With the United Kingdom set to make its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) mandatory for non-visa-exempt travellers later this month, Cyprus Mail reported on 1 February 2026 that the Home Office has clarified how the scheme affects dual citizens. British nationals who also hold a Cypriot passport must still enter the UK on a valid British passport; if they attempt to apply for an ETA as a Cypriot, they would be making a false declaration.
Officials concede enforcement has historically been lax, allowing many dual nationals to arrive on their non-British passports. However, the digital ETA platform forces applicants to tick a box confirming they are not UK citizens—effectively exposing any misstatement. The Home Office warned that lying on the application is a criminal offence, although it acknowledged that prosecution and on-arrival checks are unlikely to increase.
![UK clarifies Electronic Travel Authorisation rules for Cypriot-British dual nationals]()
Travellers unsure about their next steps can turn to VisaHQ for practical help. Through its Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), the company offers easy online ETA applications, passport-renewal reminders and real-time status tracking—all in one dashboard—making life simpler for dual nationals and the HR teams that support them.
For mobility teams the message is two-fold: advise British-Cypriot assignees to renew expired UK passports promptly, and update pre-trip checklists so that travellers are not mistakenly instructed to seek an ETA. The only alternative— a £589 Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode — will itself become fully digital and time-consuming to obtain.
Airlines operating the busy Larnaca–London trunk have confirmed they will deny boarding to British citizens without a UK passport once carrier liability penalties come into force alongside the ETA roll-out. Companies should therefore budget lead time for passport renewals and ensure HR systems accurately flag employees’ multiple nationalities.
Officials concede enforcement has historically been lax, allowing many dual nationals to arrive on their non-British passports. However, the digital ETA platform forces applicants to tick a box confirming they are not UK citizens—effectively exposing any misstatement. The Home Office warned that lying on the application is a criminal offence, although it acknowledged that prosecution and on-arrival checks are unlikely to increase.
Travellers unsure about their next steps can turn to VisaHQ for practical help. Through its Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), the company offers easy online ETA applications, passport-renewal reminders and real-time status tracking—all in one dashboard—making life simpler for dual nationals and the HR teams that support them.
For mobility teams the message is two-fold: advise British-Cypriot assignees to renew expired UK passports promptly, and update pre-trip checklists so that travellers are not mistakenly instructed to seek an ETA. The only alternative— a £589 Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode — will itself become fully digital and time-consuming to obtain.
Airlines operating the busy Larnaca–London trunk have confirmed they will deny boarding to British citizens without a UK passport once carrier liability penalties come into force alongside the ETA roll-out. Companies should therefore budget lead time for passport renewals and ensure HR systems accurately flag employees’ multiple nationalities.
