British citizenship
Dual nationality and British citizenship
The fee tool opens on renunciation of British citizenship, the step some people face when their other country forbids two nationalities.
Home Office nationality fees
Fee
£513
| Fees table in force from | 8 October 2026 |
| Life in the UK Test | £50 a sitting |
| Priority (citizenship) | £500 extra |
The United Kingdom allows dual nationality: you can become a British citizen and remain a citizen of another country, and gov.uk says there is nothing to apply for to hold both. The question is the other country's law. Guide AN warns that some countries do not allow dual citizenship, so naturalising as British may mean losing or having to give up your existing nationality, and it advises asking that country before you apply. If your first country still treats you as its citizen, its duties can apply to you while you are on its territory, including military service in some states. As a dual national you cannot get British diplomatic help while you are in your other country of nationality. To enter the UK you use a British or Irish passport or a certificate of entitlement, not an electronic travel authorisation. Giving up British citizenship later, if the other country demands it, costs £513 under the fees table in force since 8 October 2026.
First British passports for the family
Online, standard passports
£270.50
| Adult, online | £102 |
| Adult, paper form | £115.50 |
| Child, online | £66.50 |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Two legal systems, one person
Naturalisation touches two bodies of law. British law decides whether you become British, and it has no objection to your keeping another nationality. Your other country's law decides whether you remain its citizen, and that varies a great deal. gov.uk says many countries do not accept dual citizenship, and Guide AN says their nationals may lose their citizenship, or have to give it up, on becoming British; other countries accept it. None of this is decided by the Home Office, which is why Guide AN tells you to seek advice from your own country before applying.
| Situation | Effect on your other nationality | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Other country allows dual citizenship | you keep both | its consulate in the UK |
| Other country ends citizenship on naturalisation abroad | you may lose it when you become British | its consulate, before applying |
| Other country requires you to renounce | you may have to give it up | its consulate, before applying |
| You later need to give up British citizenship | renunciation, £513 | Home Office |
Questions to ask your consulate
- Do I lose my citizenship automatically when I acquire another one, or only if I renounce it?
- Must I tell you, or ask permission, before naturalising?
- Can my children keep both nationalities, and does it matter if they were born in the UK?
- Do I keep property, inheritance or residence rights at home if I lose citizenship?
- Do military service or other duties still apply to me when I visit?
Guide AN flags the last point: a country that still regards you as its citizen may hold you to its citizens' duties while you are on its territory, which can include military service. gov.uk adds that in some countries a married person is automatically counted as holding their partner's nationality, and children can hold a parent's nationality even when born abroad.
Travelling as a dual national
Most dual nationals carry two passports and use each where it helps. For the UK, gov.uk says you travel on a valid UK passport, an Irish passport, or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode; British and Irish dual citizens cannot get an electronic travel authorisation. Your carrier may let you travel with an expired UK passport issued in 1989 or later together with a valid passport of a nationality eligible for an ETA, provided the personal details match, but that is the airline's decision. If you naturalised after settling under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may also enter on your other passport or EU identity card, kept linked to your UKVI account. Passport costs for a family are in the tool below.
In your other country, use its passport and remember that British consular help is not available to you there. Elsewhere in the world, you have it like any British citizen.
Renunciation, if it comes to that
Some people discover after naturalising that their other country will only let them keep, or regain, its citizenship if they give up British nationality. Renouncing British citizenship is a formal Home Office application costing £513, shown in the tool at the top. Weigh it carefully: a route to register again as British exists, with its own conditions and fee, but it is not automatic. If the issue is only about how you travel, a certificate of entitlement or simply choosing which passport to show may solve it without renouncing anything.