New rules requiring British dual nationals to show a UK passport when entering Britain are \u201cdiscriminatory\u201d against women, campaigners claim.<\/p>\n
From 25 February, British dual nationals are required to present a British passport<\/a> when boarding a plane, ferry or train to the UK, or attach a new document, a \u201ccertificate of entitlement\u201d, which costs nearly \u00a3600, to their second passport.<\/p>\n Campaigners say it will pose particular problems for some women in Greece and Spain who took out citizenship after Brexit<\/a> because of British rules requiring names to exactly match on the UK and second passports.<\/p>\n In Greece, women are required to keep their maiden name after marriage to a Greek national, meaning those whose British passports use their husband\u2019s name will fall foul of the name-match rule.<\/p>\n In Spain, Britons married to Spaniards carry two surnames on official ID, the maiden name of their mother and their father\u2019s surname, while in the UK their British passport will only have one surname.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is causing huge problems,\u201d said Julia Cross, of the grassroots organisation British in Greece. \u201cMany didn\u2019t know they had to get a second passport but the requirement for name alignment on the two passports is discriminatory and only impacts women.\u201d The body represents 20,000 Britons in Greece, and is part of the umbrella group British in Europe<\/a>, which campaigned for Britons\u2019 rights after Brexit.<\/p>\n The Home Office said people may be allowed to have mismatched names only in exceptional circumstances<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dual nationals must enter the country using their British passport from 25 February under the new rules. Photograph: 44 Frames\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n \u201cWhere individuals can provide evidence that they are unable to change their name in their foreign issued documents, the Home Office<\/a> will exceptionally consider allowing them to use a different name in a Home Office issued document,\u201d its guidance says.<\/p>\n But campaigners said the new rules had not been communicated and were causing confusion and stress to affected women in Spain and Greece.<\/p>\n Cross called on the government to urgently introduce a transition period of \u201cat least three months\u201d to communicate the new rules in a meaningful fashion and enable Britons abroad to make any necessary adjustments.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had one woman get in touch who says she feels like she has been \u2018banned\u2019 from entering her own country,\u201d said Cross. \u201cI have had another asking if we are now entering a Trumpian environment where they turn against their own citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n A House of Commons briefing paper on the topic published at the end of January<\/a> points out that Britons have the legal right to enter the country, but the problem may lie with airlines, who risk fines if they allow anyone to board without the correct document.<\/p>\n