A father of two was prevented from flying back to the United Kingdom despite having lived in the country since infancy. Kyle Harris, a 39-year-old resident of Wheatley, South Yorkshire, was denied boarding on a Jet2 flight from Kefalonia, Greece, to the UK because he did not possess a British passport.
Mr. Harris, who was born in Maryland, USA, and moved to the UK before his first birthday, holds a British birth certificate. Until February 2026, British dual citizens could travel to the UK using their non-British passport. However, the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system now mandates that all British citizens must enter the country using a British passport.
His wife, Ruth, described the ordeal on Facebook, expressing frustration that the family was not warned during booking, travel, or check-in. She highlighted that her husband has lived in the UK for 39 years, paid taxes and national insurance for 24 years, attended school, raised British children, and built his entire life there. She said, “Right now my husband feels more like a foreigner than a citizen of the country he calls home.”
The family was forced to extend their holiday while Mr. Harris obtained the necessary documentation from the British consulate. Under the new rules, foreign nationals who do not require a visa to enter the UK must complete an ETA form before boarding. British citizens are not eligible for the ETA, leaving dual citizens without a British passport with limited options: apply for a British passport or obtain a Certificate of Entitlement, which costs £589 and can take up to eight weeks to process.
Some airlines, such as Ryanair, have indicated they would accept expired British passports for dual citizens. For Mr. Harris, the situation was especially stressful as he suffers from a pituitary tumour and had only brought enough medication for the original holiday duration.
Jet2 stated that its staff sought guidance from the Home Office and acted in accordance with government regulations. A spokesperson advised all customers to check Foreign Office travel requirements before travelling.
