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  • FAQ

    Last updated: October 3rd, 2022

    I’m a dual citizen - which passport should I show when entering the UK?

    To answer this, first some general information about entering the UK.

    When you cross any border, you need to prove that you have the right to enter that country, for the stated purpose of entering.

    If you are entering the UK:

    • on an identity document that isn’t British or Irish, 
    • and you tell the UK Border Force Officer that you live in the UK, or for example you want to work in the UK (in other words, you are not entering as a visitor),
    • then you have to prove you have the right to enter the UK.

    For EU citizens this can be in the form of a digital status linked to your passport or national identity card if you have status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). Or it could be in the form of a biometric residence permit if you have ILR and you didn’t apply for status under the EUSS. For other (non-British) citizens this may also be a digital status, or it may be a visa in the form of a sticker in a passport or biometric residence card/permit.

    Please also see our Travel to the UK webpage for information on what documents you need to be allowed to board a carrier abroad for travel to the UK.


    So, to address the question of people with multiple passports, you should show the passport which demonstrates your right to enter the UK.


    If you are British - show the British passport. If instead you show your other passport, that passport will not prove a right to enter the UK. If you had applied for EU Settlement Scheme status before naturalising as British, your non-British passport may still be linked to your EUSS status in the Government’s computer systems, but strictly speaking your British citizenship will override your settled status because under UK immigration law it is not possible to hold more than one status.


    If you are not British but have more than one nationality - show the passport / national identity card which is linked to your immigration status, or show a passport alongside a proof of immigration status (for example a biometric residence card/permit). Perhaps more than one of your identity documents is linked to your immigration status, in which case you can present any of those to the Border Force officer. 

    See also our FAQ on which identity documents to use when booking a return trip from the UK to the EU.

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