 months.

You are not eligible for an ETA if you’re a dual citizen with either:

• British citizenship
• Irish citizenship

How to prove your permission to travel to the UK as a dual citizen

Prove your permission to travel using:

• a valid British passport
• a valid Irish passport
• another valid passport containing a certificate of entitlement

You should get a valid document to prove your permission to travel now. It will avoid complications when travelling to the UK in future.

Apply for a UK passport.

If you do not have a valid document and need to travel soon

Currently, if you’re a British dual citizen with a valid passport for one of the nationalities that can get an ETA, you should be allowed to board transport to the UK as normal, without an ETA.

Published 29 May 2025