New Home Office Passport Regulations Prevent British Dual National from Visiting Dying Mother
A British woman residing in the Netherlands has described the "stress upon stress" inflicted by new Home Office regulations that currently prevent her from traveling to England to visit her 91-year-old mother, who is in end-of-life care. Annie, who requested her surname remain unpublished, explained that her British passport expired recently and has been submitted for renewal.
Unexpected Travel Barrier for Dual Nationals
Annie had "reasonably expected" to continue using her Dutch passport for regular visits to her mother, as she had done every few weeks over recent months. However, rules implemented this Wednesday now require British dual nationals from countries other than Ireland to present a valid British passport or pay £589 for a "certificate of entitlement," which can take up to eight weeks to obtain.
"What the Home Office don't understand is what they are doing is taking away this chance to be with my mum at the end of her life," Annie stated emotionally. "To be with your mum at this time is not an easy journey. Every time I see her I wonder if I will see her again. It's such a traumatic journey."
Political Calls for Grace Period
Former Conservative cabinet minister and Brexit secretary David Davis, who serves as Annie's mother's MP, has urgently called on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to introduce a grace period. This would allow hundreds of British dual nationals like Annie to continue traveling on their second passports while their British passport applications are processed.
"British nationals should not be disadvantaged simply because they hold a second nationality," Davis asserted. "Yet under the new arrangements, dual British citizens are being treated as though they are foreign visitors to their own country. The practical effect is that some are being prevented from boarding flights and returning home."
Davis emphasized that British citizenship must carry an unambiguous right of return and pledged to take his constituent's case directly to the home secretary. Liberal Democrats shadow home affairs spokesperson Will Forster has similarly demanded an urgent grace period by next Wednesday.
Personal Impact and Brexit Context
Annie's mother, who has suffered multiple strokes, resides in a care home in Yorkshire. Annie expressed shock upon learning she could no longer travel using her Dutch passport, stating, "It is only weeks before I get my passport but we don't know how long she will last. You want to be with your mum at the end, to share the whole journey of life, not just the good stuff."
Annie moved to the Netherlands in 1999 and never intended to become a dual national, feeling "as British as the day she was born." Like many Britons living in the European Union, she obtained Dutch citizenship after Brexit to maintain rights where she lives with her husband and children.
"I know I have a Dutch passport but I had to get that after Brexit," she explained. "But in my heart I am British. It is my country. I love going back, I feel like I belong, my shoulders drop when I go home."
Home Office Response and Implementation Issues
The Home Office has stated that the new rules have been available on the gov.uk website since October 2024, with specific details about British passport requirements for dual nationals posted since November 2025. However, hundreds of affected individuals report having no knowledge of these changes, noting a lack of warnings at airports or communication with Britons abroad.
While declining to comment on individual cases, the Home Office acknowledged this represents a "significant change" for carriers and travelers but maintained they have been "clear on what people need to do to prepare for this change for some time." The department added that carriers "at their discretion" could accept an expired British passport alongside a second passport to prove British nationality.
Annie reflected on the broader implications: "It is bigger than just going home to mum. What she represents for me is my home and no one has the right to take that away from me and that right to be with her in the end of life."
