Significant changes are coming to the UK’s border rules on the 25th of February 2026, and they will directly affect British & Irish dual nationals living or travelling overseas. If you hold British citizenship and another nationality, it’s essential to understand how these updates will impact your ability to travel to the UK.
UK Entry Requirements for Dual New Zealand–UK or New Zealand–Irish Citizens:
From 25 February 2026, the UK Government has confimred that New Zealand citizens who also hold British or Irish citizenship (dual nationals) must travel to the UK using:
- a valid UK passport, or
- a valid Irish passport, or
- another valid passport with a Certificate of Entitlement
Travellers will not be permitted to travel without one of these documents, refer to www.gov.uk for more information. (Note: Processing times will very depending on circumstances but currently it is approximately a 3 week turnaround).