Why expats are renouncing British Citizenship
The legal status of British citizens has not changed. What is changing is the UK entry enforcement framework.
From 25 February 2026, carriers are required to verify that a passenger holds the prescribed documentation and, where applicable, travel authorisation before departure. They can only use prescribed systems to do this, and previously accepted documents for travel may no longer be acceptable under the new rules.
British citizens are excluded from the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system and therefore cannot use an ETA as an alternative travel authorisation.
In practice, British citizens travelling to the UK will need to present a valid British passport or other prescribed evidence of Right of Abode in order to board.
Dual British citizens, under pre-25 February 2026 rules, could travel on a non-British passport. Under the new framework, they will now be required to present a valid British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement to be allowed to board for UK-bound travel.
In practice, this means that a dual national who attempts to travel using only their non-British passport may be refused boarding.
A British passport currently costs approximately £94.50 for a standard online UK adult application, with higher fees overseas. A Certificate of Entitlement is currently priced at £589. For families resident abroad with multiple nationalities, maintaining British citizenship for travel purposes will therefore increase the cost burden.
Legal difficulty also arises in jurisdictions that require applicants for naturalisation to declare that they have relinquished their prior citizenship. A declaration made overseas does not, as a matter of UK law, terminate British nationality. Unless and until a formal renunciation is registered by the Home Office, the individual remains a British citizen.
A person may therefore be treated as having surrendered British nationality for the purposes of foreign law while still being regarded as British by the UK authorities. Under the carrier verification regime, that distinction has practical consequences. If British nationality is identified during the passenger check, a dual national travelling on a foreign passport alone may be refused boarding unless they can evidence their status with a valid British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement.
Some dual nationals are therefore now considering formal renunciation under the British Nationality Act 1981 to align their legal status across jurisdictions and avoid repeated documentation issues at departure. The implications of renunciation, however, extend well beyond UK entry rights.
What happens if you renounce British Citizenship?
Renunciation is a formal and often difficult-to-reverse legal process. It changes a person’s nationality status under UK law and removes rights that go well beyond travel documentation.
Once renunciation is registered, the Right of Abode in the UK is lost. The individual ceases to have automatic permission to enter, live or work in the UK. From that point, they are subject to UK immigration control in the same way as any other foreign national.
Any future intention to visit, work, study or settle in the UK would require an application under the relevant immigration route. A former British citizen may need an ETA or a UK visa, depending on their nationality and purpose of travel. Entry clearance would be subject to the general grounds for refusal and is not guaranteed. There is no automatic right of return.
Renunciation also removes entitlement to hold a British passport and access British consular protection overseas. It may affect eligibility for certain public roles that require British citizenship. If citizenship is given up before a child is born outside the UK, British citizenship cannot be passed on automatically to that child. In some cases, renunciation may also affect a child’s ability to register as British in the future.
While UK tax liability is primarily based on residence rather than citizenship, nationality can interact with wider personal and financial planning considerations in certain circumstances. Individuals should take advice if renunciation forms part of a broader relocation or restructuring decision.
Resumption of British citizenship is not automatic. A separate application is required under the British Nationality Act 1981 and approval is discretionary, subject to statutory conditions.
Given these consequences, renunciation should not be approached as a simple solution to travel documentation changes. It is a fundamental change of legal status with long-term immigration, family and practical implications.
How do you renounce British Citizenship?
To renounce your British citizenship, you need to make a declaration to the Home Office and pay the fee of £482. Once registered, the individual ceases to be a British citizen.
Importantly, a person remains British in law unless and until the Home Office registers a valid renunciation. It is not achieved by declaration abroad, nor by simply allowing a passport to lapse.
The legal process is governed by the British Nationality Act 1981. You need to complete the prescribed declaration confirming that you wish to give up British citizenship and that you already hold, or will acquire, another nationality.
The Home Office will not register a renunciation if it would leave the person stateless.
If accepted, the renunciation is registered and takes legal effect from the date of registration. From that point, the individual ceases to be a British citizen and loses the right of abode in the UK. Any future residence, work or settlement in the UK would require immigration permission under the applicable route.
Resumption of British citizenship will only be possible in certain cases, and is not automatic. A separate application is required and eligibility criteria apply. Renunciation is therefore a significant and often irreversible step requiring careful consideration.
DMS Perspective
Increased interest in renunciation is being driven by the change in UK pre-departure checks taking effect on 25 February 2026. Much of the noise and confusion is stemming from unclear government communication on the impact of the changes. We are seeing last-minute Home Office warnings, but the messaging has been largely lacking in terms of who is affected and how.
Dual nationals in particular risk becoming collateral damage in a policy designed to tighten carrier-side passenger verification. Their previous method of travelling on a non-British passport, with status confirmed at the border, will no longer be workable. To comply with the new rules, a dual national travelling to the UK will need either a valid British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement. For some families, the cost and hassle of maintaining these documents is going to be far from favourable.
In circumstances where neither option is straightforward, it’s understandable that expats may be considering formal renunciation as an alternative solution. But renouncing your citizenship is not a step that should be taken lightly, and in many cases may actually be a drastic reaction if the only motivation is to avert the cost and bureaucratic headache of retaining dual citizenship.
Renunciation is a significant legal act. Once registered, the individual ceases to be a British citizen. That means no more Right of Abode or automatic permission to live and work in the UK, and it’s the end of unrestricted return. Reacquiring British citizenship later isn’t automatic and isn’t guaranteed. And this doesn’t take into account the wider implications of renunciation on your family’s status.
For dual nationals in countries with restrictive nationality laws, the position may be even more complex. Individuals who have made declarations abroad may still be treated as British under UK law unless they have formally renounced with the Home Office.
Take advice if this is a route you are considering.
At the least, if you’re planning UK-bound travel after 25 February 2026, check whether your British passport remains valid and consider whether renewal is more cost-effective than a Certificate of Entitlement.
Need Assistance?
If you are considering renouncing British citizenship in light of the 25 February 2026 travel changes, take advice before submitting any declaration. The legal and immigration consequences extend well beyond border formalities and may affect your long-term residence and work rights in the UK.
To discuss your circumstances in confidence, contact our team to arrange a fixed-fee telephone consultation. We can assess your nationality position, documentation options and the implications of renunciation before any formal step is taken.
