Overview
- A Scottish family say their 11-month-old, who was born in the UK but holds an Austrian passport, was refused boarding for a flight home from Alicante because staff could not verify her British citizenship.
- After airline and Home Office checks failed to clear the child to travel, the British embassy declined an emergency travel document, so the family went to Austria to stay with relatives and apply for a UK passport.
- The Home Office says that from 25 February 2026 dual British citizens must travel with a UK passport or a Certificate of Entitlement, and that carriers will bar boarding if those documents are not shown.
- First‑time infant passport applications require original papers and have no fast‑track option, and the family were told the process could take 10 or more weeks, which could clash with EU 90‑day stay limits.
- Campaigners argue the change was poorly signposted and hits mixed‑nationality families and children, while media reports put the Certificate of Entitlement fee at £589 and officials point to guidance published since 2023–2024.