Dual Canadian British citizens are facing a new set of passport rules that have left them scrambling and confused. The sudden change, announced quietly in the fall, has caught many off-guard and left them frustrated by the new entry requirements. Sarah Byron, a dual British Canadian citizen living in Montreal, is one of those affected. She is shocked to learn that her Canadian passport will soon be useless to enter the United Kingdom. Under new U.K. rules starting Feb. 25, all citizens must now use a British or Irish passport to enter. This has left many dual nationals in a difficult position, as they now face two costly options: obtaining a certificate of entitlement or renouncing their citizenship. The new passport rules are linked to the recent rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) requirement to enter the U.K., which took effect last year. It brings the country in line with similar entry systems in the U.S. and Canada. The change has sparked controversy, with some U.K. MPs calling for a grace period and warning of 'haphazard communication' that could leave some travellers stranded abroad. The British Home Office has said that airlines could, 'at their own discretion,' accept an expired passport as an alternative document, but this won't help those who recently applied for a British passport and sent their expired one away as part of the process. The change has left many feeling unwelcome by the country they grew up in, and has sparked a debate about the fairness of the new rules. Some argue that the rules are discriminatory, as some countries require women to keep their maiden name after marriage, and Quebec requires women to keep their maiden name for all legal documents. The impact of the change is unclear, but it is estimated that more than 460,000 residents of Canada were born in the United Kingdom, and children of people born in the U.K. could also be affected. The British high commissioner to Canada has encouraged people to check the advice on the U.K. government website to determine the correct documentation they need to enter the country. The change has left many travellers surprised, and many dual Canadian British citizens with upcoming travel are now scrambling to renew or apply for U.K. passports. Some are trying to contact the British government to figure out a solution, while others are holding off on making travel plans until the dust settles.
